Why does the 168.017 SP wear larger than its measurement suggests?

The C-shape case carries broad steel flanks between the lugs, increasing its visual footprint. Handled examples measure 34 mm to 36 mm excluding the crown, but the continuous case outline gives even the smaller watch more presence than a conventional round dress case.

What defines the caliber 564 version of this Constellation?

Reference 168.017 SP uses the automatic chronometer caliber 564 and has a date window at three. The movement should be assessed with the signed case, correct reference and matching dial layout because a correct caliber alone cannot exclude a married or franken watch.

Is the silver linen dial better than the silver sunburst dial?

Both silver linen and silver sunburst dials are known on the 168.017 SP. The better purchase is the cleaner, unrepainted dial with intact texture and crisp printing, because a redial costs more in collectability than the difference between these two finishes.

Which C-shape case details matter most before buying?

The case should retain clear transitions along its broad flanks, and the observatory medallion should remain legible. Soft edges, an indistinct medallion and a uniformly mirror-bright surface point to repeated polishing, which permanently removes the geometry that gives this reference its character.

Can an Omega serial number date a 168.017 SP exactly?

No. The supplied Omega ranges are approximate to plus or minus one to three years, while handled watches place this reference between 1968 and 1970. Use the number as supporting evidence, not as proof of an exact assembly year.

What dial furniture belongs on reference 168.017 SP?

Known silver dials use applied baton indices with dark inserts, an applied Omega logo, a Constellation star and a framed date at three. Baton hands with matching dark inserts support a coherent configuration, but period-correct parts are not automatically original to that watch.

Does a matching bracelet add much to a used 168.017 SP?

A correctly fitted period bracelet adds completeness, but stretch and poor end-link fit can erase much of that advantage. The dial and C-shape case carry more value, so do not trade an intact dial or defined case edges for bracelet shine.

What ownership costs should be expected with caliber 564?

The service history is unknown without documentation, even when the watch is running within an attractive daily rate. Budget on the basis that an automatic chronometer movement may require proper inspection and service, and do not treat a timegrapher snapshot as a substitute.

Omega Constellation 168.017 SP: C-Shape Case, Caliber 564

Buy the Omega 168.017 SP for its intact silver dial and defined C-shape case, not for polish, bracelet shine or an undocumented service claim.

Omega - Constellation Chronometer C-Shape - 168.017 SP

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The Omega Constellation 168.017 SP belongs to a narrow 1968-1970 window and combines a stainless-steel C-shape case with the automatic chronometer caliber 564. It is a late-sixties dress watch with enough case architecture to feel less formal than earlier Constellation designs.

The version to want has a clean silver dial, a clearly defined case and the observatory medallion still legible on the back. Sunburst and linen-textured silver dials both occur among watches we have handled, while applied baton markers with dark inserts, an applied star and a framed date at three establish the reference's visual language.

Measured examples run from 34 mm to 36 mm excluding the crown, so the stated size needs checking against the individual watch rather than assumed from the reference alone. The broad C-shape outline gives the watch more wrist presence than the smallest measurement suggests.

Collector's guide to Omega

Brand

Omega

Model

Constellation

Reference

168.017 SP

Known production years

1968-1970

Case material	Stainless steel
Handled case sizes	34 mm, 35 mm and 36 mm excluding the crown
Movement	Automatic chronometer caliber 564
Jewels	24
Case form	C-shape
Known dial finishes	Silver sunburst and silver linen texture
Date position	Three o'clock

What it was built for

The 168.017 SP was built as an automatic Constellation chronometer with a date display, not as a sports watch. Caliber 564 supplies the mechanical identity, while the framed date at three, applied Omega logo and Constellation star keep the dial formal. Stainless steel makes it easier to wear regularly than a plated case because there is no surface layer to wear through at the lug edges.

Its C-shape case places the design firmly in 1968-1970. Broad case flanks visually connect the lugs, while baton hands and dark-insert hour markers sharpen contrast against the silver surface. The result works under a cuff, but its case outline is more assertive than the restrained dial furniture.

Where the value sits

The dial carries the premium. A clean silver sunburst or linen-textured dial is worth taking over a brighter-looking redial because refinishing removes the surface and printing that distinguish these versions. Between comparable examples, buy the dial first, then the case, and treat a bracelet as a secondary benefit unless its fit and condition are established.

Case definition creates the next spread. Repeated polishing softens the transitions around the C-shape flanks and can blur the observatory medallion on the caseback, neither of which a service reverses. Of the examples we have photographed, the strongest watches combine intact dial texture with clear case geometry rather than relying on shine.

The worst fault is a refinished dial, followed by a heavily softened case. Other risks include replaced crowns, stretched bracelets and a franken assembly combining period-correct Omega parts that did not leave the factory together. The service history is unknown unless paperwork establishes it, and a timegrapher result alone does not prove a full service.

Dating and serials

Known 168.017 SP examples place the reference from 1968 through 1970. Serial ranges can support that assessment only approximately, with a tolerance of one to three years, so the movement number should agree with the case reference, caliber 564 and the watch's overall configuration rather than carry the conclusion alone.

The dating table is broad Omega guidance, not a reference-specific production ledger. It does not establish the exact assembly date of an individual Constellation, and it cannot prove that its case and movement began life together. Without supporting documentation, we prefer not to narrow a watch beyond what its movement, case and dial collectively establish.

Dating this watch

Serial range / caliber	Year	Note
1000000	1902	approximate, ±1-3 years
2000000	1908	approximate, ±1-3 years
3000000	1912	approximate, ±1-3 years
4000000	1916	approximate, ±1-3 years
5000000	1923	approximate, ±1-3 years
6000000	1925	approximate, ±1-3 years
7000000	1929	approximate, ±1-3 years
8000000	1935	approximate, ±1-3 years
9000000	1939	approximate, ±1-3 years
10000000	1944	approximate, ±1-3 years
11000000	1947	approximate, ±1-3 years
12000000	1950	approximate, ±1-3 years
13000000	1952	approximate, ±1-3 years
14000000	1954	approximate, ±1-3 years
15000000	1956	approximate, ±1-3 years
16000000	1958	approximate, ±1-3 years
17000000	1960	approximate, ±1-3 years
18000000	1961	approximate, ±1-3 years
19000000	1962	approximate, ±1-3 years
20000000	1963	approximate, ±1-3 years
21000000	1964	approximate, ±1-3 years
22000000	1965	approximate, ±1-3 years
24000000	1966	approximate, ±1-3 years
25000000	1967	approximate, ±1-3 years
26000000	1968	approximate, ±1-3 years
28000000	1969	approximate, ±1-3 years
31000000	1970	approximate, ±1-3 years
32000000	1971	approximate, ±1-3 years
33000000	1972	approximate, ±1-3 years
35000000	1973	approximate, ±1-3 years
37000000	1974	approximate, ±1-3 years
39000000	1975	approximate, ±1-3 years
40000000	1976	approximate, ±1-3 years
41000000	1977	approximate, ±1-3 years
42000000	1978	approximate, ±1-3 years
43000000	1979	approximate, ±1-3 years
44000000	1980	approximate, ±1-3 years
45000000	1982	approximate, ±1-3 years
46000000	1984	approximate, ±1-3 years
47000000	1985	approximate, ±1-3 years
48000000	1986	approximate, ±1-3 years
49000000	1988	approximate, ±1-3 years
50000000	1990	approximate, ±1-3 years
53000000	1993	approximate, ±1-3 years
54000000	1995	approximate, ±1-3 years
56000000	1996	approximate, ±1-3 years
58000000	1998	approximate, ±1-3 years
60000000	2000	approximate, ±1-3 years

Dating data comes from our decoder tables; treat years as approximate.

Decode your serial number with our free lookup tool

What to check before you buy

Dial configuration: A known 168.017 SP silver dial has applied baton indices with dark inserts, an applied Omega logo, the Constellation star and a framed date at three. Flat texture, blurred printing or misplaced furniture supports a redial diagnosis.
Hands and date display: Baton hands with dark inserts should form a coherent set with the applied markers, while the date sits inside an applied frame at three. Period-correct replacements remain possible, so matching style does not by itself prove originality.
Case and caseback: The stainless-steel C-shape case should retain defined transitions across its broad flanks, and the observatory medallion should remain readable. Soft contours or a weak medallion indicate metal loss from polishing rather than normal patina.
Movement and reference pairing: The movement should be the automatic chronometer caliber 564, paired with a case signed 168.017 SP. A correct movement installed in a different case is married, while unrelated period parts assembled together make a franken watch.