Last Omega Constellation PiePan Left Standing

When the subject of rarity and Omega Constellations arises, the intuitive course is to point to the earlier 1950s models in the Constellation family, such as black guilloche dials, Globemasters and early calibre 352 RG powered examples.

However, one of the rarer Omega Constellations on the planet is a 'homage' Pie Pan produced twenty years later for a short period in the 1970s. It was earmarked for the Japanese market only.

In more than twenty years of collecting watches, I have only encountered four examples of this elusive Pie Pan and one example of the flat dialled version: all of them since the maturation of the internet.

To read about the Last Omega Constellation Pie Pan ever produced, click here

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Unearthed! More Omega Calibre 560 Rarities

Quite some time ago, I was researching the reason behind why so many 17 jewel movements powered US Collection Omega watches in the 1950s and 60s, when I chanced upon a movement series about which little was written and less was said. And yet, this series, because of the minimal number of pieces produced, meets the criteria for rarity in Omega watches.

I published an essay on these rare models in 2008, and subsequently a small cadre of collectors embarked on a treasure hunt to locate and acquire examples. Treasure hunts by fellow collectors tend on occasions to yield unexpected booty that helps add to the knowledge base, and that has certainly been the case with calibre 560 models……but I get ahead of myself.

Originally, four specific models were identified – three Seamaster DeVilles and an Omegic generic brand – and examples of each of them were featured in the original essay. However, as a result of UK calibre 560 collector Graham Smith’s detective work, another Seamaster powered by the calibre was unearthed! That discovery led to the materialisation of a cache of calibre 560 models not listed on the Omega Vintage Database!

The upshot of this find is that a total of nine models were powered by calibre 560 movements. Only 3000 movements were made and this means that each of the models were effectively ‘Limited Editions’ in everything but name.

Click here for the updated essay.

For an essay on the very rarest of all of the calibre 560 pipeces click here

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The Omega Constellation - Gerald Genta Connection??

It has long been held that Gerald Genta designed an Omega Constellation. And yet, in searching the web and accessing references to Genta's earlier design career I could find no substantiated evidence that Genta did in fact design one of these iconic vintage models.

I chanced upon numerous repetitions of one sourced opinion and many questions from forum subscribers asking for confirmation or querying which Constellation was attributable to Gerard Genta, but never did I hit the motherlode!

Well, I stuck at this like a dog with a bone and my efforts have paid off. Did Genta design a Constellation? You'll be very surprised at the answer. Click here to find out.

Gerald was interviewed in London by Constantin Stikas for VeryImportantWatches.com in 2009, two years before he died. This interview covers a broad canvas of Genta's watch designs.

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ETA's 2824 and 2892 Take On All Comers

Who said watch timing competitions are a thing of the past. While there has been little activity for 30 years, interest in horological competitions has been stirred again by an event staged by the Chateau des Monts horological museum in Le Locle.

The Swatch Group's ETA 2824 and 2892 have been entered by Tissot and Doxa respectively, and wouldn't it be a big embarrassment if they were to wipe some of the hauteur off the the faces of the doyens of Haute Horlogerie.

Alan Downing reviews this David and Goliath contest (you choose who's who) between the 'Tracteurs' and the Tourbillons in this article for the Revolution Press.

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Stars of the Month

Star quality is a precious commodity, and this series of Stars of the Month is necessarily ad-hoc, because true stars in the Constellation line surface irregularly.

I'm pleased to report that two stars fell from the heavens this month, courtesy of collectors EvanM and MikeN.

Click here for a photo-essay of two early model Constellations, both special in their own ways and both something to set your collecting sights on.

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