Omega
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 1940s also saw the first tourbillon wristwatch and the first of the famous Seamaster watches, whilst the ’50s 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.
Description
The Omega Constellation is iconic, having remained in continuous production since 1952, and is one which has always represented Omega’s most luxurious precision chronometer timepiece. When launched, and throughout the 1950s and ’60s, the Constellation was more prestigious and more expensive than the equivalent Rolex Oyster Perpetual and also contained a finer movement.
This watch carries the Omega Calibre 561 Chronometer Date Automatic movement which is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability and the 18ct yellow gold case measures a large 36mm, making this a large watch for its period.
The Dial
The beautiful original, unrestored and untouched silver dial is simply superb. This is a classic Omega Constellation dial design which has become highly sought after in recent years, especially in as good a condition as this one, and it isn’t difficult to see why. Furnished with gold ‘baton’ hour indices inlaid with black onyx, original restored ‘dauphine’ style hands and the wonderful addition of a date window at ‘3’, it really catches the light beautifully and looks far better in real life than in the photographs. The style is classic 1950s Omega and is perfect for both evening wear and regular everyday use.
The dial also carries the applied gold Omega brand and is signed ‘Omega’,‘Automatic Chronometer Officially Certified’ with ‘Constellation’ below and ‘Swiss Made’ below the ‘6’.
Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however, we decided in this case, due to its exceptional condition and having few signs of the fading, pitting or scratches we usually see on a dial, to retain its originality and charm for the many collectors who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored.
The Movement
The Omega Cal.561, 24 Jewel movement fitted to this watch was one of Omega’s most highly regarded and successful movements, remaining in production for almost 20 years.
The movement is in tip-top condition having been overhauled and serviced by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This means it has been completely disassembled to all its component parts, carefully inspected under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine Omega parts before careful reassembly and adjustment and calibration. The watch winds, sets and runs perfectly accurately and reliably and at the time of testing, immediately following its service, results were within +3 seconds per day. This is truly outstanding for any watch of this age and has been confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher. The movement also has an excellent 50-hour power reserve when fully wound. We are more than confident in offering 12 months’ warranty with this watch movement*.
The movement is correctly signed ‘Omega Watch Co Swiss’, and carries the Calibre 561, along with the serial number 17,219,716 which dates this watch to 1959.
*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.
Watch Case
The heavy 18ct yellow gold three-peice watch case was designed to be waterproof and dustproof and measures 36mm, excluding the correct original Omega signed crown. It is in the typically robust design of the period, with strong sweeping lugs and a screw-back.
The case has been cleaned, carefully inspected and very gently hand-polished to remove some tarnish, as this was all that was required to bring it back to its current tip-top condition with no scratches, dings or marks of any kind visible to the naked eye. The case-back carries the famous Constellation motif which is almost as new. Being 18ct gold, this is usually worn to a far greater extent, but here it is still crisp and distinct, indicating this watch has hardly been worn. The screw-down case-back and sealed crown make this watch water resistant to 20 metres*.
Inside the screw-down case-back, we find all the markings are correct and as expected with The Omega Watch Co. triangle and ‘Made In England’ plus the A.L.D Dennison manufacturers stamp. Birmingham UK 18ct hallmarks date the watch case to 1959. The case-back also carries the Omega model ref. 1685004 and the serial number 355557.
Please note – Although originally specified as ‘Water Resistant to 20 metres’, this has not been tested and is not guaranteed. As always, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.
The Strap and Buckle
The watch is finished with a very high quality black leather strap and matching gold-plated Omega buckle which we feel suits the watch beautifully. However, if you have a preference for another colour or style, please let us know and we will do our best to supply and fit your preferred strap for no extra charge. (If a new Omega strap is preferred, this can be fitted for an extra £50.00). 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 from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs. Please take a look at their wonderful range of straps if you wish here.
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 1959.
A detailed Particulars document 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”.
A high quality hardwood presentation box, as shown in the photographs, is included in the sale of this watch.
In Conclusion
A truly beautiful top of the range, 1950s 18ct Omega Constellation in wonderful condition. If you are looking for a great example of a top marque Omega with one of Omega’s best ever automatic movements then this watch ticks all the boxes. The movement is of a very high grade and is equal to watches much more expensive than this. Indeed when new, this watch would have cost more than the equivalent gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Omega Constellation watches are highly collectable and the desirability of this watch means its value will always remain strong.
In addition to being perfectly practical for everyday use, this watch will make an excellent investment and heirloom piece, as well as be something wonderful to use, wear, treasure and enjoy! Even though vintage gold Omega watch prices continue to climb, we still feel sure that top class examples such as this are underpriced. This is because as time passes and the world market for vintage gold Omega watches continues to grow, limited supply means prices will inevitably climb ever higher.
A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them 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 means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly 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 would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.
Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.
We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.
If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.
Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.
Thank you.
Andrew M via feefo 
3rd December 2024 
JLC1891 
