2003 Omega Constellation Steel & Yellow Gold 1212.30.00
Ref: 1212.30.00
Specification
Lugs : 22mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel & 18ct Yellow Gold
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Omega box and paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original 21mm stainless steel and 18ct yellow gold bracelet with a signed deploy buckle. The watch is from November 2003 and is sold in worn condition, but overall very fair condition as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
The Watch
Here we have a 2003 Omega Constellation 1212.30.00 with a 34mm Steel & 18ct Yellow Gold tonneau case, the elegantly flowing lines of the integrated style bracelet lead to a lug-to-lug length of 39mm and a case thickness of just 7.5mm ensuring a comfortable fit on your wrist. On the right side, is an 18ct yellow gold signed crown. The domed 18ct yellow-gold bezel has large black Roman numerals and design elements that remind us of a porthole on a ship, a flat crystal sits above a stunning textured silver dial. An outer minute track is precisely executed with applied baton indexes marking the hours and at 3 o’clock a framed date window. Elegant 18ct yellow gold dauphins hands complemented by a tapered second hand, at 12 o’clock we have the Omega motif and at 6 o’clock Constellation with an applied star underneath completes this striking dress watch. On the reverse, a snap-off case back with the embossed Observatory and eight stars in the centre, inside a Quartz Omega Cal. 1532. This quality movement has a base of the ETA 255.111 and is used by many brands including Longines, Concord and Movado. The watch comes fitted on a 21mm stainless steel and 18ct Yellow gold bracelet with a signed deploy buckle and comes with its Omega presentation box and paperwork.
Personal Note
Massively underrated and works so well on the wrist, even my 7inch wrist, at 34mm, if you are worried this is too small I'd highly recommend booking an appointment and trying it on for yourself, it'll surprise you!
The Brand
Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848 founded 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. 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. 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 an astronaut's first choice. 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 Horloger (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967 with their production starting 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.