Omega De Ville 166.0033

MtV

Hi @mr-oat
gold-plated case-backs on gold-plated watches aren't completely uncommon. You do have the answer right there: The reflections make it hard to read, but doesn't it say 40 micron between the lugs? 😀 That's the thickness of the gold layer.

M mr-oat

Alright thank you!! Do you know the value of a piece like this? In what range should I be okay purchasing this watch

MtV

Don’t just rely on what my feeling is regarding the price, as it’s a model I don’t really follow. Search for “Omega 166.033” on eBay and click “sold articles” to see what they actually sell for. I did find one on C24 from a dealer, asking for 879€. Note that this is a dealer price on a platform that is considerably more expensive anyway - even though the dial he offers isn’t structured and thus possibly a little less sought after than yours. I’d think very roughly ~500€ might be realistic, if the movement is fine. But since these are front-loaders, many private sellers can’t open them. I’d ask for those pictures anyway, would be nice if the seller can provide any.

M mr-oat

Okay thank you very much. Movement should be ok as it has been serviced less than a year ago so I'm not that worried about that!

MtV

Unless there’s proof for that - a receipt from a reputable watchmaker that can clearly be connected to this very watch - I’d take this information with a grain of salt.

Spruce

I think the point @MtV is making is that, with a sixty year old watch at the price you’re probably intending to pay, there should be a proper “receipt from a reputable watchmaker that can clearly be connected to this very watch”.

Most vintage watch sellers have in-house repairer of varying degrees of expertise, or use watch repairers, and some of them will be ‘reputable' ie have a reputation for experience and expertise within the used watch trade. Sadly, some will just do the bare minimum, or not be very good. You generally get what you pay for.

So, it’s not just a case of having 'a receipt', it’s knowing who wrote the receipt and what they actually did with the watch your going to spend your money on 😀