Omega Constellation Cal.561 18ct 1964

Omega Watch

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 50s and 60s introduced the legendary Constellation, Speedmaster, Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Over the 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 to 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

This is a very interesting 1964, 18ct Omega Constellation for the collector, with a very rare 1 – 12 numeral dial. You may have noticed whilst studying vintage Constellation dials, that they almost always feature hour indices in the form of ‘batons’ or ‘arrowheads’ and such like, rather than using numerals of any kind. Indeed until recently, when we came across this watch, we would have happily omitted ‘almost’ from the above statement. However, we have inspected this watch and dial very carefully, including its underside, and concluded this is absolutely genuine and totally original.

We are also very fortunate in finding this watch in superb condition, inside and out. The watch case has the Omega Constellation motif on the case-back, which is very distinct and hardly worn, indicating this watch has been lightly used and very well cared for.

The Dial

The Silver dial with vertical graining is unusual in itself for an Omega Constellation, but the applied, facetted, 1 – 12 numerals are quite unique in our experience. These are unusually tall and made of a bronze alloy with a very dark blue oxidation treatment on the top of the faceted surfaces. This adds a good deal of depth to the dial. The numerals are matched with gilt and black onyx inlaid ‘Index’ hands and a gilt needle centre seconds hand. The dial also carries the applied gold OMEGA brand and Constellation name, with ‘Automatic Chronometer Officially Certified’ at the centre of the dial towards 12 o’clock and ‘Swiss Made’, below the ‘6 

The lens is clear and unscratched, having been replaced by ourselves as part of the restoration. We have, of course, replaced this with an original Omega replacement part which carries the tiny Omega symbol in the centre of the lens. You can see this if you look carefully in one or two of the photographs.

This is the original dial which has been restored to the highest standards, by the best dial restorers in the UK.

The Movement

This is the very high grade, ‘Officially Certified Chronometer’, Omega Calibre 561 automatic, copper-toned, 24 jewels movement, which as can be seen, is in truly sparkling condition. The movement has just been fully overhauled and serviced in May 2018 by our vintage Omega specialist watchmaker. This means fully dismantling the watch and movement, ultrasonic cleaning of all parts, careful inspection of critical parts under high magnification and replacement where required with genuine Omega parts. Then careful reassembly and oiling, using the correct lubricants to manufacturer specification before final testing and calibration. This watch is now running perfectly, having been calibrated and timed at +9 seconds per day! This timing has been confirmed on our electronic timegrapher and is truly outstanding for any watch of this age. We therefore have no hesitation in offering this watch with our 12 months’ warranty*.

The movement is signed Omega Watch Co Swiss, Twenty Four Jewels,  and Cal. 561 Adjusted 5 Positions with the serial number 21,307,747 which dates the watch to 1964. These watches are well known for their exceedingly accurate and reliable movements, making this watch perfect for either everyday use or just evening wear only – as you wish.

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

The Case

The sturdy three-piece ribbed, 18ct yellow gold watch case measures 35mm in diameter, excluding the Omega signed crown. The case was made for Omega by Dennison in the UK who made watch cases for many of the top Swiss watch manufacturers at this time. Dennison and Sons in Birmingham and Shackman and Sons in London produced top quality cases for almost all of the watch brands you see here on this website.

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 1966.**  The case-back carries the Omega model reference numbers 1685416 and 458050.

The case has been cleaned, carefully inspected and very lightly hand-polished, 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 greater or lesser 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*.

*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 complimented with a very high quality Brown Crocodile strap and gold plated Omega buckle, which we feel really suits this watch. 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 £90.00) We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock, in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but we can also obtain most types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, all the numbers and markings on the watch are correct, dating the watch to 1964/1966**. Our detailed ‘Particulars’ document will be included in the sale, along with our detailed receipt and 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 at any time, 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 is included in the sale.

**It is not unusual for the manufacturer to produce a watch movement to be given a serial number in one year, and the watch case, another. Here the movement may have remained part of Omega’s inventory during 1965 before it was delivered to Dennison in 1966. So, depending on how you see things, this watch could fairly be referred to as a 1964 or 1966 watch.

In Conclusion

This rare dial example of an 18ct Omega Constellation is fitted with one of Omega’s best automatic movements ever. This, along with the rest of the watch is in immaculate condition. If you are looking for a very special 1960s Omega Constellation with one of Omega’s very best automatic movements, then this could be the watch for you. The movement is of a very high grade and 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 wear, treasure and enjoy! Even though vintage gold Omega watch prices continue to climb, we still feel sure that top class examples are underpriced. This is because as time passes and the world market for vintage gold Omega watches continues to grow, the finite supply means prices will inevitably climb ever higher. We promise you will be so pleased you bought this watch!

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest 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 would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. 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 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 your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch. All at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline  020 7727 7095   or mobile  07515 949 250 or if calling from overseas our landline number is +44 207 727 7095  or mobile +44 7515 949 250.

We are here, ready, available and awaiting your call! 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 vintage watches, we will also be happy to hear from you.

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine Vintage Gold Watches!

Thank you.