In my opinion, the vintage Omega Constellation Double Eagle Co-axial Chronograph Replica Constellation watch is most intriguing between 1952 and 1970. The elegant shaped cases, fancy lugs, 10-sided crowns, exquisite copper-colored moves and rich dials of those early vintage Omega Constellation watches were substituted by clunky shaped 1970s versions. There are some beautiful ‘iconic’ versions in there like the rectangular Constellation Marine Stardust using a dial made from aventurine quartz. However, in general you could say that they don’t breathe the exact same course as those earlier models.You actually could state that the Omega Constellation group lost a little leadership in these years. Dozens of different versions, case shapes and so forth. It was not until 1982 at which the former flagship of the new was reinvented. This fresh design with its four claws which pressed on the crystal, an integrated bracelet and chronometer movement (also for its quartz models, that have a different standard because of their chronometer certification of course) was created by Carol Didisheim and is still in the group. Although the design was updated throughout time, the initial 1982 design is still obviously being followed. The recent Omega Constellation household isn’t deemed to be their flagship anymore, it is a really popular opinion in certain nations (e.g. China and India). Lately Omega even reintroduced the pie-pan dial into a Constellation restricted edition.If you’re in the market to purchase a vintage Omega Constellation, there are a range of things you have to take into account. One of these is that it is a small watch for today’s standards. Having a diameter of approx. 34mm it is rather small. In retrospect it was quite smart of Rolex to create their Oyster Perpetual Day-Date (ref.1803) in 36mm, as that has been considered normal for a long time while 34mm is considered little since 10-15 decades now. Since I mentioned the Rolex Day-Date anyway, it is interesting to know that a full gold vintage Omega Constellation with gold necklace was a little more expensive in these days than the Rolex Day-Date 1803. Although the Omega Constellation Grand Luxe on a gold Reinhor bracelet brings over the average gold Day-Date on President bracelet, many gold Constellations are still cheaper for than the usual golden Day-Date.
Noticeably, the modern watch uses engraved Roman numerals on the increased bezel rather than the easy, flat, printed markers on the classic editions. Also, the bezel and its own claws now serve a less practical and more decorative role than previously: the original’s flat sapphire crystal that needed to be fastened into the situation was superseded by a modern, more secure, domed crystal. On the dial, the usage of dauphine hands and tick hour markers are more reminiscent of the pre-Manhattan variants of this series than of the stick hands and Roman numerals found in the 1980s. Finally, the finishing techniques on the modern version are a lot more elegant than previously; note the sharper edges on the circumstance, the brushed look compared to the original’s polishing, and also the general higher quality of the watch as evident because of its increased depth and sturdiness throughout.Of course, there are also many shared attributes between the historic and contemporary models. The contemporary watch still has the integrated bracelet and case, it combines various metals, its bezel still gets the signature claws, and its own dial continues to display a date indicator and the name “Constellation” in a cursive script. The differences lie mostly in the overall styling, positioning of features, and completing. The watch still keeps its overall shape, but it’s thicker, using a less flimsy bracelet; it still uses Roman numerals, but now they’re engraved on the bezel instead of applied to the dial. The watch maintains its distinctiveness, but currently at modern, luxurious Omega criteria.