HISTORY OF THE OMEGA CONSTELLATION
Vintage Omega Constellation circa 1960s / Credit: AnalogShift
Over the years Omega has produced several famous modern timepieces: the Omega Seamaster, Omega Speedmaster, Omega Planet Ocean, and many more. Yet, every now and then, you take a peek at someone’s wrist and see something you barely recognize; a vintage Omega dress watch. Nine times out of ten that watch is an Omega Constellation. So, what is it about the elusive ‘Connie’ that has given it such prominence in the vintage Omega market?
The story of the Omega Constellation begins with its predecessor, the Centenary, a chronometer introduced in 1948 to celebrate Omega’s centennial anniversary. The Omega Constellation collection was named in honour of the Lockheed Constellation, an aircraft originally built for military transport and to potentially be used as a long-range bomber in WWII. After the war, the remaining planes were converted to civilian use and Omega capitalized on the buzz by rebranding the Centenary. The original Omega Constellation was released in 1952 with the goal of becoming the brand’s flagship, it featured an Omega Caliber 35x, the iconic Geneva Observatory caseback, and was made in three versions and three grades of finish. Many iconic Constellations were produced over the years, like: the Gerald Genta-designed pie-pan dial model, often regarded as the ‘official’ version of the watch, and the infamous Manhattan Skeleton model, of which only 110 were produced. Omega even made quartz versions of the Constellation in the 1970s! Most notably, the Omega Constellation MegaQuartz remains the only wristwatch ever to attain the official title of Marine Chronometer.
So, what makes the Omega Constellation so popular? It’s hard to pinpoint, but we suspect that like the Tissot Seamaster, its availability and variability are key factors. Ultimately, I’d say that Omega succeeded in making the Constellation its flagship piece, at least until the release of the Omega Speedmaster. Nonetheless, the Constellation community remains strong and growing, and the watch is still produced by Omega today.
By: Andres Ibarguen