First off, let me state that I am not an expert in determining the authenticity of omega watches. In making a decision to purchase a watch, I do a lot of research and homework to ensure that I get my money's worth. In this day and age of legal squabbles, I unfortunately have to put out this disclaimer in the event someone makes a purchase based on my posts and then blames me for ending up with a fake or a frankenwatch. As always, be careful out there and the principle "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) should always be the norm in any transaction. "Buy the seller, not the watch," is a common advice given to collectors.
The fear of every collector is paying a hefty sum of money for a watch only to find out that you ended up with a watch that is sub par with what you expected it to be. The sad reality is that the market is flooded with a lot of "frankenwatches" which is a watch made up of a hodge podge of parts that are not specific for that model. The demand for connies among collectors has spawned so many criminals out there who manufacture fake dials or slap together parts from different movements and then try to sell the watch as authentic.
The item for sale was a gold cap, 24 jewel, caliber 561, Constellation pie-pan, date. When I saw this connie up for bid, first thing I checked was the seller's rep. While he did have a 100% satisfactory rating, I still had my caution mode up. For those from my era, "Danger Will Robinson," from the robot of that popular TV series "Lost in Space," flashed through my mind. For one thing, he didn't have that many buyers (less than 50). It is also possible that a seller is entirely unaware that the goods he's selling may not be the real deal, especially if he's not into watches.
One good advice given to me when buying online is to ask for a close up picture of the movement and caseback. Walk away from a seller who refuses to provide this. This particular seller however had provided several detailed pictures of the movement, caseback, dial, crown and the watch from different angles. I looked up the serial number in the movement and the caseback number in the omega database and these matched with the period (1962) this watch is suppose to be. So far so good.
The seller also described the dial as showing tiny dots/bubbles across the face. This is most likely due to moisture entering the pores of the dial lacquer and corroding the paint of the dial. In a way, this is a good sign that the dial is original and not refinished. This patina would be par for course given the age of the watch. I would be wary if a dial from a watch this old looked new. 47 years of age can effect a lot of changes (an old fogey like me definitely knows what it is to be part of the aging process).
Some would leave the dial alone as it adds to the character of the watch and does not distract from the readability or the over-all beauty of the dial. After acquiring this watch, I brought this to the Omega center to be serviced. I found out that the reason for the dial corrosion was due to a worn out gasket which allowed moisture to seep in. While the damage to the dial is minimal, I didn't want this to to be refinished so hopefully the new gasket will help protect the dial from further corrosion
I've learned from my research that one standard way of determining the authenticity of the dial is to use the MOY test. An imaginary line drawn from the 12 o'clock minute marker should pass through the middle of the first chevron of the letter "M" in the word automatic, through the second letter "O" of the word chronometer, and if the dial contained the words, "Officially Certified," the line should pass just after the letter "Y" of the word officially. The line should then hit the top point of the star located below the word, Constellation before hitting the 6 o'clock minute marker. The dial for this watch passed this test.
Close examination of the faceting around the date showed the requisite multi-faceting. The hands were also correct for this particular model and since the markers had onyx inlays, the hands also had the requisite black inserts. So the dial seems to check out as authentic. The decagonal crown with the raised Omega logo also matches the factory specs for a connie of this period.
Pictures posted by the seller of the gold medallion in the back of the case showed all eight stars clearly. The acidic properties of sweat in our skin can wear out the logo over time so having a relatively bright, sharp image was another plus for this watch.
Pictures also showed the sharp edges, unrounded chamfers and clearly defined facets on the lugs. Overpolishing of these can reduce the value of the watch. With these findings, my interest started to rise and my decision was made to bid for the watch. A search across the net helped me determine the prevailing value of connies so with this in mind and my own limited funds, I made a bid for the watch. Fortunately I won and here she is sporting a vintage omega gold plated steel rice bead bracelet.
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