The Constellation may not get receive the same love as the Speedmaster, Seamaster and other sport collections from Omega, but it’s a watch that’s been around in one form or another for almost 70 years — in fact, some of the earliest models were designed by none other than Gerald Genta himself. From svelte timepieces with eye-catching pie-pan dials and beads-of-rice bracelets to 1980s variants with now-iconic case claws, the Constellation line has seen myriad design changes over the decades.
The latest, fifth-generation Constellation sees Omega upgrading its case sizes from 35mm and 40mm to 36mm and 41mm while incorporating design language from a 1982 reference, the Constellation Manhattan. This model, which included the now-famed claws and half-moon facets that we see replicated today, also featured a unique sapphire glass bezel, which has been reproduced in the current iteration through the use of polished ceramic (with the exception of the entry-level model, which features a steel bezel with blackened Roman numerals). The sapphire bezels sport Roman numerals produced in Omega’s Ceragold or Liquidmetal.
OmegaDifferent case material options abound and include stainless steel, 18k gold, or two-tone varieties, each of which features beveled edges, a redesigned crown, and a slimmer overall profile. A sapphire case back allows an obstructed view of the Omega Master Co-Axial Calibre 8900 / 8901 automatic movement, which is Master Chronometer-certified.
Each new 41mm Constellation ships on a leather strap with an antibacterial lining, though the purchaser has the option to match each watch with any bracelet in the 39mm Constellation line. Prices range from $6,500 in steel to $20,400 in Ceragold with either blue or black dials.