Bought at auction: Constellation 167.005 18ct gold

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FiftyFivePlus

·Jun 8, 2026

So I bought this at an on-line house clearance auction. Sight unseen😄
Hope to collect this afternoon. Did some research in advance and it's 1960's 167.005 with 351 movement. Ot at least it should have.
From all the images I could find it looks correct, other than maybe the crown (should be 10 sided?).
The view appears to be to do the minimum. Get it serviced, new crystal, strap & minimal clean of case.

All thoughts welcome. And advice

 

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TIMElyBehaviour

·Jun 8, 2026

FiftyFivePlus

So I bought this at an on-line house clearance auction. Sight unseen😄
Hope to collect this afternoon. Did some research in advance and it's 1960's 167.005 with 351 movement. Ot at least it should have.
From all the images I could find it looks correct, other than maybe the crown (should be 10 sided?).
The view appears to be to do the minimum. Get it serviced, new crystal, strap & minimal clean of case.

All thoughts welcome. And advice

So the 351 is a bumper automatic used in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. If this is a 1960’s piece being a chronometer, it should have a 551 movement. The case is over polished at the lugs especially. The dial is in poor condition with a possible redial but I’ll let the experts in here validate that one.

It’s just not in great condition.

 

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gatorcpa

·Jun 8, 2026·ΩF InvestiGator

Should have a cal. 551 rotor automatic movement. Cal. 351 is a bumper automatic, which would never fit in a slim case like this one.

The case reference could be either 14900 or 167.005. They are the same watch. Omega just changed their internal numbering system around 1963. Scalloped crown could be original to the watch.

The watch case could either be 14K or 18K gold depending on where it was originally sold.

Hope this helps,
gatorcpa

 

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FiftyFivePlus

·Jun 8, 2026

Thanks for that feedback. Yes, for sure the case looks poor and the badly damaged crystal make it difficult to get a view of the dial. And while I believe it "runs", in that the images show a small time difference, there is no other information. So full of risks, and no returns option. But I set a strict limit on bidding, and as best I can see there is only upside. Not that that had anything to do with buying it.

 

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HorsinTime

·Jun 8, 2026

I think your plan is sound: a service and minimal clean will help you see what you've got. Be interesting to get a good look at the dial once the crystal is swapped out or cleaned. You just might end up with a nice, wearable watch😀

 

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TIMElyBehaviour

·Jun 8, 2026

If you got it cheap enough it would be a nice little fixer upper.

 

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dsio

·Jun 8, 2026·Ash @ ΩF

That’s a pretty rough looking case for sure, hopefully the muck is all limited to the crystal and it’s a Cal 551 as mentioned above but even if the dial is clean and movement is correct, the case condition is rather hard to get past so you would want it to be very cheap indeed, slightly above melt value

 

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Sharp

·Jun 8, 2026

The main problem is the bezel is missing

 

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Peemacgee

·Jun 8, 2026·Purrrr-veyor of luxury cat box loungers

Sharp

The main problem is the bezel is missing

was just typing that!

 

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dsio

·Jun 8, 2026·Ash @ ΩF

Sharp

The main problem is the bezel is missing

I was looking so hard at the lugs I didn’t even even look at the bezel, that’s definitely another problem, this is really a whole lot of problems for one watch

 

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Bill Sohne

·Jun 8, 2026·Bill @ ΩF

Sharp

The main problem is the bezel is missing

Hi
just reading and thinking the same thing....
bill

 

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FiftyFivePlus

·Jun 8, 2026

dsio

That’s a pretty rough looking case for sure, hopefully the muck is all limited to the crystal and it’s a Cal 551 as mentioned above but even if the dial is clean and movement is correct, the case condition is rather hard to get past so you would want it to be very cheap indeed, slightly above melt value

Probably below melt value, if the online weight suggestions are correct. So not really much downside.

 

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gatorcpa

·Jun 8, 2026·ΩF InvestiGator

Sharp

The main problem is the bezel is missing

It sure is! I've seen several similar watches with missing bezels the last few months. Not sure why that would happen, as they are on there pretty tight. Maybe a little gold harvesting by a previous owner?
gatorcpa

 

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FiftyFivePlus

·Jun 8, 2026

OK. I now have the watch. Serial number 21211216. According to the magical internet, this indicates manufacture in 1964. If correct, that would be a bonus, as it's my birth year. See photos attaced of movement, face and inside case cover. It runs and keeps decent time. Vs my phone, it appears to have gained about 5 seconds in one hour. So one minute per day. In person it looks better than it does in the photos. With sympathetic cleaning and service, it could look decent.
What hopes to find a bezel?

 

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dsio

·Jun 8, 2026·Ash @ ΩF

No chance of finding one but you can have one made out of 18K, it helps to have a dogleg with a sharp case as a reference for the goldsmith to go off but they can do it without much difficulty

 

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FiftyFivePlus

·Jun 8, 2026

I had some PolyWatch so cleaned up the crystal a little. To me, the dial looks reasonable, but there is some dirt or deposits around 11 o'clock.

 

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HorsinTime

·Jun 9, 2026

dsio

I was looking so hard at the lugs I didn’t even even look at the bezel

Me, too! And now that you mention it, I wonder how I missed it. But yes, a bezel would help. 😁

 

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lenndon

·Jun 9, 2026

Ooof, this watch is a project and a half. Movement will need a service for sure. Getting a bezel made is going to be your option if you really want to wear it. Sadly the case is in very poor condition too. Not sure if the dial can be cleaned around 11 o'clock or will rather be destroyed even more in the process. Depends if the lacquer has been affected or not.
Question is: How much did you pay and how much are you willing to invest in it? And doens't it make more sense to let this one go and get a nicer watch for that total price..

 

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hoipolloi

·Jun 9, 2026

21 mil movement doesn't go with black painted hour markers.

 

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Peemacgee

·Jun 9, 2026·Purrrr-veyor of luxury cat box loungers

hoipolloi

21 mil movement doesn't go with black painted hour markers.

good call...