Help with determining budget for 166.003 (or similar)

[Nick1138]

Hi everyone, new member here. I'm looking to get into the game by acquiring a 166.003 over the next few weeks/months. I'm happy to be patient so I can pounce on the right opportunity but I wanted to see if any of you wanted to share your thoughts on the budget I should be aiming for.

In essence, it's either I hunt for something in fair condition that I could get restored to some degree (preferably directly from Omega) or I jump on an exceptional watch that looks perfect upon arrival. Obviously the cost between both differs greatly.

As examples, I offer these two:

Looking great (sold for $1,100): https://imgur.com/gallery/kfoEXBL
Looking not as great but still decent (selling for $680): https://imgur.com/a/YAVT1UM

There are definitely models out there that look better than the first album and others that look a lot worse than the second album. I'm just trying to see where some people here stand on a "comfortable" price so I can see if I'm far off myself.

For example, I'd be fine with the $1,100 price tag for the first one if I knew it had been recently serviced and had all original parts. I'd even maybe stretch the budget a bit if needed.

For the second one, it sits in a weird spot where I'm not necessarily happy with the overall look but it's also too expensive at its current price to send in for restauration. And the quality doesn't really demand it either. At $680, I do feel it's too expensive. Would thinking that ~$550-600 be a fair price for it totally off the mark?

For something I'd send in for restauration and service, I feel like ~$400 is my target. Am I way off?

If other references that look similar could yield better prices, I'm down for some suggestions. In the end, the goal would be to outfit it with an Omega golden brown leather strap.

Thanks for reading!

 

[Dan S]

The convention on OF is to post photos not links, so please fix your thread.

Those are two very different watches with different accessories in very different condition, but neither is excellent. The first one doesn't look so great to me TBH because the case is very soft and the supposed selling price seems silly. The second one has a poor dial (which will not be improved by any amount of "restoration"); however, it has a bracelet that is worth at least $200. I suggest you keep watching and studying.

Edited: Oct 20, 2022

 

[krogerfoot]

You should post photos if possible; the second one, as @Dan S says, looks bad at that price, with all the value in the bracelet. I also always wonder about sellers who can’t be bothered to place the merchandise on a clean, hair-free surface or scrape the gun oil out from under their fingernails before taking pictures of it.

Anyway, I have a feeling a newly serviced and much nicer 166.010 (like your second example) is about to come up for sale on this forum, from a member whose clean, graceful fingers might have allowed for a career as a professional hand model, with the right agent.

 

[Ocean]

Do not rush..at that budget you can get a better example. I also suggest to watch the auctions on eBay. Similar models are sold at auctions for about max 500 Euro.

 

[Davidt]

With patience you can get a very good, unserviced 166.003 without strap for £400-500

 

[Spruce]

I'm not sure that either of the watches you’ve posted are 166.003s although I really like the bracelet on the second one.

As you can see from my photo of my two 165.003, this model has dauphine hands and a semi-recessed crown.

Also the case shape is different to the bracelet watch you’re considering which looks more like a 166.010 or similar and without a caseback photo it could be a completely different model.

Whilst the first watch has a caseback photo, there is no profile shot and the hands look more like what I’d expect to see in a 166.002, particularly with the stick hands although, that may just be a later model.

My second photo shows the unusual profile and the semi recessed crown