OMEGA Constellation
The Constellation is the classic Omega with a lustrous history and offers itself to those that want to combine luxury and style with performance and precision.
Having won awards and even world records for precision, Omega developed the constellation as a tribute to the brands success and recognition in its field.
All mechanical variations in the current range are chronometers with COSC certification, however the Omega Constellation holds the accolade for being the brands very first mass produced, certified chronometer range.
The original, award winning models contained the calibre 351,2 & 4 movements and used a bumper rota mechanism, where the rota didn’t rotate as they do in modern movements but bumps forward and back. The current self-winding models are equipped with the calibre 8800 co-Axial Chronometer movement, for the ultimate precision that Omega nis renowned.
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Launched in 1952, the Constellation was the first range to be released by any brand that consisted of all chronometer certified timepieces.
Certified movements are a standard feature of Omega watches these days but in the early days, this industry leading precision gained Omega recognition, awards and even world records. These achievements are celebrated across the constellation range, with image of eight stars, representing the eight awards, sitting above the Geneva observatory, depicted on the case back of every Omega Constellation watch.
The collection has evolved since the 1950’s with some subtle changes to move with the times and some changes that have given us the iconic Omega Constellation that is instantly recognisable.
Its earliest models are now sought after on the preowned market for their pie pan dials and diamond shaped hour markers, they are a real vintage classic. The pie pan dial was later to be reintroduced into the Constellation Globemaster range. By the 1960’s, flat dials had been introduced and bracelet design progression lead to the constellation becoming one of the first watches in the world to be fitted with a bracelet that was integrated into its case.
One of the most important times for design was in the 1980’s, the developments in this era are still a huge part of what makes the constellation so recognisable. Carol Didisheim was responsible for the reimagining of the timepiece and the introduction of the Manhattan.
The Manhattan featured a slimmer case, and a flat glass with the roman numerals printed onto the underside of the glass and not on the dial as had been standard until this point. To make this style of case and glass secure and water resistant a solution had to be found, this came in the form of the four griffes (translates to ‘claws’ in english) that were added at 3 and 9 o’clock. This solution is said to have been inspired by a borderless mirror design.
This era also marked the quartz movement in the Swiss watch industry and lead to the Manhattan being a quartz range. The griffes are still part of every Omega Constellation but are no longer functional but purely decorative. The integrated bracelet is still a key feature.
Some changes that have been part of the evolution from the Manhattan to days Constellation have been the domed sapphire crystal glass, the date window moved to the 6 o’clock position and new bezel design that has kept the roman numerals off the dial as with Didisheims design.
The Omega Constellation now has over 150 models in the current range in both quartz and automatic co-axial master chronometers, ladies and gents options as well as chronograph and small date variations.
The collection now offers a wide range of case sizes from 25mm-41mm, various dial options and metals from steel to platinum.