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G99, a dedicated vintage Omega enthusiast, shares the dramatic transformation of his 1964 Omega Constellation after fitting it with a correct 1502 'beads of rice' bracelet. This post illustrates the significant impact a period-correct bracelet can have on a vintage watch's aesthetic and authenticity, offering valuable insights for collectors seeking to complete their timepieces.
i've had this 1964 561 calibre constellation for about a year, but today i received a parcel in the post. it came from HK so you could call it a chinese takeaway 
its a 1502 ref beads of rice bracelet which is, i believe, the correct bracelet for the watch and certainly for the period. i managed to get it a lot cheaper than others i've bid on as it appeared to be quite short measuring 15cm, but when you add the watch to it, it fits my 18cm wrist perfectly. after about an hour of faffing about, getting sore fingertips etc i got it onto the watch and took some pics outside as it happens to be sunny.
i think the change is very dramatic and the watch now looks exactly as it should have always looked. here are some before and after pics.
Before.
After.
i hope all of you vintage Omega fans will agree that this is how a Constellation should look. i know that most of the fleabay buyers agree because the prices are usually so high and the bracelets highly desirable. i think i was outbid on 5 or 6 before i managed to get this one.
i'd like to get a piepan constellation from 1964 one day, but they are hard to find in good condition.
i have also just got a pale tan Shell Cordovan strap for my cream dialled Azimuth, but thats another story for another forum.
enjoy
Graham
... Graham, actually on one hand i am happy to see you found the right matched bracelet for your Constellation, on the other hand, your post is enlightening or reminding me that we have always forgotten to get a matched bracelet for our watches. in all time of my collection, i just simply hunt for the head of a nice watch, then it seems end of the story. however after reading your post, in fact the most much fun will be to look for the right and correct bracelet for the head!!! but the question
Now, your Connie is complete, with its original bracelet. Nicely done, my friend. Best, Nicolas
Hello Graham. It looks like the hour hand is a bit too long and the minute hand a bit too short, don't you think ? Regards.
no, i think the hands are fine. the second hand is too short as it only just reached the ends of the indices, it looks like the end may have been cut off at some stage, but the hour and minute hands are correct. i have an issue with my SM30 where the hands look like they could be the wrong length, but thats been looked at by my watchmaker as well who is ex vintage Omega and knows his stuff. i'm not going to bother replacing a second hand unless i send it in for another service and he can find me
on the vintage Connies. Agree that the second hand was probably clipped. I have a Tissot someone did the same thing to. The end got bent during a poorly executed inspection or service, an the easy way way out was to clip it.
. . . that was originally posted last year. This '59 Seamaster is a family heirloom, and the two-tone bracelet is original to the watch. Unfortunately, the clasp was damaged shortly after this photo was taken, and he just sent the watch to Bienne for service and repair of the bracelet. The response from Omega was that the bracelet could not be repaired. I'll post photos of the restoration when it returns . . . cordially, Art
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