Constellation 168.017 hands dilemma - grateful for advice

DanT · Nov 22, 2021

Hi All,

I'd be grateful for any help and advice on this C Case 168.017 - I posted a pic of this a while ago, and someone pointed out it has the incorrect hands. Lume pips on the hour markers means it should have lumed hands not these 'jet line' ones:

I enquired with Cousins UK but the 'correct' hands are not available via them - it seems they have fallen foul of the Omega proprietary supply thing. So interested in any thoughts:
a) should I just live with this?
b) should I source the 'correct' ones with lume (which I think should be these ones?) I read the hands on 168.029 with the day/date are longer so it would need to be the hands for this reference.

I'd appreciate your thoughts - if its worth sourcing the correct ones, would it worthwhile posting on WTB section of OF?

Thanks - Dan

Dries · Nov 22, 2021

It’s worth looking around for the correct ones, but don’t let that put you off from wearing this beaut as is in the meantime!

masteroftime · Nov 22, 2021

It might be the angle, but that minute hand is a little wonky....is it thinner than the hour hand?

Regardless, was the consensus that this is a correctly lumed dial (I couldn't find your original post)? I find it suspect that it isn't marked with a "T" by Swiss made and some of the Lume pips make me think that it was re-lumed or had lume added. It could be a no lume dial that had lum added, in which case the hands could be correct. Just a thought that occurred to me....

Spruce · Nov 22, 2021

I had a similar problem with the hands on my 168:017 cal 561 and received the following very helpful information from @kaplan.

“Not at all, and to your luck, I think these are actually thin hands, I didn't take a second look before since they are very common:
https://www.ofrei.com/page864.html
https://www.ofrei.com/page864.html

My source is simply watching eBay, when you search for "565 hands" they come up - any movement# works

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274306443319

eBay is cheaper, and just checked a pair that I bought earlier, they were actually thin, so I guess your quest might be over

“

hoipolloi · Nov 23, 2021

I think the lume on dial are not original but added later.

Screenshot_20211123-064306_Samsung Internet.jpg

levkov · Nov 23, 2021

Hi Dan, this is Lev from Time4aPint 😀 Instantly recognized your watch, and then the name.
I did the next day of the meetup do a quick search on eBay, to see if i can find a pair of correct hands for your Connie, unsuccessfully 🙁 And then on Cousins, but came to the same results that it's become restricted.
I hope you can find a pair soon, in the meantime i'll keep an eye out.
Funny thing is that i bought a 40's Longines the other day that has identical hands as the wrong ones on your Connie, what are the chances..? 😁
Good luck!

DanT · Nov 23, 2021

Spruce
I had a similar problem with the hands on my 168:017 cal 561 and received the following very helpful information from @kaplan.

“Not at all, and to your luck, I think these are actually thin hands, I didn't take a second look before since they are very common:
https://www.ofrei.com/page864.html

My source is simply watching eBay, when you search for "565 hands" they come up - any movement# works

https://www.ebay.com/itm/274306443319

eBay is cheaper, and just checked a pair that I bought earlier, they were actually thin, so I guess your quest might be over

“

@Spruce thanks for your advice, much appreciated. I did try a search '565 hands' but couldn't see any that seemed right - but will keep that in mind for future - cheers Dan

DanT · Nov 23, 2021

levkov
Hi Dan, this is Lev from Time4aPint 😀 Instantly recognized your watch, and then the name.
I did the next day of the meetup do a quick search on eBay, to see if i can find a pair of correct hands for your Connie, unsuccessfully 🙁 And then on Cousins, but came to the same results that it's become restricted.
I hope you can find a pair soon, in the meantime i'll keep an eye out.
Funny thing is that i bought a 40's Longines the other day that has identical hands as the wrong ones on your Connie, what are the chances..? 😁
Good luck!

Hi Lev
Good to hear from you - I think the hands on my Connie are Omega ones, just need to determine whether they are correct for this watch. Maybe there's something in the theory suggested here that the lume pips have been added?
cheers Dan

DanT · Nov 23, 2021

hoipolloi
I think the lume on dial are not original but added later.

@hoipolloi thanks for your thoughts on this - it hadn't occurred to me that anyone would go to the trouble of adding lume pips to the hour markers. Who would go to that trouble? Seems a lot of hassle - but it might explain the lack of 'T' in Swiss Made. Help!! Where's Desmond when you need him...!

Spruce · Nov 23, 2021

Obviously, I’m not sure what you’re actually looking for, but 565 mentioned here

levkov · Nov 24, 2021

levkov
Hi Dan, this is Lev from Time4aPint 😀 Instantly recognized your watch, and then the name.
I did the next day of the meetup do a quick search on eBay, to see if i can find a pair of correct hands for your Connie, unsuccessfully 🙁 And then on Cousins, but came to the same results that it's become restricted.
I hope you can find a pair soon, in the meantime i'll keep an eye out.
Funny thing is that i bought a 40's Longines the other day that has identical hands as the wrong ones on your Connie, what are the chances..? 😁
Good luck!

DanT
Hi Lev
Good to hear from you - I think the hands on my Connie are Omega ones, just need to determine whether they are correct for this watch. Maybe there's something in the theory suggested here that the lume pips have been added?
cheers Dan

Great point, and even greater news for you, it might be all original - with the exception of the potentially added lume pips, which are obviously nowhere near as bothering as a wrong handset

Constellation 168.017 hands dilemma - grateful for advice

DanT

Dries

masteroftime

Spruce

hoipolloi

levkov

DanT

DanT

DanT

Spruce

levkov

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