Originally Posted by
walkerwek1958
1481 movement was developed by Tissot, their version is the 2481. Not my favourite, this movement features a quickset date mechanism which requires the crown to be pressed in to advance the date. They're notorious for not working correctly, not often I`m beaten by a watch but I`ve had a couple of these where I couldn't get the quickset to function even after replacing the setting lever spring with the later modified (better?) version. Unfortunately there's no other quick way to set the date, turning hands back to 9 o clock then advancing past midnight doesn`t work with this design. The crown is designed to protrude slightly from the case to allow room for it to be depressed, another feature I don`t like and a factor that makes crown and stem replacement tricky. I wouldn't go as far as to say avoid these movements, if the watch is a good example go for it, but similar models with 1012 movements are a better bet.
One I would avoid is the dreaded Seamaster Cosmic with the caseback and crystal all retained by a thick nylon spacer. Very tricky to get apart, especially after 50+ years.......I won't touch them! It's pity because they're often in good condition and the movements were excellent. Confusingly, Omega also sold Cosmic models with a one-piece case and split stem, they're a but tricky to take apart but infinitely easier than the others.
Buying vintage Omegas is a minefield, parts availability becomes more problematic every year and the watches are becoming way overpriced in my opinion. 10 years ago they were cheap and fun, parts were usually still available and the situation was far healthier than today.
Why are Constellations more expensive? Because they were always top of the range models and were generally chronometer rated. Personally I don`t believe it's worth paying a premium for a Constellation, originality can be a problem (be sure the movement is correct) and any 'advantage' over similar models without the chronometer movement is almost certain to have been eroded over time.
The majority of vintage Omegas are 34-35mm, with 34mm more prevalent . However, the lug to lug dimension varies a lot and some of the 34mm models wear surprisingly big. If you're always going to have a hang-up about size maybe it isn`t wise to go down this path, these watches belong to a totally different era where watches were generally 34-36mm and everyone was happy with that, in modern parlance they are what they are.
The term 'franken' gets bandied around a lot with and there are certainly some horrors out there. However, due to the elitistism that exists on forums many good examples that have had replacement parts get unfairly maligned. Go on the Omega forum and the sages will condemn a watch for having the incorrect crown or a generic replacement crystal, or condemn a watch because it's been refinished, they regurgitate what they've been conditioned to think. It makes more sense to be pragmatic, these watches are 50+ years old, parts will have been replaced, cases will have been refinished. I would rather have a watch with a generic crystal and the 'wrong' crown that keeps water out than an original that steams up when I splash it! As for refinishing, if it's done correctly there's nothing to fear, a nicely refinished watch beats a scruffy original every time in my book, I`ve refinished plenty myself and I'm pleased with the results (as were the owners), but I admit there are some horrors out there too.
I`ve collected 50s-70s Omegas for years, I`ve repaired and restored plenty, I hold a dwindling stock of movement parts that I`m debating whether to keep or sell as i decide whether to stay in the game or not. I could write at length on the subject but there's no scope for keeping my ramblings as a sticky on this forum so I`m not prepared to waste my time composing a lengthy guide that'll get lost in a couple of days, I guess that's one drawback with forums.
Best advice I can give is to always handle a watch and inspect it before buying, the only way to get good at assessing watches is by handling watches! A watch can look fine in pictures but is disappointing in the flesh. Be wary of grossly overpriced examples on Chrono 24, some crazy prices being asked for mediocre rubbish thesedays. I`ve bought from overseas in the past but the 20% tax on imports (even from Europe) makes it less tempting thesedays, which is a great shame.
It's worth putting out a WTB, there are folks on this forum who have several old Omegas and there's always someone prepared to sell. Keep reading and doing your homework.
