Omega Constellation 38mm Champagne Dial Two Tone VS Factory Super Clone

How to Tell If Your VS Factory Omega Constellation 123.20.38.21.08.002 Is Legit

So I just got my hands on a pre-owned VS Factory Omega Constellation with the 8500 movement — full kit, practically unworn. Maybe three or four wears on it, tops. And since this is a Gen 4 VS Constellation that's been discontinued, I figured now's the time to break down exactly how you QC this ref properly.

If you've been in the rep game for a while, you probably already know VS stopped producing Gen 4. They've moved on to Gen 5 exclusively. Finding a Gen 4 these days? Good luck. Stock is drying up fast, and once it's gone, it's gone.

Alright let's get into it.

The Omega Logo — Flat Edges, Not Curved

First thing. Flip the watch over — nah, actually start with the dial. Look at the Omega logo.

On a proper VS Factory Omega Constellation 123.20.38.21.08.002, the gold edges on both sides of the logo have flat corners. Straight, clean, sharp. That's what you want to see.

If those corners look rounded, curved, or they're bending upward at all — red flag. Doesn't matter how good the rest of the watch looks. Bent logo corners mean it's either a lower-tier factory or an older, incorrect version. Dead giveaway honestly.

The Movement — This Is Where It Gets Real

The VS Constellation runs an 8500 co-axial movement and it's got a display caseback, so you can eyeball the movement without any tools. For skeleton or open-back reps, the movement is always where big factories separate themselves from the budget stuff.

Three things to check here.

Black Balance Wheel Axle

Pop open that caseback and look at the center axle of the balance wheel. On VS, it's black. Not silver, not grey — black. Wrong color, wrong watch. Simple as that.

Flat Hairspring

Next up, the hairspring. On a correct VS 8500, the hairspring sits flat and level. If it's angled or tilted to one side, you're looking at a movement built on a plate-based architecture — basically a franken movement that's not the real integrated caliber VS uses.

One thing though. A flat hairspring alone doesn't confirm it's VS. It's a necessary detail but not sufficient on its own. You need to stack it with the other tells.

Dual Shock Absorbers

This one's big. The VS 8500 has two shock absorbers — a dual-system setup. One handles frequency regulation, the other provides additional dampening.

Cheaper versions? They'll have a single shock absorber sitting dead center. That's the telltale sign of a non-VS movement. Two absorbers or bust.

The One Trick That Settles It — Date Adjustment

OK so maybe you skimmed through the movement stuff and didn't memorize every detail. Fair enough. Here's the shortcut that works every single time.

The VS Factory Omega Constellation 123.20.38.21.08.002 does not support quick-set date. Let me say that again because it matters — no quick-set.

What it does support is date change through the hour hand. You rotate the hour hand forward and the date clicks over one day at a time. So if it's showing the 23rd, you spin the hands and it goes 22... 21... 20... one by one. Slow, mechanical, the way the real 8500 caliber works.

Now here's the dead giveaway for a non-VS piece. Pull the crown out and try clicking the date forward rapidly — 23, 24, 25, 26, 27... If it does that? Not VS. VS simply does not have that quick-jump date function. Period.

One more thing. Try adjusting the date backwards. On a legit VS, you can't reverse the date. Say it's the 22nd — you cannot dial it back to the 20th directly. You'd have to go all the way forward through the entire cycle to get there. If the date reverses easily, that confirms it's a different factory's movement.

Honestly this is the fastest way to verify. No need to squint at hairsprings or count shock absorbers. Just mess with the date function for 30 seconds and you'll know.

Quick Reference

Gen 4 VS Constellation is discontinued. Once the remaining stock clears out, there's no getting one new. If you're hunting for a solid example of the VS Factory Omega Constellation 123.20.38.21.08.002, feel free to reach out — I keep an eye on what comes through and can help you source one if it's still floating around.

Published by vsfwatcheshub. Please credit when reposting.