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Constellation identification help

H
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Hi guys,

I was offered a watch by my grandmother as a university graduation gift.
She told me that her sister's ex-husband had collected a few watches during his life and that she could potentially get one cheaper from him.

Here is the tricky part.
She only sent me one picture of the watch that she offers me, and isn't able to see it again for more pictures, before a month or two.

Now, I'm completely new in this world, and has tried to research myself according to the picture, but i was hoping if you could help me investigate a bit:

-what model it is.
-it's quality.
-and what asking price this typically would be.

She was offered it for €500.

Hope you can help this newbie out, thanks a lot!
 
IMG-0207.jpg
Dan S
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It’s a high quality watch. The main question is whether the dial is appealing to you. Take a close look at the spotting. If you like it, then we can talk price.

Even if the price is good, there’s no point in buying a watch unless you really like it because it will just gather dust.
 
Peemacgee
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A very nice offer from your Grandmother.
Lovely sharp case, most likely a 168.010 dome dial, hidden crown model, with cal 564 movement with quickset date.
I have a particular fondness for this reference.

As @Dan S says, the dial has some bubbling.
Can’t tell if the missing text (officially, constellation, Swiss made) is just scratches on the crystal or if someone has tried to clean the dial.
if it’s the former, I think €500 is a pretty good price if you don’t mind the bubbling, if it is the latter then I would pass.
Hope that helps.
 
Gav1967
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
A very nice offer from your Grandmother.
Lovely sharp case, most likely a 168.010 dome dial, hidden crown model, with cal 564 movement with quickset date.
I have a particular fondness for this reference.

As @Dan S says, the dial has some bubbling.
Can’t tell if the missing text (officially, constellation, Swiss made) is just scratches on the crystal or if someone has tried to clean the dial.
if it’s the former, I think €500 is a pretty good price if you don’t mind the bubbling, if it is the latter then I would pass.
Hope that helps.

You are probably right but my initial thought was a 168.004 with a 561 movement but I often find it difficult to distinguish between the 2 variations.

As you say $500 is reasonable for it and a nice gift to be given. A good case size too for modern day at 35.5mm
 
Peemacgee
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Gav1967 Gav1967
You are probably right but my initial thought was a 168.004 with a 561 movement but I often find it difficult to distinguish between the 2 variations.

As you say $500 is reasonable for it and a nice gift to be given. A good case size too for modern day at 35.5mm

it could be a 168.004, as it is difficult to tell them apart - but I was going on the gap at the side of the strap pointing towards a 19mm lug spacing.
 
Gav1967
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
it could be a 168.004, as it is difficult to tell them apart - but I was going on the gap at the side of the strap pointing towards a 19mm lug spacing.
Good spot. I had missed that 👍
 
tpatta
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H Holoreact
I was offered a watch by my grandmother as a university graduation gift.

Pretty harsh that you grandmother offers you a graduation gift and you have to pay for it.🙁
Does seem nice. Reasonable price.
 
Dan S
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tpatta tpatta
Pretty harsh that you grandmother offers you a graduation gift and you have to pay for it.🙁
Does seem nice. Reasonable price.

I think the grandmother is proposing to buy it from her ex-BIL if I’m following correctly. She probably just told the OP the asking price.
 
tpatta
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Dan S Dan S
I think the grandmother is proposing to buy it from her ex-BIL if I’m following correctly. She probably just told the OP the asking price.

Thank goodness. It's early in the morning here, not running on all cylinders yet. Apologies to Grandma. :whipped:
 
H
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Thank you all for your amazing help! Wouldn't have gotten that far myself haha.
It's a beautiful watch and I am truly grateful to receive such a gift, but i felt a bit responsible to do some research for my grandmother since even 500 EUR is a lot for a woman in her pension years, and didn't want her to potentially get tricked into a buy that wouldn't be worth her money.
 
Peemacgee
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Gav1967 Gav1967
You are probably right but my initial thought was a 168.004 with a 561 movement but I often find it difficult to distinguish between the 2 variations.

in the interests of honesty and decency.
@Holoreact provided additional pics of this watch.
It is indeed a 168.004 with a 561 movt.

What size that strap is, however, I do not know!

now where is that large slice of humble pie.......?😬
 
Gav1967
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Peemacgee Peemacgee
in the interests of honesty and decency.
@Holoreact provided additional pics of this watch.
It is indeed a 168.004 with a 561 movt.

What size that strap is, however, I do not know!

now where is that large slice of humble pie.......?😬

👍 nice to be right for a change. i won't gloat though as my next embarrassment is just around the corner I'm sure 😬 and you are correct a lot more often than I am.
strange strap though I agree. 16mm ladies strap or an old imperial size I guess
 
Shabbaz
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Is it me or are the lugs of the 168004 a bit thinner and shorter compared to the 168.010?
 
FREDMAYCOIN
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My grandmother would have given it to me for free. Are you sure your grandmother is not a dealer?
 
Peemacgee
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FREDMAYCOIN FREDMAYCOIN
My grandmother would have given it to me for free. Are you sure your grandmother is not a dealer?

It’s a gift
His grandmother intends paying €500
 
Peemacgee
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Shabbaz Shabbaz
Is it me or are the lugs of the 168004 a bit thinner and shorter compared to the 168.010?

to be honest, I’ve not compared them side by side.
Often, photographs skew the proportions.
168.004s
F1D6282B-13B6-49AF-8E50-EFC4A9BDDE32.png

168.010s
31B40205-1EA2-416B-9CA0-B3C9559AB381.png
 
OMEGuy
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H Holoreact
Thank you all for your amazing help! Wouldn't have gotten that far myself haha.
It's a beautiful watch and I am truly grateful to receive such a gift, but i felt a bit responsible to do some research for my grandmother since even 500 EUR is a lot for a woman in her pension years, and didn't want her to potentially get tricked into a buy that wouldn't be worth her money.

I don't know anything about your relationship to your grandmother and the other members of your (ex-)family. So maybe I better shouldn't comment on your question.

But since you asked, the value of the watch is of minor importance for me.

I personally wouldn't like to recieve a gift for which I had to negotiate the price by myself.
 
Dan S
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OMEGuy OMEGuy
I don't know anything about your relationship to your grandmother and the other members of your (ex-)family. So maybe I better shouldn't comment on your question.

But since you asked, the value of the watch is of minor importance for me.

I personally wouldn't like to recieve a gift for which I had to negotiate the price by myself.

Wow, I'm not sure where the OP asked your opinion on that. I agree that maybe you shouldn't comment.

Personally, I think it's a wonderful and thoughtful gift, and if an elderly grandmother with little experience in watches asks her grandson's help in vetting a watch (not negotiating the price), I think it's totally fine, and none of our business.
 
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