# Omega Constellation Electronic Chronometer



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Here's a strange one, as sent to me by Erik from Finland, This is an Omega electronic watch that contains calibre 1250 (ESA 9162); it therefore ought to be in the f300 model range but differs from all other f300 in several ways:



There is no mention of f300 on the dial and the dial design with the star is very similar to automatic Constellations from the 1960s. No other f300 Constellations have the star.


It has a case number of 198.765. The 198 part is correct for Omega's tuning fork range of watches but the 765 is unusually high. From my own research, the highest normal f300 case number is somewhere near 198.076; there are a few higher numbers but they tend to be specials like 198.1742 which is the tuning fork pocket watch and 198.5001 which has a sold 9k gold case.


There are none of the normal Omega brandings on the inside of the case back.


From Eriks' research, the few references to 198.765 that you can find on the net, all centre on Omegas from Japan....which is where his watch came from. In addition, he has seen a very similar watch with a case number of 198.741...also from Japan.


So either these were a style of f300 that Omega only sold in Japan, or more likely, they were cased in Japan for some reason. No idea, but an interesting and unusual f300...even if it doesn't say f300 on the dial. :biggrin:


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Caseback looks very plain. Something fishy or at least special.


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

They're much less common than the familiar F300 models, but there's enough of these on the Japanese auctions that they must have been made in reasonable numbers. Here's the inside case-back marking of the 198.741 - just the number and an enigmatic (K).


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Seems a little odd that there isn't the Omega triangle and a case makers mark. What's more, there is no name check to Bulova for the licensing of the hummer technology either like on every other hummer. I wonder if like Paul suggests above, some parts for these were made or assembled domestically (in Japan), rather like the UK Dennison cased stuf, perhaps for import duty reasons. There are some pretty special things done just for the Japanese market, maybe this was one. Perhaps 'F300' was a particularly inauspicious set of letters in Japan, with negative connotations!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Padders said:


> Seems a little odd that there isn't the Omega triangle and a case makers mark. What's more, there is no name check to Bulova for the licensing of the hummer technology either like on every other hummer. I wonder if like Paul suggests above, some parts for these were made or assembled domestically (in Japan), rather like the UK Dennison cased stuf, perhaps for import duty reasons. There are some pretty special things done just for the Japanese market, maybe this was one. Perhaps 'F300' was a particularly inauspicious set of letters in Japan, with negative connotations!


 Yes, you're right about the Bulova licensing acknowledgement...I would have thought that would have been required. But then again, when Titus bought all the Omega f300 cases at the end of the 1970s and rollout out their tuning fork models with the same ESA 9162 movements, they had to machine all case backs, inside and out, to remove all Omega branding (and the crown to remove the Omega symbol) and they made no attempt to replace the Bulova licensing acknowledgement.


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

Not sure about the issue of Bulova license text on the case. I know its not there on any Hisonics, perhaps it was considered enough to have it on the movement.


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

stromspeicher said:


> Not sure about the issue of Bulova license text on the case. I know its not there on any Hisonics, perhaps it was considered enough to have it on the movement.


 Hisonics? Do you mean the 720Hz megasonic stuff? I take your point about it being on the movement though.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Padders said:


> Hisonics? Do you mean the 720Hz megasonic stuff? I take your point about it being on the movement though.


 Citizen HiSonics:


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## Damo516 (Nov 9, 2015)

Interesting, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

Something else to look out for :yes:


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## Richy (Oct 14, 2013)

I contacted hawk a while ago about a .741 and decided to give it a miss.......missed opportunity there maybe!


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

FYI just did a Japan specific search and there are 2 of these for sale right now. Not cheap though, will be circa £500-550 by the time you bring it in so I may pass for the time being.


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## Thomasr (Oct 11, 2011)

Is it a David bill redial?


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## Padders (Oct 21, 2008)

Thomasr said:


> Is it a David bill redial?


 Not unless he shipped a load of dials and blank case backs out to Japan!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Padders said:


> Not unless he shipped a load of dials and blank case backs out to Japan!


 And managed to get them included in this Japanese importer's catalogue :biggrin: :


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## Richy (Oct 14, 2013)

This was the one I had the chance of. Was nothing like £500!


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

If you're looking for something more 'exotic' you can also find the 198.741 hummer in an "Electrogolf" variant. Looks similar but has a black dial with "Omega Chronometer" at the top of the dial and "Electrogolf" at the bottom, no applied Star and no "Swiss Made" on the dial. I've seen a few for sale over the years, so not that rare. There is obviously some kind of story behind them, not sure what. When one spends a lot of time looking at Japanese auctions these kind of things start to look normal :wacko:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

stromspeicher said:


> If you're looking for something more 'exotic' you can also find the 198.741 hummer in an "Electrogolf" variant. Looks similar but has a black dial with "Omega Chronometer" at the top of the dial and "Electrogolf" at the bottom, no applied Star and no "Swiss Made" on the dial. I've seen a few for sale over the years, so not that rare. There is obviously some kind of story behind them, not sure what. When one spends a lot of time looking at Japanese auctions these kind of things start to look normal :wacko:


 Oh yes! Just found a completed auction here: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/291198058318 although they think it's an automatic. :bash:

Thanks! You learn something everyday!


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## eeki (Feb 8, 2017)

Hello folks,

The watch in the OP is mine, I stumbled upon this thread with google and thought I'd say hi!  Thanks so much to Paul for the quick service, the watch is now working as it should. I really get a kick out of the dial, with the subtle pattern and applied Omega logo&star. :thumbsup: The dial pattern seems more pronounced in the 198.741, but I haven't handled one so I'm not sure.

The watch is still a bit of a mystery to me too, but I'll continue to dig for information. I have one of those Japanese importer catalogues coming my way (without first realising that shipping is quite expensive when the package weighs 4kg!), we'll see what that looks like.

I must say I got a chuckle out of @stormspeicher's post - these kind of things do start to look absolutely normal when you spend too much time looking at Japanese auction sites! eBay starts to look too boring and safe! :laugh:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

eeki said:


> Hello folks,
> 
> The watch in the OP is mine, I stumbled upon this thread with google and thought I'd say hi!  Thanks so much to Paul for the quick service, the watch is now working as it should. I really get a kick out of the dial, with the subtle pattern and applied Omega logo&star. :thumbsup: The dial pattern seems more pronounced in the 198.741, but I haven't handled one so I'm not sure.
> 
> ...


 Welcome to the Forum Erik! :thumbsup: . ...nice to see you here. So what other electrics / electronics do you have?


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## eeki (Feb 8, 2017)

Silver Hawk said:


> Welcome to the Forum Erik! :thumbsup: . ...nice to see you here. So what other electrics / electronics do you have?


 Well, I'm almost embarrassed to say but none! Unless quartz Seikos count, in which case I have two. :tongue: I did have a Zenith XL-Tronic earlier though - apologies for the scratched crystal:










I bought it because I'm intrigued by the technology behind these watches, but it was too "grey". One of the things I'd really like is a Megasonic, which is just too cool with its bespoke micromotor and magnetic gears. :thumbsup: And yes, if I find a weird megasonic from Japan, I'll be sure to buy it. :biggrin:


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## Carmella Diaz (Feb 6, 2017)

Looks good and interesting.


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

Another interesting watch to add to this thread - a non-F300 Seamaster. It looks like a pretty standard 198.001 Seamaster but with a non -F300 dial. the case and case markings are all pretty standard for a 198.001, just the dial branding. The standard case parts here suggest that the de-F300ing of these Japanese market watches was simply a marketing thing rather than being supply-chain related.


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