1971 Omega Constellation Chronometer 18ct Gold 168.047

Here we have a rare classic 1971 Omega Constellation Chronometer 18ct Gold 168.047. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. Celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. It has a 33mm 18ct Yellow Gold tonneau-shaped case with satin-brushed finished drilled lugs that flow into the integrated bracelet, its design is unapologetically 1970s. The chamfered edge creates a seamless flank profile that leads to a lug-to-lug length of 39mm and a case thickness of 9mm, ensuring a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side sits a signed crown. The raised flat 1970s TV-shaped crystal protects a textured solid gold dial. The applied baton indexes filled in black mark the hours. Slim black baton hands are complemented with an 18ct Yellow Gold tapered sweeping seconds hand. At 3 o’clock, a date window. At noon, we have an 18ct Yellow Gold Omega, “Constellation Automatic,” printed underneath, and at 6 o’clock, an 18ct Yellow Gold Omega motif, "Chronometer Officially Certified" on the bottom edge, we have “OM SWISS MADE OM” which stands for Or Massif or “Solid Gold” in French, completes this sophisticated dress watch. On the reverse, a screwed-down 18ct Yellow Gold case back with an embossed Observatory and eight stars, inside, we have an automatic Omega Cal. 1001, 20 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, and features hacking and quick set date functions for your convenience. It comes paired with its original 26.5mm integrated Omega 18ct Yellow Gold bracelet with a satin-brushed finish and a signed folding clasp with micro-adjustments and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist.

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original Omega box or paperwork. It comes paired with its original 18ct Yellow Gold integrated 26.5mm Omega bracelet with its original Omega folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa 1971 and is in worn, vintage condition but overall very fair, coming fresh from service, “Gold-Burn” is visible on parts of the case and bracelet, as you can see from the photos. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

It isn't every day you get the chance to sell such an incredible watch like this one, especially when they are as rare as hen's teeth in solid gold. This reference 168.047 is an early example from 1971 featuring the automatic Omega Cal. 1001, one of the first in the 1000 series movements Omega developed. The total weight of this watch alone comes in at roughly £5,000+ in scrap weight gold alone, not that you would ever want to melt this (seriously, please don't!) but there is something undeniably amazing about wearing something that has true intrinsic value on the wrist. I would not hesitate to add this gem to your collection today!

Reference : 168.047
Movement : Automatic Omega Cal. 1001
Age : Circa. 1971
Year : 1971
Case Size : 33mm
Case Thickness : 9mm
Lug to Lug : 39mm
Lugs : 26.5mm (Integrated)
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

They were formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co., founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador In 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH). In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. In 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today, Omega is still the first choice of astronauts. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967, and their production started in 1968. Then, In 1972, Omega introduced the reference 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.