A solid eighteen carat yellow gold large cased Omega F300 Constellation watch. This is an exceptionally handsome piece and very rare model found in this stunning hue of solid eighteen carat gold. This is also a lovely size for watches from this period. Watches tended to be thirty three millimeters in size, or less. But, this case measures thirty eight millimeters, not including the crown, and with a thick, wide-body case stretching the length to forty millimeters long, so it wears even larger. This model of the beloved "Connie" was a slightly later example that saw the introduction of the fluted bezel which began at the end of the 1960's.
They are easy to wear, a great size, and will look as good with jeans and a white t-shirt as they will with a suit and tie. Omega has a long history and vast product range, and one of the classic watches the company still produces is the Constellation. First introduced into the line in 1952, it remains a cornerstone of the brand today.
This Constellation example dates to the early 1960's which saw the launch of this new larger, thicker and bolder case design. This was a departure from the classic dog leg versions that dominated the 1950's. These watches were an evolution from the 'C-Shape'. The C-Shape was Omega's third execution of the Constellation collection and introduced in 1964, having been designed by, none other than, famed watch designer; Gerald Genta, who would later go on to design the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Nautilus. The "C-Shape Era" lasted for 14 years - from 1964-78
By the time Omega introduced the f300 around 1970, the Swiss watch industry was entering one of the most disruptive periods in its history. Switzerland had dominated international watchmaking for decades, but electronic timekeeping was rapidly changing what consumers expected from a wristwatch. Importantly, the Swiss were not ignorant of quartz technology. The Centre Electronique Horloger in Neuchâtel had developed quartz wristwatch movements by the late 1960s. The difficulty was turning that technology into inexpensive, large-scale production quickly enough to compete internationally.
The f300 therefore appeared at a fascinating halfway point. Its electronically maintained tuning fork offered substantially greater precision than a conventional mechanical watch, while retaining an intricate mechanical system for transmitting that accuracy to the hands. At almost exactly the same moment, however, quartz was making even this sophisticated technology obsolete. The arrival of watches such as the Seiko Astron in 1969 demonstrated where the industry was heading: watches that could be more accurate, increasingly inexpensive and ultimately far easier to manufacture at scale.
What followed became known as the "Quartz Crisis", although quartz alone was not responsible. The oil shock, recession, rising Swiss production costs and particularly the strength of the Swiss franc compounded the technological challenge. Between 1970 and 1974, the franc appreciated dramatically against the dollar, making Swiss watches considerably more expensive in important export markets. Some historians consequently describe quartz as an accelerant of an already serious structural problem rather than its sole cause.
For Switzerland the consequences were extraordinary. The industry employed around 90,000 people in 1970; by 1984 that figure had fallen to just over 30,000. Hundreds of manufacturers disappeared, merged or were absorbed into larger organizations.
Omega was directly caught in this upheaval. It formed part of SSIH, alongside Tissot, and despite investing heavily in electronic and quartz technology, the group suffered enormously as the market changed. Research into the period shows SSIH’s watch sales falling from approximately 12.4 million pieces in 1974 to 1.9 million in 1982. Eventually SSIH and the similarly troubled ASUAG were brought together in 1983, forming the organization that would evolve into today’s Swatch Group.
This makes the f300 particularly interesting today. It was not the technology that lost the Quartz Crisis, so much as one of the last technologies developed before quartz completely changed the rules. The familiar hum of the tuning fork and unusually smooth movement of the seconds hand belong to a remarkably narrow period when manufacturers knew the mechanical watch was being challenged, but nobody yet knew exactly what would replace it.
The F300 version of the iconic Omega Constellation line was given a couple of characteristics that would featured on all these models; The Omega logo was moved to the prominent position at 12 o'clock and is set onto a red background. Also, interestingly the position of the Omega name and Constellation text switched places. Such was the importance Omega place on this new technology, you see the 'Electronic' branding on the dial itself, along with the F300Hz.
The dial is a luminous dial. As this new material, Tritium, became the standard in watch prodcution, replacing the dangerous Radium, these watches made compete with their cheaper import competitors it was seen necessary to add this technology, often not seen in their high end flagship models in the 1960's. This is also filled into the reservoir of the hands. For the eagle eyed, the dial is marked at the base "OM Swiss Made OM" and without the “T “for Tritium. This stamped "OM" on the dial stands for Or Massif. Or, gold dial. This means the dial itself is a solid piece of gold, and not plated or covered. This was later replaced by the Swiss unified Sigma symbol. Much can be read on this subject. We have covered it here on watches that fall under this categorisation.
On the heavy and highly detailed case-back is a depiction of the Geneva Observatory, with eight stars that represent the eight observatory chronometer competitions Omega won in the 20th century. The iconic dome of the Geneva Observatory (Observatoire de Genève), built in 1830 and demolished in 1969, tested chronometers for the Swiss watch industry.
Today, discerning collectors are starting to recognise the F300's direct lineage to the celebrated Constellation's history and becoming sought after.
The watch is in exceptional condition, with wear commensurate with age on a solid gold case. The case is unpolished with very clean and sharp lines throughout, still featuring a crisp, un-rubbed, hallmark on the inside of the lug. The case back is fully signed Omega, with model number '198.002' along with the Swiss poinçon mark and maker key symbol 170 for Cedex, Charles Dubois SA. The movement serial number is engraved onto the bridge. This watch, with a 32.8 million movement number, dates it to 1970, making this one of the very first F300's Constellations in to have been produced.
This important watch is becoming increasingly hard to find today. Even back in 1970, in sold gold, this would have been a tremendously expensive watch, and would have been a lot more than almost every other Omega in the line then. So many of these watches have been melted over the years. This design was not that popular ten years ago, and so many were simply destroyed. With the price of gold today, the remaining examples in solid gold will become under increasing pressure to survive!
The watch comes with a Foundwell one year warranty. There is no box or original paperwork. The service history of the watch is no know.
