The present Constellation ref. 2782-8 SC is a an attractive variant fitted with a steel case and gold-capped bezel and lugs. The crystal is etched with the Omega micro symbol. The two-tone silvered pie-pan dial is set with luminous dauphine hands, Arabic 3, 6, 9, 12 indexes, the facetted triangular numerals with luminous dots. The movement is the cal. 354 automatic “bumper” version, the case is Omega’s patented water-resistant case construction, Swiss Patent 315.164, with the o-ring or rubber washer fitted inside the case back. The system was used mainly for the Seamaster and Constellation models of the period. It was later replaced by the better known screw back.

Launched in 1952 the Constellation was named after the eight stars on its crest, representing the eight precision records set by Omega at the Kew Teddington and Geneva Observatory rating trials during the mid-20th century. The iconic engraving of the stars and the observatory are in homage to these results and to the incredible accuracy of the Constellation then and still today.

The first models were fitted with calibres 351, 352 and 354 with bumper rotors, named after the slight “thud” perceived when the rotor hits a spring and bumps back. Unlike modern rotors that perform a full 360-degree spin, the bumper version moves back and forth at around 120 degrees, ‘bumping off’ a pair of springs on the opposite sides of the bridge. This effective way of accumulating kinetic energy was invented by the English watchmaker John Harwood in 1923

A further feature of the early Constellation watches is the so-called pie pan dial, consisting of a raised center and sloping outer chapter ring resembling an upside down pie pan. Of the numerous Constellation dial styles, the pie pans are without a doubt the most unusual and recognizable.

The early Constellation models are described and illustrated in Omega – A Journey Through Time by Marco Richon, pp. 359 – 367.