Omega Constellation Square Waffle Dial Restoration

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Cicindela's meticulous restoration of an Omega Constellation with a rare "Square Waffle" guilloche dial and Caliber 354 bumper movement offers a compelling look into the dedication required for vintage watch preservation. His detailed account of cleaning the dial and refurbishing the case provides invaluable insights for collectors undertaking similar projects, emphasizing the beauty and challenge of bringing these historical pieces back to life.

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I have always wanted one of these "Square waffle" Constellation Guilloches, but they are hard to come by, (even more then the diamond pattern guilloche) and I have always been a day late.
I saw this one, a 354 bumper and said to myself, Hey, I bet I can save that.

First step clean dial. NOT easy: microscope, make-up applicator pads (like q-tips but foam not cotton), wood toothpicks, dishes for baths, paper towels, secret chemicals . Did I mention time?, lots of time. You get the picture, WIS torture.

On top of this I had to come up with a case. This one is a 2782, right case for the movement/dial/time. I had to refurbish the case too. Someone had tried to gold plate it and then "satin-ize" it. I had to re-clean and polish it to the original stainless appearance.

All and all I a pretty happy with the results. It looks even better in real life, as the camera brings out any little imperfections. Is it new old stock? Heck no, but I think it looks pretty good and I saved another one from the scrapers.

Appearance at the start, sellers image

After the first cleaning. We're making progress?
Hey, we're not done yet

After two more cleaning sessions. It is time to stop.

Clean and oil the 354, then put it all together. Add new crystal, add new strap and what do you know folks, it lives! Runs like a top and keeps time, which is good considering it is missing a screw for the lower balance bridge and a case clamp (back ordered)

Key Points from the Discussion

The "Square Waffle" guilloche dial is rarer than the diamond pattern waffle and primarily appeared in the earliest Constellation models, specifically references 2648 and 2652.
In the earliest Constellation case references (2648 and 2652), the Omega logo/symbol is always metal, never printed, while the word "OMEGA" is only in print. In reference 2782, both metal and print versions of the word "OMEGA" can be found.
The movement serial number can help date the watch, with a 13685xx serial number suggesting a late '53 or early '54 production, and a Caliber 354 could be found in references 2648, 2652, and 2782.
The effort to clean and restore original dials is highly commendable, as many vintage watches with poor re-dials are often overlooked.
A 2652 case, particularly in gold, is highly sought after for these early Constellation models.

The Discussion

hoipolloi

Sep 26, 2011

You did it !!! Steve. I am sure you had lots of fun doing it. Consgratulations.

EdwardL

Sep 26, 2011

Congrats on a great job. You sure saved the poor soul. You were right. It is NOS Ed

Bill Sohne

Sep 26, 2011

Hi GREAT JOB Enjoy wearing it Bill Sohne

aroma

Sep 27, 2011

I had a similar task but couldn't attempt it myself. Anyway this is how it ended up and it's a beauty too Thanks for sharing Andrew

mondodec

Sep 27, 2011

You're a miracle worker Steve. Some of those chemicals didnt come from the photo lab did they? A magnificent restoration. Cheers Desmond

mac_omega

Sep 27, 2011

Hi Steve, great job! You do not share the secret about the solutions used - do you? Kind regards erich

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Omega Constellation Square Waffle Dial Restoration

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