Omega Constellation Cal.551 18ct Pink Gold 1961 – Original Unrestored ‘Pie Pan’ Dial

Omega Watches

Since the company was founded in 1848, Omega has pioneered a huge range of innovations. Britain’s Royal Flying Corps chose Omega watches in 1917 as official timekeepers for its pilots and again in 1940, RAF Pilots watches were supplied by Omega. The 40s also saw the first tourbillon wristwatch and the first of the famous Seamaster watches, whilst the 1950s and 60s introduced the legendary Constellation, Speedmaster, Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Over these years, everyone from John F. Kennedy to Elvis wore Omega watches on official duties. What’s more, in 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra took his Omega Speedmaster into space on NASA’s Mercury Sigma 7 mission and in 1969 two Speedmasters landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Why This Watch is Important

The Omega Constellation is iconic, having been in continuous production since 1952 and one which has always represented Omega’s most luxurious precision chronometer timepiece. When launched, and throughout the 1950s and ’60s, the Constellation was a more prestigious and expensive piece than the equivalent Rolex Oyster Perpetual and also contained a much better movement. Finding a nice vintage Constellation is not that hard, but finding a nice early Constellation, particularly in pink gold, is much more difficult.

Pink gold Omega Constellations with ‘Pie Pan’ dials from the 1960s, are particularly rare, collectable and sought after. Production numbers of Omega Constellations were much lower than we see today and pink gold would have made up just 5-10% of total production. This 1961 example  features the sought after ‘Pie Pan’ dial which is the most desirable among collectors and is also original, unrestored, untouched and in tip-top condition.

Further notable features include the high grade, Cal.551 automatic movement which was one of Omega’s first full rotor automatics and the rare, early 10-sided pink Omega signed crown.

This watch also comes complete with its original and very rare Omega Constellation presentation box.

The Dial

The original, unrestored, untouched, two-tone silver & white dial is finished with ‘hearts and arrows’ pink gold hour indices and matching original pink gold Dauphine hands. Not only are the hour indices wonderful, but this is the ‘Pie Pan’ dial, which is the most sought after of dials among Omega collectors. It is so called because it resembles the shape of an upturned pie pan.

The two-tone dial catches the light wonderfully, as we have tried to demonstrate in the photographs. The centre part of the dial appears slightly lighter depending on how the dial catches the light. However, this reverses when the watch is viewed under certain angles to the light.

The dial is in superb condition, considering the age of this watch. Normally we restore the dials of all the vintage watches you see on our website due to damage caused by sunlight, humidity, dust and pollution. This normally takes the form of fading, staining, spotting, pitting etc but here the dial is superb. It is, in fact, one of the best dials we have seen for this age of watch and so we have left it completely alone. There are just the faintest signs of spotting and some faded marks caused by the luminous hands. There are none of the usual scratches which dials often collect during servicing.

The dial is signed with an applied pink gold Omega signature and ‘Automatic Chronometer’ with ‘Constellation’ and the pink gold Constellation star. The dial also reads ‘Swiss Made’ at the very bottom.

The Movement

This Omega Chronometer Grade Cal.551, 24 Jewel Automatic Movement was one of Omega’s first full rotor automatics, as all previous automatic movements had been bumper automatics, which were standard until this point. This movement is held in high regard and was the forerunner of an amazing family of automatic Chronometer movements which included the 552, 561, 562, 564, 565 751 and 752 Constellation movements. Each of these cemented Omegas formidable reputation for producing highly accurate, robust and reliable automatic Chronometer movements throughout the 1960s.

This movement has been given a full overhaul and service by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This involves completely dismantling the watch to all its component parts and then ultrasonic cleaning, inspection under high magnification and reassembly using only correct original Omega replacement parts where required. Our watchmaker’s work is amazing and following careful calibration and testing, this watch is now running within +6 seconds per day with a 42-hour power reserve when fully wound. This is truly exceptional for a watch of this age. We are therefore more than happy to offer this watch with our 12 months’ warranty on the movement*.

The movement is signed ‘Omega Watch Co Swiss’, ‘Twenty Four Jewels’ with the Calibre number 551 and the serial number 17003695 which dates this watch to manufacture in 1961.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

As mentioned above, pink gold Omega Constellations from this period are particularly rare and this example is in especially fine condition. As can be seen, the Omega Constellation emblem on the case-back is clear and well defined, indicating the watch has been lightly used. It has only ever been very lightly hand-polished to remove any tarnish and after close inspection, this is all that was required to bring it back to the wonderful condition you see here.

The case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the rare early 10 sided pink Omega signed crown.

This is an Omega screw-back case and of a very robust design which makes this watch perfectly appropriate for everyday use, should you so wish.

Inside the case-back is signed ‘Omega Watch Co.’, ‘Fab Suisse’ and ‘Swiss Made’ with Swiss 18ct Hallmarks and the Omega reference 14381/2SC.

Although waterproof when new and even though all the seals have been replaced, water resistance has not been tested and is not guaranteed. As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

The watch has been fitted with a high quality brown Hirsch Alligator strap with a matching pink gold plated Omega buckle. We think this contrasts very nicely with the pink gold case and the dial,  however, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock, in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but can also obtain most types and colours of strap from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their huge range of 18mm straps if you wish, here.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1961.

Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months’ warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

The original and very rare Omega Constellation presentation box shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

A rare and exceptional vintage gold Omega Constellation dress watch with an 18ct pink gold case. The movement is of a very high grade and on a par with watches far more expensive than this. Indeed when new, this watch would have cost more than the equivalent Rolex. Omega watches are highly collectable and the rarity of this watch means the value will always remain strong.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very best quality watches we can find before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you choose to pay by UK bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Please contact us to reserve the watch and request our bank details. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair, or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095. If calling from overseas +44 207 727 7095.

We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches, including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you. We await your call!

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.