Omega Constellation Cal.561 18ct 1966

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 ’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 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 more prestigious and more expensive than the equivalent Rolex Oyster Perpetual and also contained a finer movement.

The watch carries the Omega Calibre 561 Chronometer Automatic movement which is very highly regarded for its accuracy and reliability. The 18ct yellow gold case measures 34mm and is in wonderful condition, having being previously restored to a very high standard.

The Dial

The beautiful silver-white brushed 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 is, and it isn’t difficult to see why. Furnished with gold ‘baton’ hour indices inlaid with black onyx, and the original previously restored ‘Dauphine’ hands, it really catches the light beautifully and looks far better in real life than in the photographs. The style is classic 1960s Omega and is perfect for both evening wear and regular everyday use.

The dial carries the applied gold Omega brand and signature, with ‘Automatic Chronometer Officially Certified’ and ‘Constellation’ with ‘Swiss Made’ below the ‘6’.

This is the original dial which has been restored previously to a very high standard and is therefore in absolutely superb condition.

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 +6 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.’ and ‘Swiss’, and carries the Calibre 561, along with the serial number 23,869,429 which dates this watch to 1966.

*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 34mm 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, both produced top-quality cases for almost all of the watch brands you see 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 also carries the Omega model ref. 1685416 and the serial number 456214.

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 excellent 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 often quite worn, 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 meters*.

*Although originally specified as ‘Water Resistant to 20 meters’, 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 & Buckle

The watch has been fitted with a high quality brown alligator strap with a matching gold-plated Omega buckle. We think this complements the gold case and dial nicely, 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 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 high quality hardwood presentation box shown in the photographs is included in the sale.

In Conclusion

A rare and exceptional vintage 18ct Gold Omega Constellation dress watch in incredible condition. 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.