Omega Genève 166 0168 - A Practical 1973 Automatic

Reference 166 0168 exists here in two materially different forms. The stainless-steel watch measures 36 mm excluding the crown and has a silver dial, either sunburst or vertically brushed. Its black-insert baton markers give stronger contrast than the champagne treatment.

The gold-plated version measures 37 mm excluding the crown, with 20-micron plating over a stainless-steel back and a vertically brushed champagne dial. Buy it only when the plating remains continuous around the lug edges. Between worn plating and honest marks on steel, steel wins because scratches can remain stable while exposed base metal cannot be reversed.

Plating wear is the costliest case fault because no routine service replaces missing gold at the lugs. Steel cases avoid that problem, but polishing can still soften the C-shape transitions and round the lug edges. A replaced crown matters less than a refinished dial, provided fit and operation are correct.

Hands deserve separate scrutiny. The examples handled show oxidation, dirt and degradation around the centre pinion even where the dial remains clean. Crisp dial printing, intact outer lume plots and an uninterrupted brushed finish support a coherent watch; uneven printing or a finish running beneath applied furniture points toward a redial. The service history is unknown unless paperwork establishes it.

Choose the 36 mm steel watch with the cleanest dial and the least softened case, ahead of a brighter gold-plated example with wear at the lug edges. Caliber 1012 should be clearly marked, but its presence alone does not prove the movement and case left the factory together.

A period-correct bracelet or signed buckle can complete the look, yet neither should outrank the dial, case or movement. Reference 166 0168 suits regular wear when its automatic movement has been assessed and water exposure is avoided. Without service documentation, do not treat a favourable timing snapshot as proof of mechanical condition.