Omega Collectors

Beware the Rush of Pre-Christmas Omega Vintage Fakes

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:29:00 +0000

Every year in the lead up to Christmas, an army of bottom feeders, parasites and other opportunistic vermin invades on-line vintage watch markets to feed off the naivete and yuletide sentiment of people wishing to acquire nice vintage watches for those who are significant in their lives.

Judging by the number of fake new watches and bogus or franken vintage pieces appearing in a range of brands, this year is hotting up to be a biggie. Yes, it’s going to be a bumper Christmas for the crims and shonks who parade their fake wares on eBay, other on-line establishments and some bricks and mortar dealerships.

Sadly, January is my biggest month for emails from either purchasers or recipients of these counterfeit monstrosities. The collective disappointment and heartache revealed in such correspondence does much to dampen my experience of this the season when we’re all supposed to be heady with jollity and suffusing with goodwill to all men.

And so, in self-defence, I post another warning.

The pictures of the two watches above are those of the latest fake Omega Constellations coming on to the market. The first listed on eBay by German yuletide kill-joy watchauktion24 (click here) is from a new batch of fake pink gold Constellation models coming out of Asia. Lesser Omega calibres (usually tired old bangers from Seamasters, Geneve’s and early de Villes) are married with the fake cases and dials and sold as the real thing. No Chrismas pudding for watchauktion24 this year as this seller knows exactly what he is selling – shame on you!

Here’s hoping that Santa’s reindeers collectively crap as they pass over bgm 197's house in Zachodniopomorskie, Poland for listing this fake that pretends to be a yellow gold Omega Constellation. Again, with such a history in selling watches, this merciless Pole almost certainly knows he’s going to break a heart with this piece of junk.

Please, do your research before you buy a vintage Constellation for your someone special! Read this essay I wrote on authenticating solid gold Constellations. Bone up on the movement series that powered specific Constellations and read some of the posts on cases and dials. Buy your special vintage watch with knowledge and aforethought and they’ll love you forever!!

Cleaning and Oiling Your Vintage Watches

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:44:00 +0000

The issue of cleaning and oiling watches is a perennial one on most watch fora, the most frequently asked question being about service intervals. The general recommendation is that a vintage watch should be dis-assembled, cleaned and oiled every three to five years, depending on use.

The reason for keeping a vintage movement well-serviced is simple. Regularly serviced watches, particularly with quality movements such as Omega vintage calibres, rarely ever wear out. For example, I have several family Omegas now more than 50 years old and they still retain all of their original movement parts. Crowns and crystals come and go, but a good service regime will protect your watch movement well into the next generation.

Some collectors dissemble, clean and oil their own watches, after a long mentorship by a friendly watchmaker or a crash course through one of the on-line watch schools. I service the less valuable pieces in my collection, after having spent tens of hours practising on various Omega automatic calibre parts movements, but I wouldn't think of touching some of my more important pieces. For those I defer to the experts.

If you own a vintage watch...or two...I recommend you get to know your way around the movement, not necessarily to service or repair them, but to understand their engineering, learn some of the diagnostic basics and know when to consult a watchmaker.

A good place to start to learn how a watch is serviced is this site maintained by the Carignan Watch Company of New Hampshire where there are comprehensive resources on cleaning and oiling watches.

If you want to know the ins and outs of oiling a watch, click here for an excellent paper produced by the British Horological Institute.

If you would like to virtually dis-assemble and assemble one of the famous ETA (Swatch Group) 2892 movements, click here

Enjoy the journey!

Omega Geneve Dynamic I - Best-Seller of the 70s

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:53:00 +0000

More than forty years have elapsed since the release of the Omega Geneve Dynamic first generation collection. With its 'space-age' lines and novel dial designs, the Dynamic I is fast becoming a collectible for those Omegas fans who don't wish to break the bank in pursuit of their hobbies.

The Dynamic established a number of firsts when it was released as well as pushing the boundaries of functionality and design. It was also powered by a family of Omega movements that, to this day, are regarded as some of the best production movements ever made.

Over time I have received countless emails from collectors either seeking information on these models or wishing to authenticate a Dynamic that had caught their eye. In following through on their requests, I encountered a couple of scams along the way as well as some hitherto unpublished information about these sculpturally advanced watches.

Click here for an essay on the origins of these icons of the later nineteen-sixties, the various designs and the authenticity checks to make prior to acquisition. Also included is a table of all known models.

The Mother of All Constellation FrankenFakes

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Hi I'm a fake-aholic and it's been several months since my last outbreak!

I've been trying to wean myself off reporting fakes, so as to concentrate on the important stuff - like writing essays on REAL Connies! But this one caused me to fall off the wagon and slip back into my addiction.

These Chinese fakes have been circulating for about four or five years, but this is the first ersatz coin-edge bezelled Grand Luxe with a black dial that I have seen. Yes, bring out the party hats, this eBay seller 'mickship 66' has gone to some lengths to make this frankenfake as alluring as possible - he purchased a fake black dial from this eBay listing to add extra allure to support his false claims of rarity.

Click here for the listing by mickship66 - another rag and bone man who would sell his mother for a pittance, a dunderhead who can't even cover his tracks, or a right wanker who failed to verify the authenticity of this classic piece of Chinese dissimulation before he decided to describe it as "This is a rare and beautiful black faced Omega constellation pie-pan watch"?????

Well, mickship, I got news for you. You're sprung!!

My advice to all is report this piece of crud before the auction ends....and give this rag and bone man who claims that this watch is a "vintage omega constellation 18 kt gold,pie-pan face Ultra rare, stunning, sun-burst bezel" the big rasberry that he deserves.

Click here for an essay I wrote on these fakes

POSTSCRIPT: Very pleased to say that eBay took this listing down. I wonder where the watch will pop up next? Thanks to all who reported it as a fake.

Omega Constellation de Luxe - the Penultimate!

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:44:00 +0000

One Omega Constellation collection of watches that has weathered the recent financial storm well is the de Luxe collection. Values overall have held up incredibly well, increasing around 15% over the past eighteen months.

Released initially in 1952 and continuing in various forms until the advent of the third design phase, the Constellation de Luxe featured strikingly finished solid gold dials in a range of 18k cases.

Click here for an essay on these penultimate Omega Connies!

The Omega Constellation Gene Pool

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:04:00 +0000

This post has been a long time coming and traces the origins of the original Omega Constellation concept back to its roots in 1943.

The larger focus is on the Omega Centenary produced to celebrate Omega's 100 years of manufacturing history.

This is a 'living' essay, and while I have been at pains to provide as accurate a review as possible of these early models, there is always the potential for error when delving into the detail of Omega history and horology. So, please feel free to offer any insights that will add to its substance or greater accuracy.

Also if you would like to have your Centenary featured in the essay, please let me know.

Click here for the pdf file - beware its a modem burner!

Omega Constellation Pink Gold 14393

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 08:36:00 +0000

This month's SOM is a pink gold Omega Constellation 'transition' model manufactured in 1961.

Its rare to see these models in pink gold and ever rarer to chance upon an example in museum quality. Click here for a photo-essay on this superb piece.

Vintage Versus New Watch Markets

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:47:00 +0000

While the world recession hasn’t bitten everyone on the posterior, it’s certainly taken a chunk out of the luxury watch market. The export of Swiss watches has shown a marked downturn in the first half of the calendar year. The month of June saw the biggest drop with a dive of almost 32%, while the six monthly cumulative decline was over 26%. The U.S., Hong Kong, China, Japan and UAR, important markets for Swiss watches, registered falls in imports from 42% in the U.S. to around 30% for Japan.

The question on many Swiss manufacturer’s lips is, has the Wall Street fiasco and the resulting collapse of markets around the world been big enough to trigger a fundamental shift in the behaviour of those wealthy enough to consume higher–end Swiss product? It has certainly wiped out many innocent bystanders as well as an army of high-end brand flaunting parasites aligned with high risk banking, insurance, finance and investment. These latter brand name junkies have been having quite a fire sale of cars, watches, jewellery and anything else that helped them parade their self-inflated status.……but a fundamental shift in attitudes towards luxury items?

While early commentary may have predicted the end of conspicuous consumption as we know it, it appears reports of its death may have been premature. Because, while down, exports of Swiss watches are still just under 2006 levels and there are signs, particularly in some of the tiger economies in Asia, that the trend has bottomed. So, while there is a certain sobriety in the U.S. and to a lesser extent Europe, demand for Swiss luxury watches may begin to show some growth in some Asian markets in the second half of the year.

Those who thought the vintage watch market would follow suit and take a parallel dive are beginning to have to re-evaluate their theories, because it appears that vintage watch markets for quality and collectible marques have held up incredibly well.

In the example of Omega Constellations, prices for 18k Gold models in good condition with original, low patina dials have increased by between five and ten percent on on-line auction sites over the past twelve months. Quality stainless steel and gold top pie pans with good, original dials and powered by calibres 551 and 561/564 have shown no retreat. Earlier Constellations, particularly those powered by calibre 352 RG have, again, commanded around a ten percent increase over last year in on-line auctions.

In contrast, Omega Constellations in the medium to low quality range have attracted less buyer interest and prices have dropped accordingly in all metals. Higher quality Constellation C-Shapes and the integrated bracelet lines represent good buying.

So while new is losing its allure, those collectors who, rather than having gone for quantity, have opted for quality and collectibility have certainly been vindicated in this current climate. Their collecting ethos is well worth adopting as the value of their investment has not only been maintained but in many instances increased

Last Omega Constellation PiePan Left Standing

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:14:00 +0000

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

Unearthed! More Omega Calibre 560 Rarities

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:30:00 +0000

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

The Omega Constellation - Gerald Genta Connection??

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:04:00 +0000

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.

ETA's 2824 and 2892 Take On All Comers

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:04:00 +0000

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,

Stars of the Month

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:01:00 +0000

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.

Omega Seamaster Memomatic Watches

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 03:25:00 +0000

The Omega Memomatic collection from the early 1970s is notable in a numbers of ways: superb case design, ground-breaking functional features and amazing dials that remain appealing to the contemporary eye.

Only 35,000 pieces were produced over four models, and Memomatics have risen steeply in value over the last couple of years. An original and well-preserved model I acquired four years ago for USD $600.00 would, today, be likely to fetch in the vicinity of $2000.00, or considerably more in a brick and mortar vintage dealership.

The calibre 980 movement that powers the Memomatic was a technological triumph in its day, and this, combined with the overall aesthetics of the watch is what is fuelling increased interest today. Click here for an essay that surveys all of the models in the collection

Fake Watches, Google, and Organised Crime

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:14:00 +0000

This site, as you'll notice, features Google advertising, the proceeds of which pay for the costs of content production and off-site server and hosting imposts for the numerous essays I've made available to subscribers. I think Google advertising is a good thing and it provides options to many people who chance upon this site while searching for internet deals on both new and vintage Omega watches.

Ever since I signed on to Adsense I have had a running battle with Google over the advertising of fake watches. If you call them replicas or homage watches, you're deluding yourself. They're out and out fakes, largely produced by the Chinese, and are a parasitic by-product of the hard marketing and promotional yards put in over the years by the manufacturers of authentic brands.

There is overwhelming evidence of organised crime involvement in both the production and distribution of fake watches. Chinese triads have cornered the production end and so-called reputable Chinese manufacturers knowingly supply these criminal groups with their movements. Organised crime in the U.S., Europe and other major centres take care of the distribution, mainly through on-line sites that constantly change their URLs and marketing platforms.

There is also evidence that the fake watch 'industry' is not as benign as people would like to kid themselves it is. Where big money is involved, the next thing to happen is for the low-life that control the industry to hire 'muscle' to protect their interests. This is particularly so at the distribution end where private investigators specialising in tracking the principals of these operations on behalf of brand owners have been threatened, beaten and in several cases murdered.

Now, let's get one thing straight. The selling and marketing of fake watches is illegal in most civilised countries that operate under the rule of law. The activities of criminal gangs - from the fraudulent customs inventories used to conceal bulk imports of fake watches to the money laundering that occurs to conceal the massive profits made from this activity - it's all illegal. If you buy a fake watch, you are supporting, and indeed an accessory to, all of the above. Same thing goes for Google.

By allowing a preponderance of text ads that advertise 'replica' watches in the text, Google becomes an accessory to all of the illegal activities sustaining the fake watch trade. I have contacted Google many times (and believe me its not easy at all to have any human to human contact with this organisation) to demand it does something about advertisements offering pirated and illegal product. Not a word in response have I heard from this so-called good corporate citizen. So I block every ad appearing on this site that advertises fake watches. But, because Google advertises in geographic regions, I don't get to see ads targeted to countries outside my own region.

There are two things I can do. (1) Pursue other options to fund the costs of running this site so as to move away from dependence on Google advertising and (2) subscribe to international campaigns that attempt to disrupt the distribution end of this sordid trade: hence my support of the "Fake watches are for fake people" campaign. If, in the meantime, an ad gets through please accept my apologies.

According to a recent world-wide survey (SEE POSTING BELOW), more than 66.4% of all searches for fake watches come from Google's home country, the U.S.A. The market is huge for this illegal activity in the U.S. Is that why Google won't act to use it's massive computer and software engineering power to filter these ads out? Is advertising revenue clouding Google's moral judgement and does the company somehow attempt to delude itself by preferring to view the massive distrubtion of fake watches as a victimless crime? Believe me, it aint!

A Fake Omega 18K Constellation Watch Slips Through at Antiquorum Auction

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Many collectors and neophytes gravitate towards large prestigious watch auction houses because of an expectation that a filtering system exists between seller and buyer to ensure that the house doesn’t allow fakes and seriously suspect pieces to come to market under their banner.

As in the world of art, Auction houses like Sothebys, Antiquorum, Bonhams, Christies and others have experts on hand to review the watches submitted for sale, as much to protect their reputations as reliable and astute sources of quality collectibles as to protect unsuspecting buyers.

Imagine my surprise then when a Frankenfake ‘gold’ Omega Constellation appeared in Antiquorum’s June 11 New York catalogue. This auction was billed as an "Important Collectors' Wristwatches, Pocket Watches & Clocks Sale”, and according to the advertising hype “An exciting selection of watches owned by 20th century icons, including two watches owned by Steve McQueen (the Heuer Monaco worn in the movie ‘Le Mans’, and a Rolex Submariner, Ref. 5512), Franklin D. Roosevelt's Tiffany & Co.-branded Movado triple-date calendar, and an 18 karat yellow gold Cartier Pasha given to Sammy Davis Jr. by Frank Sinatra.”

Amongst this “exciting selection of watches” at the July 11 auction was Lot 158 describing, and I quote, a “Yellow Gold Constellation Omega, Automatic, Chronometer, Officially Certified, No. 33087860, Ref. 091919. Made in the 1970s. Fine, center seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with date and a gold Omega buckle”. The listing (click here) went on to describe the technical features of the watch and identified the movement as a calibre 565.

Without looking at the watch itself, any expert worth his or her salt should have smelled a rat immediately simply by reviewing the description. It is common knowledge amongst experts in vintage watches that the reference 091919 is a Vietnamese faked case purporting to look like an Omega Constellation case number 168.005. A number of these 091919 cases have been tested and have shown little gold content at all, and in this instance the unusual tarnishing and surface condition of the watch case should have alerted the ‘expert’ who examined this watch that something was decidedly wrong. The expert would have also noticed upon examining the inner case that something was awry and that the hermetic sealing system at the crown was non-existent.

In the written expert’s “Overall Opinion” the watch was described as “Good”. My question is, good for what? Had the so-called expert consulted readily available data on Omega Constellations of the period he would have discovered that calibre 565 never powered Omega Constellations. Had he looked at the inner case back (see example above) of this watch he would have discovered crude stampings of responsibility marks and purity declarations. He would have further discovered that the coarse rendition of the Helvetia stamp did not include the assay office code at the base of the mark, and he would have discovered that the case makers mark indicated a maker’s code that never produced cases for Omega.

Had the so-called expert looked closely at the dial, he would have noticed that it was a fake dial, and not manufactured by Omega. He would have spotted: (1) the lack of correct facets on the applied chronometer star,(2) incorrect styling of the date surround, (3) the poorly cast Omega symbol and logo, (4) the wrongly labelled ‘T Swiss T’ printing at the base of the dial which indicates that both markers and hands should be luminescent, (5) the incorrect upper-case poorly printed lettering lacking in serifs that fails the standard MOY test, (6) the incorrect rendition of the ‘Constellation’ lettering, (7) the wrong hands (the minute hand is too short) despite the ‘expert’s claim that they were “original” and (8) incorrect arrowhead markers that were phased out by Omega in around 1960 on a watch that had a serial number that indicated movement production in 1971.

The real tragedy arising from this seemingly negligent, or at least gormless, appraisal as it appeared in the Antiquorum catalogue description is that someone believed it and paid US$ 3,600.00 including buyer’s premium. All the expert had to do was a contrastive analysis with a real gold Constellation in lot 155 of the same auction and this embarrassment would have been avoided!

The argument that signficiant details of the watch were revealed in the listing that would allow an expert to determine that it was a Frankenfake doesn’t even hold water on eBay and most certainly should never be offered in mitigation by a well-known auction house, so let’s hope we don’t hear that excuse trotted out.

This watch should never have appeared in an “important collectors” Antiquorum catalogue. It is not even a clever fake, with at least 15 flags to its non-authenticity. The so-called ‘expert’ who appraised this watch and described it as good overall should be pensioned off because s/he has compromised the fragile integrity under which all auction houses operate.

I have emailed Antiquorum in New York advising them of my intention to post a critique of Lot 158 and offering the organisation the opportunity to respond to the points made. It is customary for reputable auction houses, such as Antiquorum, upon discovering having sold a fake during an auction to approach the buyer and offer a full refund. I hope to hear from them that they have done just that.

For a comprehensive essay on authenticating solid gold Omega Constellations please click here

POSTSCRIPT

I received an email from Julian Scharer at Antiquorum, offering thanks for pointing out the status of the watch and advising that the sale has been cancelled and the watch returned to the consignor.

This is a good result and Antiquorum deserves praise for its quick resolution to the issue. Now, about that expert? :)

Nicolas Hayek - One of Switzerland's Living National Treasures

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 03:26:00 +0000

Nicholas Hayek is, indisputably, one of Switzerland’s most colourful and dynamic living treasures. He is revered as a saviour of Swiss watch manufacturing and reviled by some purists who advocate just the kind of approach to watchmaking that brought the Swiss to their knees in the first place. But adore him or condemn him, no one can take away his great achievements in helping resuscitate the dinosaur at death’s door that represented the Swiss watch industry in the late 1970s.

I wrote an essay in 2006 on Hayek and two of his major ‘collaborateurs’ , Pierre Arnold and Ernst Thomke, who through insight and sheer force of personality transformed the industry into the robust and healthy entity it is today. Click here to read that essay.

Hayek, represents a grand lesson in what could be termed principle-centred entrepreneurialism. His philosophy was, and is, based on creation and growth, of a world of potential abundance instead of scarcity, and a fundamental understanding of some of the most powerful and intrinsic levers that motivate human acquisitiveness. He also personifies a hard-headed mercantilism that has its roots as much in the bazaars of Beirut than it does in the boardrooms of Bienne.

Omega aficionados owe him a great debt, for had he not taken up the challenge and convinced a group of conservative bankers that the dinosaur still had a heart beat and could be nursed back into rude health, our beloved Omega brand may not exist today.

Hayek is entering his golden years and, fortunately, theTimeTV has recorded for posterity a variety of interviews that document this amazing man’s endeavours during the darkest hours of Swiss horology.

In this short video, Hayek explains how he came to be involved in the rescue of some of Switzerland’s greatest brands.

Click here for a short piece on how the swatch phenomenon was born.

In this 1990s video, Hayek shares prophetic insights into some of the very issues that contributed to the current malaise in western economies.

Omega Seamaster Magic!

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:08:00 +0000

For those who are interested in how the Ancient Order of Frankenmeisters practice their Evil Magic, view this eBay listing. It’s a true exemplar of the work of a high priest of this subterranean world of playing God with lonely, loose parts looking around for a warm balance cock to make their life complete.

This monster has been listed by eBay seller jjw2838 who, surprisingly, still clings on to 100% feedback (but perhaps not for long). While I am neither suggesting he knows, or doesn’t know, that this watch is an unholy union of different Omega watch models, I am suggesting that someone behind jjw2838’s electronic store front does!

Notice that jjw2838 sells a lot of parts and bitsa Rolexes, and so it can be assumed that parts know their way around him. Perhaps the magnetic fields on some of them are so powerful that they attract each other into fully functioning movements? After all, we are talking “bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble” here!

So, which body parts were exhumed to produce this Seamaster abomination? Well, Lets start with the case, which does indeed look like the case shape of a model 165.002, as indicated by the inner case back. So, we can extrapolate that our Frankenmeister first stole into some watch graveyard and dug up a case 165.002.

As any good mortician would do, our Frankenmeister then proceeded to remove all (or most) of case 165.002’s vital organs. We know this, because case 165.002 should have innards upon which are stamped the calibre number 552! (Check the Omega database for the reference 165.0002)

We also know from birth records at Omega that calibre 552 came into this world blind, and, yet, the high priest behind jjw2838’s Seamaster has given it one eye, through which we can view the days of the month!!!! Cross yourselves and smother your bodies with Garlic – QUICKLY!

In looking at the very clean, almost new looking, calibre 562 that now sits in the body of the formerly deceased case 165.002, we notice that the rotor bridge is stamped “Adjusted to five (5) positions and temperature”. Now, some would assume that fully a certified calibre 562 (there were some) was simply removed from its worn out body and placed in 165.002’s lifeless carcass. But, is that really likely?

Could we believe that a Frankmeister would be so stupid as to swap the complete innards from a chronometer graded watch without making sure that the Frankenmonster’s face depicted that a chronometer was beating within? Surely it would be too great a temptation? No, another trip to the graveyard is a more likely scenario, where some newly interred wretch of a chronometer was relieved of its rotor bridge and rotor.

Finally we arrive at the complexion of the dial. One may chance upon slightly swarthy Seamasters of this vintage, but remember these models were produced in grey, dreary Western Switzerland and had a pallor similar to that on blades of grass completely deprived of sunlight. Their faces do not have the rich, dark colour tones of deepest Africa or widows who have retired to Southern Florida. They are decidedly pallid! So, this not-so-smart, but highly competent, Frankenmeister has produced an effect similar to that of putting the head of Robert Mugabe on to the body of Ana Ivanović!

It’s all such a pity really, because the person behind this truly hideous creation could, with the appropriate epiphany, use his not inconsiderable skills in restoring watches as close to the factory specifications as possible. Funny how some people are attracted to the dark side in spite of an easier path, isn’t it?

Great Moments in Omega Constellation History

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:15:00 +0000

As Ryan Rooney noted here in his blog, it’s generally acknowledged that the Omega mid-500 series chronometer calibres (551, 561, 564 and 751) were the finest family of production movements ever made. He also identified the movement serial numbers that were part of one of the most famous events in production watch history – the straight run of one hundred thousand certified chronometers.

Click here for a follow-up on Ryan’s post and a definitive list, pictures of the official BO certificates and serial numbers of the three ‘great moments’ in Omega’s production history – straight runs of 1,000, 20,000 and 100,000 certified chronometers. The file is large and may take some moments to download.

Omega - World's Top Brand on the Internet

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:42:00 +0000

If you ever doubted the power of the Omega brand, here is evidence revealing that Omega is the King of Brands on the Internet.

The World Watch Report, published by IC-Agency, an online marketing consulting firm based in Europe (Switzerland) and North America (Canada), reveals that Omega is the highest ranked searched-for Brand on the Internet with 17% of watch searches. Seamaster (7.8%) and Speedmaster (4.7%) account for the lion share. This compares with Rolex's biggest on-line magnet, the Daytona, at 4.3%.

Based on over 300 million searches globally, the World Watch Report highlights the opportunities of 25 prestigious brands in 7 key exportable markets.

Europe as an entity commands the largest number of searches with 44.2%. However the U.S. is the singlemost important market for prestigious Swiss watch brands with 42.8% of total searches. The United Kingdom remains an important player with 14.6% of all searches while Germany (12.1%),Italy (9.6%) and France (7.7%) continue to have a significant interest in Swiss watches.

There is an emerging cadre of brand junkies in China, representing 7.4% of the total searches for Swiss brands. 77% of those searches were for brands rather than models. Japanese interest in Swiss brands has shrunk to 5.8% of searches.

The survey also reviewed searches for fakes and the U.S. won hands down, registering 66.4% of all searches for fakes of renowned Swiss brands. It doesn't appear that the current campaign of the Swiss Industry - "Fake watches are for Fake People" - is having much impact in the U.S.

What does all this mean for Omega collectors? Three thoughts come to mind. Firstly, Omega, at least in the minds of the on-line community, has made up much ground over the past few years, inching steadily towards the recognition and reputation it had during the halcyon days of the mechanical watch in the fifties and sixties. Secondly, this is good news for collectors of Omega vintage watches, because brand visibility impacts on collectibility and values. Thirdly, the Rolex crown is looking shakier, maybe because it's greatest devotees are taking a hiding for bringing the world financial system to its knees!

Beware! A New Batch of 14K Fake Omega Constellation Cases Surface

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:38:00 +0000

It can become tiresome writing, and I’m sure reading, about fake gold Omega cases all the time, however, when a new batch begins to show up in faux 14K gold, it’s in the interests of Connie aficionados to know exactly how to spot them.

Click on this listing and see if you can determine why it can be asserted that this is a fake cased pie pan Constellation.

I raised the issue with the seller, Alex, from sound_of_time. Below is the response I received back from him:

“Hi Desmond, I'm not an expert for Omega watches. I bought this watch as all-authentic and paid pretty big money for that. The case has been tested, and it is solid gold. The difference in hue of the movement parts is a common thing for omega movements, the rotor and the bridges almost always has a little bit different color even in NOS watches, because were coming from different lines of manufacture. Anyway thanks for your notice and willing to help. Alex”

While I am not suggesting that Alex knowingly listed a fake gold-cased Constellation, I am asserting that the case was not sourced by Omega, was not assayed by the Swiss assay office and was not manufactured by any known case manufacturer associated with Omega.

I do assert however that Alex should have cancelled the listing and looked further into this matter when he was alerted to the fact that it may be fake.

Alex’s explanation above is not sufficient to convince us that the watch is genuine. His remarks about different copper hues of parts is totally incorrect. Omega went to great lengths to ensure that parts lots making up chronometers were kept together and electroplated together in specific batches of copper/beryllium so as to ensure that its movements contained parts all of the same hue. So, it is a reasonable conclusion that parts not original to the movement have been employed.

I do not see any evidence of proper gold testing having taken place. There are no tell-tale tiny drill sample marks on the case or specific sample scratchings and so I can only conclude that if Alex had the watch tested, it was probably with a non-invasive portable tester that employs an electromagnetic molecular process using electrically charged metal plates. Unfortunately such methods would not accurately reveal if the watch case was solid gold. For that you would need X-ray fluorescence or traditional sampling and testing methods. So, I am sticking with my assumption that the case contains minimal traces of gold until proven otherwise.

In the interests of providing an educational review of this watch, I have taken pictures of parts of the published listing by eBay. Click here for an analysis of this watch

Omega Constellation Diagnostics

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:54:00 +0000

The movement in your vintage Omega Constellation is an engine - a micro-mechanical marvel of amazing design and precision that operates under very fine tolerances. As soon as something interferes with the fine margins under which your movement performs, it will tell you by misbehaving in some way.

Unlike in children, or indeed adults, signs of misbehaviour in watches aren’t necessarily a bad thing, because this is the way a watch ‘communicates’ and tells you that it is in need of some attention. In this series of ad-hoc essays on interpreting the language of misbehaving movements, we will first explore those which give you the hurry-up.

Click here for the essay on potential causes of a fast running movement.

FrankenFake Omega Constellation Calibre 561

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:36:00 +0000

Picture above from eBay used for education purposes

It seems that fate has determined that I experience a minor obsession with fakes and frankens this month. I’ve received numerous emails from subscribers asking me about the autheticity of Constellation pie pans on and off eBay.

Take a look at this little trickster offered by UK eBay seller newbiggen that was more likely to have been hatched somewhere in Lincolnshire than in Bienne. All I can say newbiggen is that your photographs conceal as much as they reveal.

For the purposes of demonstrating how I arrived at the conclusion that this watch is a franken at best and fake case and dial at worst, I'll run through the process I went through to evaluate it.

Firstly, the 17 million serial number. There is a table on the Omega database under the title 'How old is my watch?" which shows serial numbers and dates.....I have my own table, but the table shows the watch movement was made sometime in 1959.

Next (although because I know these models so well I picked this straight up) is to access the Omega vintage database and key in 167.005. The most important thing the database tells us is that the watch case (case number stamped on the inner case back) should house a calibre 551 and not a 561!!! So newbiggen appears to be advertently or inadvertently telling us quite a biggen about the origins of this watch.

This database also reveals that this case was released as part of the Omega international collection of 1962. I know this to be correct as the case numbers for the dog leg lugged earlier models were 14900 and 14902 for calibre 551 and 561 models respectively. Incidentally, I have never seen a 17 million movement in a case 167.005 or a 168.005.

And so we discover newbiggen’s second biggen - a three year gap between movement manufacture and the date of release. This is far too excessive a lag time, because we know that Omega was run off its feet producing movements for its super popular pie pan models and there was very little lag between completion and casing of movements in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Two major inconsistencies are enough for us to conclude that theres a real problem with this watch. Combine an incorrect movement with the case number 167.005 engraved on the inner case back, together with dodgy serial number for this case number and we can conclude that this is at least a franken watch. But let’s continue.

Take a look at the watch dial – what do you see? Firstly, you will note that T SWISS T appears at six o'clock. This means that we should see luminous material on the base of each hour marker and also on the hands. There is no lume on the markers or hands (The markers do not have the appropriate recesses to house the lume) and so we can conclude one of two things: (a) the dial has been refinished or (b) the dial is a fake dial.

To further explore we must look closely at the markers themselves. In genuine markers, there is a small strip of black onyx seated in each marker, and in fakes there is usually a recess that is painted black. Looking at the dial it appears that the recess is PAINTED black - not a good sign.

Then we look at the script and compare it with a genuine dial. We discover that while the lettering is quite a good copy, the word Constellation has a number of variations compared with a real Constellation. The letter Ns are wrong as is the T, and the lettering is not serif but sans serif! The uppercase lettering shows a number of discrepancies including incorrect Rs and lack of serif font. Also the printing is not as sharp as a real dial and the applied Omega logo is abominably cast. Therefore we can conclude that the dial is likely a fake until proven otherwise: an improvement on the previous fake dials sold by Jensen Dinh, but still a fake.

I also have serious concerns about the case: it doesn’t appear to have a bevel in the space between the bezel and the main watch body and there are finish inconsistencies on the case back. I would need more revealing pictures to make an accurate call on whether the case was a fake, but it’s sure looking that way.

But potentially fake dial and incorrect case number for this movement is enough for me to describe the watch as a frankenfake.

I would strongly recommend that you use the resources on this site and undertake a similar process when evaluating stainless steel Constellations. From time to time there are some fantastic Connies on eBay amongst the many fakes and frankens....the trick is to be able to build up enough knowledge and expertise to tell the difference.

POSTSCRIPT:

It was good to see that this seller pulled the listing. He wrote to me saying,amongst other things, "First off, it has been pulled from auction until I can check the veracity of this information as I NO WAY wish to sell something that is NOT RIGHT."

Good, and you confirmed that by pulling the listing.

He goes on, "Secondly, the description, from inception, declared that the dial was 'restored' - So please STOP making erroneous remarks that have NO justification."

May be, but unless you speak English as a second language, you will notice that the direction of my argument was leading towards the dial potentially being a fake rather than refinished.

"Thirdly," newbiggen says that he attempted to email me and that I have a fake email. Strange but, how come I receive literally tens and tens of emails per week from blog subscribers on that email address?

Newbiggen continues, "(A)lso it may have been common courtesy for this person (that's me) to inform me of his assumptions and also to clear copyright on my photography - neither of which he did"

I do not have an obligation to you to do assessments on the watches you sell. My obligation is to the readers of this blog who seek to to build their knowledge about Omega Constellations. And, there are some riders on copyright, such as using a limited portion of a resource for educational purposes - in this case to assist in the education of novice buyers, so they dont get landed with the franken watch you listed as A++, when it wasnt A++ at all.

Newbiggen added "This blogger's snide and arrogant assertions are exactly that and are designed, I suspect to massage his own overbearing ego"

Nice little ad homimen side-attack, but it doesn't detract readers'attentions away from the fact that you listed a dog that does NOT fit factory specifications for this model, and, as such, is only worth what it could fetch for parts. Everyone has an ego, otherwise humans wouldnt survive, but, in this case, it isn't ego that drives me - it's empathy for those poor devils who fall for such listings and then discover they have something that isn't collectible.

More from newbiggen, "Also, I described the watch in exact detail; if I were trying to hide anything knowingly I do not believe I would have gone down that route - I repeat, nothing contained within the description was revised other than I noted that I am away on business and would not be able to post the watch until the Wednesday following the auction"

First note my "advertently or inadvertently" rider. But, the above comments get to the nitty gritty of a common modus operandi on eBay - throw up the pics, describe 'literally' what's on offer, thus placing the entire onus to determine the authenticity of the watch on the buyer. Well, even U.K. consumer law does not overlook this practice of 'ommission' and requires a seller to 'accurately' describe the merchandise they are selling. Under U.K. law you would be required to refund the purchase price of this watch because it is INACCURATELY described.

An ACCURATE description of this watch would have included remarks about it not fitting the specifications for a calibre 561 powered watch and would have noted, actually, that the movement should probably be sitting in a case with a caseback number 14902.

Finally newbiggen says, "I don't expect an apology, I suspect I'd have to wait an awful long time."

My response is, I am happy to live up to your expectations!

Lolo-dealer - How Low Can You Go?

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:26:00 +0000

It's a long time since a fake 14K Constellation case has surfaced and this one is one of the most crude, rednecked examples I've yet to see.Powered by a cobbled together calibre 561 with parts of various hues, this is one of many examples of the Asian 'Slight of Horological Hand' industry.

Movements from old Seamasters and other lower shelf brands are removed and inserted into these poorly made cases. Most of them emanate from Vietnam and China.There are just too many things wrong with this case and fake dial to itemise in this post. But, for those who are interested, check out my essay about fake gold cases and down load this essay on dials and then make some comparisons.

Ebay seller lolo-dealer claims that the case condition is "(F)rom very good to mint". Well you got that right lolo-dealer as its not long out of a cheap casting factory! Lolo-dealer goes on to proclaim that the case is "(S)howing all the stars of the observatory". Yep, so it does, but it just has the wrong obervatory roof, and the stars, well, they aint configured correctly for a solid gold Constellation.

I don't know if lolo-dealer knows s/he's selling a dud, but if s/he does then the name lolo-dealer is apt, because you can't get much lower that trying to flog a fake gold watch to some poor unsuspecting neophyte, can you?Ive reported this as a fake, so let's see what happens.

Click here for a peek at this abomination.

The Famous 1000 Certified Omega Chronometers

mondodec@tpg.com.au (Mondodes) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:14:00 +0000

Recently a scan of a 1949 Omega advertisement was forwarded to me by a collecting colleague during an email exchange about a recent acquisition he had made of an early calibre 352 RG Chronometer. (Click on the scan above for an enlarged image of the advertisement.) The dial on his acquisition (see second pic – thanks Evan) was the same style as in the advertisement and he wished to know if his Omega was one of the batch mentioned in the advertisement.

Translated from French, the ad basically proclaims that, “A series of 1000 production line chronometers with consecutive serial numbers was submitted to the testing laboratory, Bureaux officiels de contrôle de la marche des montres” (the fore-runner to the modern COSC labs in Switzerland). The ad continues,” For the first time in the history of watchmaking, all without exception, receive the official certificate for timing (chronometer certification).” “Further, all are honoured with a special mention of particularly good results.” The ad goes on to say something to the effect that at the very moment the government authority demonstrated that this series of 1000 chronometers was such an exception, it could be inferred that virtually all Omega wrist chronometers rolling off the production line exceed such high thresholds of precision.

When one considers that in 1949 Omega had only been producing automatics for six years, it is a remarkable feat of manufacturing and quality control to achieve such precision in a production watch.

We know that this series of 1000 chronometers was submitted to the testing bureau between June 27th and September 22nd 1949. But how would one know if the watch in Evan’s possession belonged to this record-breaking batch? As the serial numbers were consecutive, the solving of this mystery hinged on whether Omega had a record of the serial numbers.

I contacted John Diethelm at the Omega Museum. John has always been very generous in sharing his extensive knowledge of Omega history and accessing the archives for unpublished information, and he replied that the museum did have a record of the serial numbers. So, mystery solved! All of the automatic chronometers were 28.10 RA SC RG calibre 352s and the series started with serial number 11’418’001 and finished at serial number 11’419’000. So, if you have a movement with a serial number within that range, know that apart from being a very fine instrument, it’s also part of history.

I have been collecting pictures and data on these early Omega chronometers with the intention of composing a larger essay about them. If you have pictures or information to share, I would love to hear from you.

Did my collecting friend’s Omega Chronometer have a serial number within the famous 1000? Well, sadly, no, but he is happy enough in the knowledge that he acquired an excellent model 2517 at a bargain basement price!