Friday, 3 February 2023

Vintage Omega Constellation 168.005 Pie pan dial 天文台,紅金八卦面,烏蠅字

This is a usual Omega Constellation with pie pan gold dial and in stainless screw back case that has created controversies as some forum collectors think it’s a fake or franken. In Hong Kong, it is called 天文台,紅金八卦面,烏蠅字 .








The Omega Constellation case has a similar case design with the vintage Omega Seamaster 14363 as below



I have owned the Seamaster 14363 before. Even though the case looks similar, it has a snap back case. It comes with both subsidy seconds and sweeping second.

Many watch collectors will scream fake or Frankenstein upon seeing the Stainless steel constellation with pie pan dial in a forum. When I posted in the Thai forum, most collectors have a more open mind. 

In fact, there are some differences between the Seamaster 14363 versus the Omega constellation case. The Constellation case is a screw back case versus the snap back case for Seamaster 14363. It is not usual for watch brand to use similar design. For example, Tudor submariner is similar in case design as the Rolex Submariner where only the movement is different. For watches from the early period, the core brand positioning is not as well defined as todays.

Maxbliss888
The Constellatiom shows a concave case to allow the back case to be screwed inwards

The Seamster 14363 case shows a protruding convex case to allow the snap back case to be snapped
Some forum members were commenting that one could perhaps squeeze the movement in and squeeze a screw back case into the omega Seamaster case. By squeezing it in, one would need to sand down the steel protrusion first and then dig a grove for the screw back back case  … But my question is, if after sanding down the protrusion, it will not have much space left for the rotor to move around. 

I think it’s not possible. The thing about vintage watch is that in the earlier days, there were many variations and perhaps by having an open mind, one could see more things. I think Hong Kong watch collectors are one of the top notch ones as I have seen many unusual watches kept by these low profile collectors. 

Anyway, I am no Omega watch expert and I am merely pointing out the difference between the Omega Seamaster vs Constellelation..

Small collection of Constellation with variations in rose and yellow gold and variation in shape and dial designs

Rose gold versus Yellow gold


Rose gold versus steel













No comments:

Post a Comment

google.com, pub-9153422137839320, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0

Vintage watches with unique dials

I was a History & Political Science students and watches with special history deeply interest me. These are vintage watches with unique ...

google.com, pub-9153422137839320, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0