Omega Day-Date Thirtieth Anniversary Constellation

The Constellation Day-Date has been a long time returning. Thelast fully in-house Constellation movement with the day-date complication wasthe calibre 1021, phased out in 1979. 

Between now and July, Omega will release various iterationsof the 38 mm case Day-Date Constellation, starting with diamond bezel models that will setyou back between thirteen and thirty-eight thousand dollars and culminating inthe release of the all stainless model with black dial in July, priced ataround $8300 US Dollars. I say “culminating” because I think the black dialledall stainless Day-Date is a classic in the making. 

Under the dial is a modified calibre 8500 movement which Omegahas designated as the calibre 8602 to identify the Date-Date complication.  This family of ‘in-house’ co-axial calibresnow has five years of history behind it; five years in which no major design ormanufacturing fault has surfaced,  atruly remarkable track record for a new calibre.  Featuring a silicon balance and co-axialescapement, the series is one of the most beautiful looking new millennium movementson the market.

The Constellation Day-Date arrived at Baselworld 2012,thirty years after Carol Didisheim’s first Manhattan version with the famous griffes(or claws) created a sensation at Baselworld in 1982. (Click here for the storyof how the griffes came about).  I’msurprised that Omega has not made more of the Didisheim link to today’sConstellations and  acknowledged hercontribution to one of the most enduring designs in contemporary Swisswatchmaking. 

There is a remarkable balance to the dial design that respectsthe minimalist approach to Constellation dials. The curved day aperture istucked neatly between the eleven and one o’clock markers and the date aperture unobtrusivelyreplaces the six o’clock marker.   

While most men will eschew bezels that have the numerals setwith 116 full-cut diamonds (seen in the picture above),  a wait of a mere four months will net you asilvered or black dialled version of this classic thirty-nine jewel chronometer.