Hey all,

Looking into this 166.024 I came across. Not a good enough expert to know if it's genuine, or at least genuine with relumed parts. Comes on a 1039/516 bracelet.

Thanks in advance!

 

Looks like a laser "engraved" service case.

 

Please outline your research with pictures and add an explanation of your conclusions.

Education is a big part of our Forum and I need some 300 education.

 

Things specifically that make me question the authenticity or at least if everything's original:
-There's a clear pin dot in the 6 marker, but I don't see one at the 12 (and I thought there was always either both present or neither, but never just 1? Would love an actual expert to chime in)
-Caseback looks too...good? Lasered? But it also doesn't look like a 166.0324 caseback (which doesn't have the long top A that this one has). I've also never seen a confirmed fake caseback with the long flat-top A in 'waterproof', they're always narrow
-Otherwise, everything lines up (seems to be a ~1969, which makes sense with the 516/1039 bracelet with 69 date code; screw down crown; BT with sword hands, etc.)

I think getting it and opening up the caseback and getting an idea of the movement and case/caseback will be helpful, but I will probably have to buy it to do that (at least they offer returns). It's being sold by an antique store that doesn't usually carry watches.

 

Whenever I see vintage knick knacks as sellers other items I immediately trust the item, but that's my flaw

 

My doubt isn't the seller doing it on purpose, but probably has no idea about anything and might have bought it from someone less scrupulous and is re-selling it not knowing if it has issues.

Ended up buying it, should arrive next week. When it arrives I’ll pop off the caseback and take some pics to add. Would still love the experts opinions based on the above though.

 

Ha! 2nd highest bidder here. Nice to meet you!
I've been eyeing this one since it popped up last week.
It's one of the nicest ones to surface in the past year+ I would say.
It's original down to the spring bars...
You did good.

 

I was wondering who else had their eye on this piece. Good to see that it's in the OF family.

 

What IS the deal with that case back, though? The hands also look like replacements, no?

 

What’s wrong with the caseback? Looks fine to me

 

It looks strangely “fresh” and like it was ground down and re-engraved or something. Maybe I am seeing it wrong….

 

I don’t see any issues with the hands. The only comment is the lume color shade is different than the dial, but it’s pretty common for hand lume to patina at a different rate than dial like.
Caseback just looks brand new, but it could have been worn minimally. At least to my eyes.

 

I’m sure your right. In one shot the hands looked too “shiny” to be original lume, but I am also looking on my phone, so…

 

The lettering was done by laser. It should be stamped.

 

Not acid etched?

 

Nope. Laser is very easy to see, because it's a pulse, not continuous, so it's a series of circles, and the precision is not great, because you have to move the laser head or the work piece, so the lines wobble a bit. This one is so clearly laser it's not worth considering anything else.

Omega, on the other hand, stamps these casebacks, and then grinds down the metal that is pushed up in the stamping process. Whether it is a flat stamp or a rolling stamp, can't tell and doesn't matter. It impresses the metal and what gets pushed up is ground down so you get the result you see on a real caseback.

 

Here is a reproduction by Colt of the pistol they produced for and during WWI. It is roll-marked but it was wartime, so they skipped the "grind it flat" step. You can (hopefully) see little ridges outlining the letters.

 

So what's the deal with it then? It won't arrive for a couple weeks because of eBay's authentication service (and after that, there's still a 2 week return window).

I agree that it looks lasered or at least not-stamped. Looking online, it actually does look like a variant of a 166.0324 service caseback. Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

And if it's a 166.0324 service caseback, I don't particularly mind, but -- should I worry about the case itself potentially being service and not original, as well?

 

Lots to worry about, did you ever see the movement?