The Art of Watch Dial Enamelling

In the years 1946 to 1956, Omega offered a range of enamelled dials, both as part of particular collections and also as a customising service for those who wished to have their coats of arms or other decorative imagery fashioned into their dials.

During this decade of Omega extraordinary dial designs, a range of abstract and beautifully coloured filigree designs, maltese crosses, maps of Brazil and Saudi Arabia, heraldic designs and abstract florals were offered to the discerning buyer. Perhaps the two most desirable and collectible designs, apart from custom made one-offs, are the King Neptune Seamaster and the Observatory enamelled dials.

As you can see with the example above, the blending of colours in the Observatory dial is exquisite. Gold wire star shapes filled witth enamel and solid gold stars glow in the enamelled night sky.

Occasionally, Omega will burst forth with a limited edition collection with enamel dials. Such was the case in 1995 with the BA 368.1201 Observatory dial Constellation that referenced the earlier observatory design.

Enamelling is an exacting and delicate form of high art, and fortunately it is not a lost one. A new generation of enamellers in Switzerland offers continuity of a long-practiced craft. Little in technique has changed over the decades as this video produced by Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie is Switzerland demonstrates.

Vintagetraderonline - Joke Seller of the Year?

It's a reasonable assumption to make that a watch seller with over 700 auction sales would have a fair idea if they were flogging a Frankenwatch. What's more, with the amount of information on Omega Constellations available on the web, there is absolutely no excuse for a seasoned trader to market an abomination and use the words 'original', 'all-genuine' and 'authentic' a total of five times when describing a watch that is anything but original, authentic and all-genuine. It makes you question, does it not, whether the seller is 'all-genuine' and 'authentic'?

This eBay auction 300288312949, staged by Vintagetraderonline, would be laughable if it weren't for a gormless few and a bevy of neophytes out there who would believe the unmitigated hype surrounding this Franken C-Shape Constellation and bid on it.

Over-polished to within an inch of its life, the watch has a ring-in Pie Pan dial that, contrary to the assertion of the seller, could not live up to the description of having been "professionally" refinished at all. Let's make it perfectly clear - the Omega C-Shaped Constellation never came with a Pie Pan dial, and the restoration job is below average.

Calibre 562 movements never, repeat never, powered C-Shaped Constellations. While some 562s (albeit very few in numbers) were chronometers , they powered Seamaster Chronometers and it has now been established that 562s did not power Constellation models. I suspect either the rotor bridge of an oridinary non-chronometer 562 has been replaced by a properly stamped chronometer bridge or there has been a train bridge replacement. The movement, dial and case is "put-together" as they say, and in no way can this piece of crud invite words like "all-genuine" etc.

The auction is a private auction where the names of bidders are not shown and I would strongly recommend that buyers avoid private auctions at all costs because they can mask shill bidding.

The seller claims, "We are reputable vintage watch traders. We love what we do and take pride in our work. Our customers' complete satisfaction is of utmost importance to us." .........Oh Really!!!!!!!!!

Click here for an essay on REAL Constellation C-Shape models.

POSTSCRIPT: This listing has now been withdrawn

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What Is a Real Chronometer Watch?

In truth, there is no such thing as a chronometer watch. The word 'chronometer' was cheerfully expropriated by the Swiss watch industry to promote the precision, quality and durability of the Swiss product.

So, high quality Omegas that carry the word chronometer are simply lever escapement movements that are of such quality and precision that they meet the criteria established under ISO standard 3159.

The Swiss chronometer timepieces of today are tested for fifteen days, in five positions, at three different temperatures at a Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres centre. Each timepiece must at least demonstrate an average daily rate of-4/+6 seconds.

In the heyday of the Omega Constellation, movements were tested by independent Bureaux officiels de contrôle de la marche des montres (B.O.s). The standard required at the time was a mean daily rate in five positions of -1/+10 seconds.

A 'real' chronometer actually describes the escapement of a high precision movement. In effect, the word relates to a highly sensitive and accurate escapement and not the whole movement. Chronometer escapements are of such delicacy and exactitude that they would not be suitable for the rugged wristwatches of today or indeed the 1950s and 60s.

To see what a real chronometer escapement looks like, play the accompanying video.

Don't Buy a 14900, 168.005 or 167.005 Omega Constellation Watch Without Expert Advice!

Watch out for an ongoing flow of fake cased, fake dialled Connie Frankenwatches! They are cropping up again on electronic auction sites.

Oriental nemesis of All That is Pure in Horology and purveyor of fake Omega parts, Jensen Dinh, Phong, Fong, or any other name he wishes to call himself, is operating an on-line site that is offering a variety of ensembles (two versions of black dial pie pan and at least two versions of the silver dial pie pan).

The cases on offer bear the case number 14900, but other counterfiet cases bearing the numbers 167.005 and 168.005 are in circulation.

This cockroach has Asian sources for these parts, and he shows no remorse in respect to the serious breach of copyright and trade name implicit is selling counterfeit Omega parts. He trades under various names including the Internet site Jeweleryandwatch.com.

I am loathe to give this insect any visibility, but click here and see if you can determine the telling differences in the cases and dials offered from the genuine Omega articles.  If not read essays on dials and posts on this site about the counterfeit products sold by the said Dinh.

POSTSCRIPT 18th JAN.  Watchmaker and collector, Tim Mackrain, acquired a couple of these ensembles to analyse in detail their key faults. Click here for a photo-essay showing how they differ from genuine dials.

Suffice to say that they will never appear in Tim's inventory.

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Omega Constellation Crowning Glories

Crowns along with crystals and gaskets are probably the most frequently replaced parts of a watch, and so many of the crowns on the end of the stems of today's vintage watches are not the original factory fitted parts, which is why we see so many variations on Omega Constellations.

This has given rise to an ongoing discussion about 'correct' crowns for various models. While collectors are generally not too fussed about factory original crowns, there is a preference to have their pieces as close to factory specifications as possible.

Occasionally a debate stirs up over whether the decagonal crown is the standard for all Omega Constellation watches that fall within the first two design phases of the collection. I believe it is.

Click here for a short essay about why the decagonal crown is the standard.

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