Dirtyness in 166.0168 dial

galind · Jan 8, 2023

Hi, I'm new to the forum, I hope everything is OK with this thread.

I recently found this Omega Geneve for sale in the amazing blue dial but I'm a bit concerned about the black dirt in the 12th, 2nd and 9th hour markers. What could it be? I have been checking a lot of vintage Omega watches with this same dial and it's the first time I have seen something like this, I'm quite new to vintage watches in general.

Also, are the hand correct to the model? I have seen a couple with this same hands but in the Omega website it appears with the steel hands. The watch I found that has the same hands as this 166.0168 is the 166.0169, which also displays the day.

Thank you very much for your time! If everything is OK, I will get it serviced to make sure it looks as it should.

Foo2rama · Jan 8, 2023

It’s correct. Dials is not in particularly good shape, and not really fixable.

Olhenry56 · Jan 8, 2023

I believe the blue paint often reacts with the tritium lume, if I recall correctly. Could be what has happened hear.

Foo2rama · Jan 8, 2023

Olhenry56
I believe the blue paint often reacts with the tritium lume, if I recall correctly. Could be what has happened hear.

Nope simple scratches 🙁

Olhenry56 · Jan 8, 2023

Foo2rama
Nope simple scratches 🙁

While there are definitely many scratches, the "dirtiness" around the 2 and 9 markers seems to be something different.

Foo2rama · Jan 8, 2023

Olhenry56
While there are definitely many scratches, the "dirtiness" around the 2 and 9 markers seems to be something different.

Those "Soliel" dials sometimes interacted with the glue, or lume... either way I would pass on this piece, those scratches are unfixable, and the slight darker coloration around some of the dial furniture is honestly barely noticeable.

mrbreen · Jan 8, 2023

A straight-on photo of the dial would be useful here. Appears to me that the scratches are on the crystal (as I can see them extending beyond the dial to the tension ring). As noted above, the discoloration around said markers is almost certainly from the tritium lume. But again, a straight-on photo of the dial would help.

BarbVl · Jan 9, 2023

Ok..maybe my knowledge it's not so great but i think the pictures are not good. The glass it's curved in that area and reflection and distortion can appear in the pictures. I think better pictures are needed here. Personally i like the dial.

janice&fred · Jan 9, 2023

Looks like glue gone bad.

galind · Jan 9, 2023

mrbreen
A straight-on photo of the dial would be useful here. Appears to me that the scratches are on the crystal (as I can see them extending beyond the dial to the tension ring). As noted above, the discoloration around said markers is almost certainly from the tritium lume. But again, a straight-on photo of the dial would help.

Foo2rama
Those "Soliel" dials sometimes interacted with the glue, or lume... either way I would pass on this piece, those scratches are unfixable, and the slight darker coloration around some of the dial furniture is honestly barely noticeable.

BarbVl
Ok..maybe my knowledge it's not so great but i think the pictures are not good. The glass it's curved in that area and reflection and distortion can appear in the pictures. I think better pictures are needed here. Personally i like the dial.

I have updated the original post with more pictures, I posted twice the same by error, I'm pretty sure the scratches are in the plexi.

Olhenry56 · Jan 9, 2023

I see now that I'm wrong about that being tritium burn because the marker at 9 never had lume, I think. As @janice&fred said, maybe it's glue.

Dirtyness in 166.0168 dial

galind

Foo2rama

Olhenry56

Foo2rama

Olhenry56

Foo2rama

mrbreen

BarbVl

janice&fred

galind

Olhenry56

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