Request for Advice - Authenticity of Omega Constellation 168.004/14 (18K Gold)

welcome @John_rbn

You did the right thing coming to OF for advice before buying.

Firstly, whilst the watch is 18k and has the unusual 'brutalist' indices, the dial looks gold coloured rather than solid gold of the deluxe version (the deluxe version reference is 168.014)
If it is gold they have painted it to look like a painted dial.

The watch you show has definitely been redialled - the immediate and easy to recognise tell is the straight-legged 'n' at the end of constellation.
This 'n' should always be curled on this reference.

Also the case has been very heavily polished, front and back.
The crown is a replacement.
The box is interesting to have but Constellations originally came in their own special box - and this is not one of them.
There are multiple confusing errors in their listing - which is slightly worrying. (movt calibre, jewel count, even strap width)
The paperwork is for an Omega service, not the original watch papers and if the 'Rep-Nr.' is the movt serial, it doesn't match the watch movt.

Edit: if the paperwork does match the watch, then Omega have referred to the watch as a 168.004 not a 168.014

For future reference, the lugs should look like the ones Hoi showed in the deluxe example he posted, with definite facets,


Gold prices are mad at the minute but once they have settled down, even in mint condition this reference should be around the €3,000 mark.

Hope that helps.

The last 168.004s were produced in '67 the last of which were the uncommon cross-over cal 564s - but they were just using up cases while they got on and sold the intended replacement reference 168.010s.
This one is likely a '66 watch.
In either case, they couldn't have (and never did have) straight 'n's on their original dials. (neither did the 168.010s)

I'm think I'm on solid ground in saying that Omega would not have produced a replacement service dial for this special dial (which is early for this brutalist style and uncommon in the first place on .004s).

Plus the font is too plain and the minute haches are too short.

If this isn't a repainted dial then I think I would be quite happy to hand in my Constellation collector's badge.

(Of course Omega may have been asked to redial the watch - as it was a special and uncommon dial - when they serviced it in 2004)

Here’s a good example of my 168.004. This is a 1966 with a steel case.