Omega Constellation Cal.564 18ct 1966 Original Baguette Diamond 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 1940s 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.

Description

The Omega Constellation is an iconic timepiece, having remained 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 far more prestigious and expensive piece than the equivalent Rolex Oyster Perpetual and also contained a much finer movement.

Here we have a very rare example with an original baguette diamond-set dial. These are very seldom seen and having sold hundreds of Omega Constellations over the past 20 years, this is the first original diamond-set dial example we have ever held in stock. As such, this is a highly exclusive model.

The watch carries the Omega Calibre 564 Chronometer movement which is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability. The 18ct yellow gold case measures 34mm, making this a large watch for its period.

This watch has just completed a full restoration by ourselves and is in pristine condition throughout.

The Dial

The beautifully restored gold dial is finished with applied gold batons and original black ‘Index’ hands. The very rare and exclusive feature of this watch is the diamond baguette hour indices at positions 12, 6 and 9. Fewer than 1 in 1,000 Omega Constellations were produced with such a dial. The dial has a very light vertical brushed grain, which catches the light wonderfully, as we have tried to demonstrate in the photographs. It is signed with an applied gold Omega brand and ‘Automatic Chronometer Officially Certified’ with ‘Constellation’ and a gold star below.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the very highest standards by our dial restorers, who are considered to be the best in the UK.

The Movement

The Omega Cal.564, 24 Jewel hand-wound movement fitted to this watch was one of Omega’s most highly regarded and successful movements, remaining in production for almost 20 years.

The Omega Cal.564 movement was the first Omega movement to include a quickset date function. This means instead of continuously rotating the hands forward to set the required date, this can be advanced very quickly, one day at a time by pulling the crown. This movement is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability, making this watch perfectly suited for everyday use as well as evening wear.

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 +7 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 564, along with the serial number 24,256,549 which dates this watch to 1966.

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

The Case

The 18ct yellow gold Omega Swiss made-case is of exceedingly high quality with a beautifully styled profile and lugs. All the lines and edges are well defined, indicating the watch has been very well cared for and never overpolished. As can be seen, the Omega Constellation emblem on the case-back is clear and well defined, also indicating the watch has been lightly used. After close inspection, some light hand polishing to remove any tarnish was all that was required to bring it back to the wonderful condition you see here.

The watch is complete with its original Omega signed crown. The case measures 34mm in diameter, excluding the 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 case number 700240 and the Omega reference 168005/6.

Please note – although specified as 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 Black Alligator strap with matching gold-plated Omega buckle. We think this contrasts very nicely with the 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 1966.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will 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 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

The vintage Omega presentation box shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

A very rare and exceptional vintage gold Omega Constellation dress watch with an 18ct gold case. The movement is of a very high grade and on a par with watches far more expensive than this. Omega watches are highly collectable and a respected flagship like the Constellation is sure to maintain its value.

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 check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and unfortunately out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges, however attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those that happen to visit the UK on occasion we are of course more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and your watch directly to you there.

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 our landline number is +44 207 727 70.

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.