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Vintage Omega.
This was the first watch I ever had and it was a work horse!
It was part of the Constellation collection that was started in 1952. It was a steel, tonneau shaped, automatic (mechanical) watch. A typical three-hander, beating at 28,800 vph (4 hertz), featured a sweeping seconds hand and showed a date in the date window at 3 o’clock. It housed the Omega caliber 1001, that was first launched in 1968 and was accurate enough to earn the chronometer title. It also housed a swiss lever escapement, had 20 jewels and used the Incabloc shock protection system.
The watch was produced later, with production starting in 1969, and measured roughly 33mm by 40mm. The dials came in various colurs (gilded satin-finished, white amongst others) and mine had the laquered green dial, that became quite spidered after a few decades, adding to it’s character.
It came on a comfortable black leather strap, but I eventually put it on a steel braclet in the 1980’s. I wore it as a daily for years and had a reasonable 42 hour power reserve. The watch was versatile and fitted my 21cm/8 inch wrist comfortably. The closed caseback was secured by four screws and centered with the embossed Constellation logo. I lost the watch in a burglary in 2022, and though I never replaced it, you can purchase a good example from the vintage/secondary market today, and they’re selling from £600 upwards.
