Manhattan Anyone?

This site is dedicated to classic Constellations of the 50s and 60s.  And, sometimes, when warranted, we venture into 70s to pay homage to some of the 'pre-meltdown' stars of that decade.

Robert-Jan Broer argues in his Fratello Watches blog that after a quarter of a century of market exposure the Omega Constellation 'Manhattan' model deserves attention and maybe elevation to classic status?

Created by Omega designer  Carol Didisheim, the Manhattan was leader model of the 1982 OMEGA collection. It heralded the first appearance of a technically and aesthetically advanced system of ensuring water resistance through the signature 'claws' on each side of the dial,  securing the crystal firmly against the case top.

Click here to read the case in support of the Manhattan

IT'S BACK! Washington Jewelers Fake

Yes, it's back.

Refer to the post below on Washington Jewellers, the dishonest mob that let an auction for an outrageously faked Constellation go ahead while knowing that the watch was a fake.

Well, the purchaser must have wisened up, because it has re-appeared here on eBay. They have tried to disguise the fact that it is the same watch, and may have even changed the train bridge (It carries the calibre and serial numbers).

While a change of band and possibly a change of train bridge may give the appearance of another watch, check out and compare the scratches/gouges on the case back. They're identical - right?

They even have the audacity to claim that the watch is 100% authentic.

Please, the more people who report this auction to eBay the better. These clowns need to be stopped.

POSTSCRIPT: A number of subscribers to this blog reported the watch as a fake to eBay but it saw fit to let the auction run, and the watch sold for over 2000 dollars to an Australian buyer.

Imagine my surprise then when I received an email from the buyer requesting information on the watch, and imagine my further surprise when the buyer turned out to be a charming Sydney collector with whom I had done business.

I will pull out any stops to assist this collector in getting his money back. My first advice to him was to lodge a dispute with eBay, pointing out that eBay itself was advised that the watch was a complete lemon and did nothing about it.

POSTSCRIPT:  I'm delighted to say that after providing supporting information to Paypal a claim was settled in a fellow Australian's favour and the money was returned

Seamasters of the XVI Olympiad

I've known many a Constellation collector who, chancing upon a Seamaster XVI, begins to salivate wildly - the writer no less so!

There seems to be something magnificently Constellation-ish about these stunning watches released as a commemorative series at the time of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. With their strong faceted and more extreme dog leg lugs, raised faceted markers and XVI Roman numerals, Dauphine hands and six and ten-sided crowns, they certainly deserve honourary membership of the Constellation club.

Click here for an essay that broadly surveys this exquisite model

View Beads of Rice on eBay with a Grain of Salt

Over the past twelve months, some bidders have paid amazing prices for stainless steel and gold plate 'used' and 'new old stock' Omega beads of rice bracelets listed through eBay.

Its not unheard of to see gold plate BORs sell for over USD$350.00 and for stainless bracelets to sell in the 200 plus range.

Most of the bracelets offered are NOT old stock produced in the 1960s. How can you tell? Well, they didnt have bar codes in the 60s! This proves that the bracelets are recently manufactured......... and here's the rub, they are still available today at prices well below that being reached on eBay auctions.

For example, a new BOR stainless steel bracelet can be purchased for USD$147.00 inclusive of end pieces. The gold plated version is available at USD$216.00.

Unless you can prove that a bracelet on offer is a genuine 1960s BOR, why would you choose to pay often nearly double the retail price on eBay when you can buy them freely from Omega agents?

It's rare for me to plug a commercial concern, but if you want the exact same beads of rice bracelet as is being offered on eBay, click here and try Otto Frei or here for Ted's Vintage Watches

(pictured above are the bracelets on offer)

UPDATE 2012

The above post was published in 2007 when BOR bracelets were more plentiful and offered at the prices mentioned above at Otto Frei.  Since then, supplies have diminished and prices have risen accordingly.

More Fake Gold Connies on eBay

These fake Gold 091919 Constellations just keep on a rollin in!

Click here for fake #1. Review it against the post below titled "All that glitters isn't...." Postscript: The seller of this watch did NOT withdraw the listing after having been advised in full of the reasons why the watch was a fake.

Click here for fake #2. Same old, same old.  Postscript: The seller of this watch withdrew the listing on learning that the watch was a fake. He purchased it, and I confirmed the details, from eBay seller isoldit.tx0257 throught listing 120167126010.

Having spent some extra money on a pretty good refinishing job to the dial and other work, the second seller decided to suffer the loss and take the listing down. It will be interesting to see if Isoldit that sells under the banner "Buy from a name you can trust" and has a storefont at 3837 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas, will do the honourable thing and live up to its advertising slogan.  I'll keep you posted.

People are paying thousands of dollars for these fake case, wrong movement Constellations - still!

Makes you wonder if some sellers care at all about losing their 100% feedback.

Now take a look at this listing. The vendor purchased the watch not so long ago from Gisbert Joseph and it came with a certificate of authenticity. The movement is clearly a calibre 561, but what about the rest of the watch? Is it authentic?

The owner sent me a picture of the case back, shown above. What strikes you as odd? Well the customary Omega markings, stamps and responsibility marks are missing. The stamped Omega logo is a facsimile of an early logo used by Omega. The case is at least not manufactured by Omega in Switzerland and could be unauthorised. The certificate offered to the buyer by Gisbert Joseph may not be worth the paper its written on.

The legal requirements to have the level of gold purity and responsibility stamped on the case has not been met with this case, and should have been enough warning to the original seller to not offer it as a genuine Swiss Omega Constellation.

There are many suspect red gold cases circulating in Asia - watch out!