Advice on c-case Constellation

Lotus_Eater8815 · Oct 22, 2019

Hello, OF. I have always wanted a Connie in my collection to serve as a classy alternative to my usual desk beater. I have held and tried on the wrist some pie-pan Connies belonging to a friend, but found them just a little bit too dressy for a casual office environment. I find that a c-case Connie with a plain bezel might just be the ticket.

May I solicit the forum’s opinions for this piece that I am considering? It is a non-lumed 168.017 with onyx-inlaid indices on a linen dial, housing a cal. 564. I already own a 168.024 Seamaster, but one can’t have too many 564’s. The serial number seems to date it to 1971, and everything looks legit including the 1040 bracelet.

The only concerns I have is the green (moisture?) stain on the sides of the movement, and what appears to be a couple of dings on the lower left lug. Seller says that the watch has been lightly polished, and it appears that the chamfering on the edges is still visible. That said, I am no expert in spotting the symmetry of polished cases. And I am not sure about the correctness of the crown. Oh, and the asking price: US$920.00.

Any insight, help, criticism regarding the watch and the price is immensely appreciated.😀

Photos supplied by the seller.

Edit: the crystal appears to be original signed. No info yet on the number of links on the bracelet. How many should there be? Do the 518 endlinks appear correct?

Engee · Oct 23, 2019

I’m definitely no expert but I have recently bought a 1972 “c” case and I’m really pleased with it. I wear it on a day to day basis and it’s giving me great pleasure.

The 1040 bracelet and 518 end links are right for this watch. I’m not sure how long it should be in terms of links. All I know is that I’m looking for one and haven’t yet found one long enough to fit my rather big wrist which is just under 8 inches. I’m sure a full 1040 would give you enough links for that but maybe I’m wrong. Does the watch fit you?

The crown looks right to me.

I’m guessing the green is verdigris which occurs when copper or brass are exposed to the elements, thus suggesting the gasket has perished or else air is getting in somehow.

I paid the equivalent of about $620 for mine, without the bracelet, and with a tiny crack in the crystal that I left alone when I had it serviced, and think I did reasonably well. Mines not onyx inlaid as yours is so maybe that makes a difference. I don’t know enough to say whether yours is priced too highly but I’d be thinking carefully at $920. I suspect you could do better for that money.

STANDY · Oct 23, 2019

Compared to the asking price for this one. Not that bad as the bracelet is about $200

https://omegaforums.net/threads/ome...”-ref-168-017-cal-564-price-reduction.102303/

but

I would buy the linked one for condition all day long

Lotus_Eater8815 · Oct 23, 2019

Engee
I’m definitely no expert but I have recently bought a 1972 “c” case and I’m really pleased with it. I wear it on a day to day basis and it’s giving me great pleasure.

The 1040 bracelet and 518 end links are right for this watch. I’m not sure how long it should be in terms of links. All I know is that I’m looking for one and haven’t yet found one long enough to fit my rather big wrist which is just under 8 inches. I’m sure a full 1040 would give you enough links for that but maybe I’m wrong. Does the watch fit you?

The crown looks right to me.

I’m guessing the green is verdigris which occurs when copper or brass are exposed to the elements, thus suggesting the gasket has perished or else air is getting in somehow.

I paid the equivalent of about $620 for mine, without the bracelet, and with a tiny crack in the crystal that I left alone when I had it serviced, and think I did reasonably well. Mines not onyx inlaid as yours is so maybe that makes a difference. I don’t know enough to say whether yours is priced too highly but I’d be thinking carefully at $920. I suspect you could do better for that money.

The 564 in my 168.024 has proven to be a very reliable movement. How does yours fare vs laptops and metal detectors in malls and airports? I have yet to take mine on a trip.

Is the amount of verdigris on the 168.017 Cause for concern? I have pretty much accepted that any vintage watch needs a proper service upon receipt, regardless of what the seller says. I am actually not sure that the indices are onyx or onyx-inlaid, I just assumed they were, not noticing that the lumed versions also have the same indices. Is there any way to tell if these are onyx or just some generic steel painted black?

The seller has just told me that the bracelet has 12 links up at 12 and 9 links at 6, which sounds more than enough for my 6.75 wrists. The bracelet has a fair bit of stretch on it though.

Thank you for the input! Will try and see if I can knock some off of that asking price.

Edit: yours looks like a great example of this reference, and i was specifically looking for mine to have the same razor-like edges as yours.

Lotus_Eater8815 · Oct 23, 2019

STANDY
Compared to the asking price for this one. Not that bad as the bracelet is about $200

https://omegaforums.net/threads/ome...”-ref-168-017-cal-564-price-reduction.102303/

but

I would buy the linked one for condition all day long

Thanks 😀 the watch hasn’t been relisted yet has it? I was actually looking at that one a while back. But I have this weird tendency to want the bracelet to already be on there when I’m considering a piece.

That said, I wouldn’t buy an overpriced one or one in bad condition simply because it has the bracelet.

Engee · Oct 23, 2019

Lotus_Eater8815
The 564 in my 168.024 has proven to be a very reliable movement. How does yours fare vs laptops and metal detectors in malls and airports? I have yet to take mine on a trip.

Is the amount of verdigris on the 168.017 Cause for concern? I have pretty much accepted that any vintage watch needs a proper service upon receipt, regardless of what the seller says. I am actually not sure that the indices are onyx or onyx-inlaid, I just assumed they were, not noticing that the lumed versions also have the same indices. Is there any way to tell if these are onyx or just some generic steel painted black?

The seller has just told me that the bracelet has 12 links up at 12 and 9 links at 6, which sounds more than enough for my 6.75 wrists. The bracelet has a fair bit of stretch on it though.

Thank you for the input! Will try and see if I can knock some off of that asking price.

Edit: yours looks like a great example of this reference, and i was specifically looking for mine to have the same razor-like edges as yours.

I’ve only had it a few weeks and not taken it through detectors - I live in the UK so we’re really only talking airport security, not malls. I tend to travel with a cheap Casio sports watch anyway.

I imagine the movement can be cleaned of verdigris and the source of ingress identified and fixed, assuming the body itself hasn’t been compromised. That said, I’ve been looking at a lot of pictures of movements, some very much older than these, and don’t remember seeing any pictures with verdigris.

I don’t have my watch with me at the moment so can’t look at it carefully regarding the indexes. I assumed they were painted but will look again when I’m home. I’m sure someone here knows definitively what materials were used in the indexes.

I was advised to expect to pay around $200 for an original bracelet with end links but I think I may need to look at nearer $300 now, particularly as I’d like one with minimal stretch.

Advice on c-case Constellation

Lotus_Eater8815

Engee

STANDY

Lotus_Eater8815

Lotus_Eater8815

Engee

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