Omega Seamaster 105.004-64 & Constellation 168.004

G99 shares his passion for watches from his birth year, 1964, showcasing two recent Omega acquisitions: a Seamaster chronograph reference 105.004-64 and a Constellation reference 168.004. This post highlights the unique characteristics of these vintage pieces, including the Seamaster's adjusted Caliber 321 movement and the Constellation's original silver dial. The discussion provides valuable insights into collecting by birth year and the nuances of vintage Omega references.

as many of you know i have a bit of a thing about watches made the year of my birth, 1964. my first one which was merely an accident was a nice gold filled King Seiko manual wind which is accurate to 1 sec every 3 days, ridiculously accurate for a watch of that age.

back to omega.  a month or so i posted the aquisition of a 1964 speedmaster 105.003-64 commonly known as the 'Ed White' model as he wore one during his gemini moonwalk. this was a superb purchase in totally original condition with box and extract from the records. a keeper, never to be sold.

2 weeks ago whilst browsing that big auction site i came across this, a Vintage Omega Seamaster chronograph case ref 105.004-64. this is not a watch you see very often.  case size only 36mm, but using the 321 calibre movement from the speedy. however, this movement is adjusted to 2 positions when all the speedy movements are unadjusted. a very interesting anomally that Bill has seen before, but why is a good question.

the seller claims that the watch was given to him by his parents in 1974, the Kreisler coffin bracelet broke and it was put in a drawer and never worn until now. looking at the condition of the movement and dial which are basically unmarked i believe this to be correct. the build up of gunge and general scratching of the glass also backs up this story. i won the watch for a fair price and it finally arrived yesterday.

the watch is just as the sellers pics show, it is working fine, but running perhaps 30 secs fast, the chrono runs fine although the 12 hour totaliser is not resetting. not a big problem, just sticky internals from lack of use.

its going to my Omega man next week for a complete movement overhaul and case buff although the case is in very good condition apart from the gunge. i've spoken to him about it and if its away longer than 2 weeks i'll be very surprised. 1 years guarantee for 1/3 the cost of the Omega UK vintage service (who he used to work for).

a very pleasing purchase. pics shamelessly taken from the seller. i'll take my own when it returns. all marks are on the glass.

i hope you like it, i do.

anyway, the next one, again found by accident from the same very large auction site, again bought for a very fair price IMO. this is only just in transit, but from a highly recommended dealer not a private seller.

its a Constellation ST 168.004 with a cal 561 movement, 21mil serial number dating it squarely to 1964. its not gold, it hasnt got a pie pan dial, but its in very nice condition with an original silver dial, gold hands and hour markers. the steel case looks to be in great condition and the movement has very few blemishes. remember that this is coming from a vintage dealer so is fully serviced and polished. no work for my man to do when it arrives.

here's a few pics again shamelessly borrowed from the seller.

i wish i looked as good as these

i think for the time being my 1964 collection is complete. 4 watches, 3 of them iconic Omegas. the Speedmaster is the sports watch, the Seamaster for those the relaxed evenings out, the Constellation, a chronometer daily beater or dress watch when steel is appropriate and finally the King Seiko, a gold dress watch.

if you can think of any other Iconic watches from 1964 that dont cost me 2 arms and 3 legs(Tournek rayville FF out of the question) i'd be pleased to hear about them. i've considered the SM300 that Nicolas has, but to get a 100% original genuine one is hard and very costly.

i will post my own pics when the Connie arrives

enjoy

Graham