Hi everyone, I'm being offered the watch below through a Craigslist post. The buyer is asking $350, but I really know nothing about these. They don't even know the model, but from my Googling I think it's a 166.032 Sparkle Dial. I know the pics are bad, but does anyone see any obvious warning signs I should stay away from this watch? Thanks!
Is the bracelet included? If so, I don't think you're taking any risk even with the poor photos, just grab it.
Hi Not sure so asking— how long since bitten by the vintage bug? Take look at FS (for sale) posts here on OF to find good examples of this reference. Perhaps please review carefully post on other threads about this reference. If it were me I’d buy, though not sure what your baseline of acceptance is, experience with vintage generally, ..., Seems a nice deal too since bracelet+endlinks included. Few other comments— Dial matches caliber. Meaning 750 and no ‘chronometer’ in dial. Nicely aged including in day/date window Movement Serial is 29xxx which is fine generally.so watch from late 60s possibly very early 70s & looks clean Not perfect as you can see but quite acceptable. Typical scratches scrapes etc,,,vintage Oh and welcome to the forum
Doubtful would be said at $3000 Hence I wouldn’t at $300 Still....gotta wonder how long until trigger is pulled
Looks good Don’t get too excited by the flat link bracelet though, I think it’s plated, though the pics are so bad it’s hard to tell for sure. It’s not a Speedy fit which I bet is passing through a few minds, the end links are 19mm on those and the bracelet narrower than the 1039 etc Those sparkle dial 032s are a lovely thing, I have a steel one but as with any plated or capped watch, check for damage as it can’t be easily rectified. If the plate/cap is heavily worn then it isn’t give away cheap. Still a buy but not deal of the century.
Cap or fill basically cant be renewed, its pretty thick and can be refinished for sunburst, brush, polish etc but once it wears through its done. I guess there is chance it could be laser welded to fix dents or nicks but I wouldn't guarantee it. Plate can be rejuvenated by a few specialists but they are few and far between and results vary so your options depend on the original manufacturing technique used. Omega themselves for instance AFAIK don't replate. I am assuming here the bracelet is plated, and pretty worn, and the head is capped, which may be OK or may not be. Hard to tell from the pics, but I am a little worried but what looks like discolouration or brassing on the bezel around the 2-6 zone, hopefully its just dirt or grease. The head may come up great, the bracelet likely wont.
Thx @padders As for bracelet refurb the HK specialist is the only guy who comes to mind. Seems to wonders ...Classic Watch Repairs. He hooked up a steel bracelet years ago for me. Does Rolex etc....with a check maybe Gotta be patient ... lucky, have a few friends who pity you..or something like that Here’s another type of bracelet for this model.
I have been hoarding the chronometer versions for awhile now and they often come for ~500 eur give or take 100 euros. I think you should buy this if you want the cal 565 version. The head will clean nicely and is fun to wear. Also the bracelets are both annoying and a challenge. The 1069 with 524 endlinks is wanted by people with more expensive watches and if that is attached to the watch, the price will go nuts. On the other hand, the bracelets that have been worn for 40 years tend to be flimsy and not very secure. It is easiest to catch 1098 bracelet with 540 end link.
Careful if not a face to face deal. Sometimes if it’s too good to be true and the person asks you to send money it could be a scam. And if a face to face deal you need to go in a safe public place- inside a bank or police station.
Thanks for your advice everyone! I bought the watch. The owner says it was her grandfather's, who passed away last year. It's in better shape than I was expecting. The case, dial, crystal and hands all look very nice. The gold capping on the watch head is completely intact. On the case back, around the seahorse, in barely visible letters it says "14K GF BEZEL STAINLESS STEEL BACK" The bracelet is indeed plated, but appears to be original. There's some loss of plating on the edges of the links, but it's barely noticeable. The clasp is bent and will need to be straightened, but the plating is good. I think it's missing a piece where the bracelet attaches to the clasp (see last photo). There's an engraving on the clasp "In appreciation since 2-25-46". It's pretty faded and hard to read, not sure if that's from normal wearing, or a light polish. On the clasp it says "14K G.F. STAINLESS STEEL HINGE". Some links have been removed. It fits my 7" wrist but not anyone larger. I see 3 links with removable pins. She says she has the links somewhere and is going to send them to me when she finds them. *crosses fingers*. It's running and kept time over the hour I timed it. I can't test out the time and date set though, because the when I turn the crown, the crown unscrews from the stem. The crown is not original, but with a quick Google search it's clear I can get a replacement. The small strips of lume on the hands are visible in the dark. Does anyone have advice on someone who can service it on a budget? I can't afford to go for a full restore on this, but I'd like a basic movement service and crown reattachment, so it will run reliably. Thanks!
I like that a lot, @bradurani The bracelet might not be particularly expensive (at least not compared to its steel brothers), but it is uncommon to see and fits the watch well. Good catch. Had you been in Europe I would have had several watchmakers to recommend to you, hopefully someone from the US will come along with a good suggestion soon.