A History of the Vintage Omega Constellation: An Aspiring Collector's Dream

Omega's Constellation watches are some of the most sought-after time pieces in the brand's lineup. Here's its story.

Vintage Omega Constellation Pie Pan Dog Legs in 14 carat gold

1948 was a pivotal year for Omega. The year marked the brand's hundredth anniversary. In addition to launching the very first Seamaster, Omega launched a watch that would set the tone for its later Constellation watches.

To mark the centenary, Omega produced 6,000 watches, which they aptly named the 'Centenary'.

The watches turned out to be so popular that the brand subsequently decided to put them into further production. And as these watches no longer only marked the hundredth anyversary, a new name was needed. Thus, Constellation was born.

Omega Pie Pan: A Legendary Watch Sees the Light of Day

The Constellation watches take their name from the emblem on their back, which shows an observatory with eight stars above it.

The stars mark eight achievements and prizes that Omega gained based on the advanced movements that sit in the watches.

In the 60s, the Constellation series was Omega's absolute top series and the watches were certified by the Swiss chronometer institute. Only the best and most accurate watches achieved this certification, marked by the words"chronometer" or "officially certified" on the dial.

The most well-known vintage Omega Constellation watches are undoubtedly the so-called Pie Pans. Named after their dial, which with its eight facets resembles a pie dish turned upside down, they have a unique and elegant depth that oozes vintage charm.

Thus, it's no wonder that these models in particular have also become increasingly popular and are among the vintage Omega watches that have increased the most in price.

Vintage Omega Constellation with a so-called 'Tapestry Dial'

A watch with many faces, literally

In addition to the Pie Pan watches, there is a sea of vintage Constellations. From the so-called C-case models in the 1970s to quartz models to more modern so-called Manhattan-Constellation, which Omega still produces today. And with the many case types comes even more different dial variants

This plethora of choice between Constellation watches, and their popularity, also means that you as a buyer should be careful. Many of the watches have so-called re-dials, where the dial has been reprinted, lowering the value considerably.

Vintage Omega Constellation med sort urskive og original kasse. Constellation-kasserne er blevet svære at finde, og kan i sig selv være mange penge værd.

If you want to know more about what to look out for when buying vintage watches, take a look at our guide here.

And if you are looking for a vintage watch in Copenhagen, Denmark or the rest of the world, have a look at the watches we currently have in stock.