Omega

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 is how do we know which bracelet is the correct one for the head? i guess we can take reference from old catalogues or magazines etc, otherwise any source that we can refer to?

by the way, i really like your rice bracelet, indeed nice looking!

stefan

hi Graham, i think i should know and confirm the date of my trip to London by this week. tentatively, it will be likely to fall on the 2nd and 3rd weeks of June.

will keep you guys posted the dates once i get the confirmation from our counterpart in UK.

cheers,

stefan

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.

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

Thinking that a good jeweler could solder a broken piece. Not too much can go wrong unless you break a link.

. . . and being steel, the repair - if it could be done - would require laser welding of a very high order. I suppose it could be done by a specialist, but Omega's response was to offer a replacement bracelet, which I take to mean that a repair would've been hideously expensive. Their quote for a dial restoration was on the high side, but at least they're willing to offer that service.

and I still think a clasp could be repaired here at a much better price. Where was the break?

. . . and since he's planning on moving to a part of the world where the humidity is much higher than here, it's probably a good decision for the long term. As for the clasp, I'm not sure where the break was, but he described it as a folded part that broke off. Actually, now that I've looked at Ofrei's catalog, I think there's a replacement clasp available, so I hope he can contact them and cancel the bracelet order. I'm glad you brought the point up, mrsnak . . . thanks much, Art

to other collectors. Managed to get one for my Mark 4.5 from a buddy in another forum recently. Ofrei has a great selection, but they are new parts and some current Omega replacements are not always identical to the original. This message has been edited by mrsnak on 2010-05-05 07:50:51

. . . there's hope for his bracelet yet ;-) . . .

Pre-destruction? ;-)

. . . that shows the darkened section between 7 and 9. I know, I know, if it belonged to either of us, we'd leave it alone. There is an undergrowth of corrosion that exposure to high humidity would likely accelerate, so he's having it re-dialed at great expense. He's relocating to Brazil, so having a Bienne restoration performed while he can still afford it makes sense over the long haul. I would've tried to take it off his hands had it not been a family heirloom . . . cordially, Art

Graham,

That's quite a transformation of your Connie.  Correct bracelet makes all the difference.  I admire your patience in hunting down the proper item, as I am trying to do the same for an Eterna-matic Kontiki.  The watch originally came on a bracelet, but was separated from it during the 40+ years since manufacture.  I agree with Stefan that tracing the correct bracelet model can be very difficult, particularly if the manufacturer doesn't have the operational consistency or meticulous record keeping of Omega.  In the case of the Eterna, it has taken me quite a bit of time on the world's most popular search engine to finally track down a scanned newspaper ad from Germany in 1968 (!) that showed the correct model with the correct bracelet.  In looking over old auctions, I find that most old Eterna offered with bracelet are mismatched.  I've found only two correct ones, and have missed the auction both times.  Oh well, keep trying...

I think correct crowns can be just as important, and one of my recent successes is finally tracking down a NOS crown for my Seamaster ref 14725 (1960).  The original was replaced about 15 years ago, with the "acceptable" Omega replacement, which I've found less than acceptable.  I hope to find time to visit the watchmaker to execute the swap, and I'll show the results here.  The correct crown below, and I'm very happy to have it:

Tom

Congratulation Graham,

 

I think this Connie looks excellent on the bracelet. Do you find the balance is still good for such a light watch? Do you wear it snugly or loose?

 

You have encouraged me to think about bracelets a little more for these vintage pieces.

 

Andrew

  Hi Graham,  your watch really caught my eye because I wear almost the same as an everyday beater, the question about the hands has also been in the back of my mind but now after looking at yours I'm not so sure that they are incorrect at all. I'm 99% sure mine is all original except for the bracelet (1286), crystal (signed),  crown and stem. My watch is a ref. 168.004 that should have the recessed crown but it was such a nuisance to wind and set the date I had my watch guy switch it to something a little easier to handle. This case is a little oversize 35mm as opposed to the standard Connie case of 34mm. I just love the look of it and it's by far the most comfortable to wear and it's the only rice band I own. Thanks for posting your watch and maybe answering a lingering doubt.   Jim

Nice to see your perseverence pay off.

And good to hear you confirm that you aren't a wrist flicker!

The Constellation looks great.

Hi, Graham,

Lovely Connie and yes, I am with you on the great way it works with the rice bracelet.

I couldn't help it, so I went over to my parent's and stole Dad's pie pan Constellation for a few hours so I could snap some pictures. This watch was originally my grandfather's, up until a couple of years ago when my grandfather gave it to my dad because he knew he would be keen on it, and perhaps he could have it repaired. The condition it was in was just pristine and a regular service was all it took to get this baby ticking.

The rice bracelet came shortly afterwards, and it was given to him on a leather band, but considering the hot weather over on where we live, that is not too comfortable, so we were lucky to allocate a NOS bracelet. It works well, but in my opinion the watch begs for a leather band due to the shape of the lugs. Regardless, the watch is so charming that either way is perfect!

Best regards,

Alex

So, one day, it will be yours?

A Keeper for the Generations.

I like that!

Best, Amigo!

Nicolasz

Yes, hopefully one day I will be able to wear this beautiful watch and take care of it before passing it on the the next generation. Hopefully my brothers won't mind me keeping it though, once the time comes.

Hope you are having a great week, hermano.

Abrazo,

Alejandro