An underappreciated Omega, it has a wonderful style and great presence on the wrist.
The vast majority of this model were made with a traditionally styled dress watch dial with baton markers and small hashes. This particular example is one of the much less common racing style dial edition with large easy to read seconds hashes and orange seconds hand, which perhaps made up 5% of production or something along those lines.
Note that in most of our studio photos, the dial came out looking a dark shade of gray than it does in person. The photo of the watch on the wrist and the photo of the complete watch facing forward at an angle both give a truer sense of the color.
Omega conceived the watch in 1967, and the decision to power it with the company's top-tier caliber 565 was an easy choice - its new slim automatic winding system allowed the movement to fit into an elegant rectangular watch without it becoming to bulky.
Omega's top-tier caliber 565 movement, one of the last superior 500's series movements used before Omega began trying to reduce their costs, was the top-tier offering of the 500 series. It has 24 jewels and a quick-setting date. Arguably the finest mass-produced automatic movement from era, despite the appreciation it receives it too remains not yet fully appreciated.
Introduced at the Basel Fair in 1968 and officially part of the 1969 collection, it likely was overlooked a bit at the time because of the introductions of quartz watches and automatic chronographs. This beauty left the catalog in 1975.
It features a key bolt compressor style case where the waterproofing seal is situated between the main case body and the crystal. The case body is held in place by four bolts at the corners.
A wonderfully pleasing watch, it wears larger than its 33.5mm diameter. It has all of its original parts down to the dial, hands, winding crown, and even original crystal!
It has just finished a true expertly done restoration and presents in gorgeous condition. Its case presents as gorgeous mint condition.
Its original Omega racing style dial has been meticulously restored in gray - the printing could pass as Omega factory done to the naked eye.
As part of the restoration the movement has been freshly serviced by a Master Watchmaker. It is keeping very accurate time.
For the finishing touch a new aftermarket calfskin leather strap and aftermarket Omega style buckle has been installed making it ready for immediate enjoyment.
Included with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement and its function, a full-page custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity, and a new timing certificate.
The watch's page on the Omega website can be found here.
An uncommon more than half-century old Omega Seamaster Compressor restored to look almost like new on the wrist!
Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
- Manufacturer: Omega
- Country of origin: Switzerland
- Serial no.: 31,472,404
- Year built: c. 1969. This model was made c. 1969 - 1975
- Model: Ref. ST 166.0042, Seamaster
- Functions: Hours, Minutes, Automatic, Quick-Setting Date, Sweep Seconds
- Designed for: Men
- Case material: Stainless steel
- Case markings (outside): Seamaster with hypocampus emblem
- Case condition: Presents as mint. The case backs on these have often been heavily polished to remove all the watchmaker's marks from trying to open the unusual case, yet the case back on this one still presents in very good condition with only light wear.
- Dimensions: 33.5mm wide (excluding crown), 40mm long lug tip-to-tip
- Dial: Gray, signed Omega Seamster, applied steel baton indexes with "racing style" large hashes and orange seconds for easy to read timing, aperture for the date, expertly refinished. Note that in most of our studio photos, the dial came out looking a dark shade of gray than it does in person. The photo of the watch on the wrist and the photo of the complete watch facing forward at an angle both give a truer sense of the colour.
- Hands: Original, whitened steel batons with orange seconds
- Movement type: Cal. 565, copper colored, self-winding, 24 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating flat balance-spring, micrometer regulator
- Movement markings: Omega Watch Co. Swiss, Twenty-four Jewels, 565
- Jewels: 24 rubies
- Beat frequency: 19,800 BPH
- Band: Calfskin leather, fully stitched, padded, brand new and unworn with aftermarket Omega style buckle. We also stock lizard and a variety of others straps in various prints, skins, and colors. Please ask us if you're interested.
- Width between lugs: 20mm
- Crystal type: Acrylic, original, excellent condition
- Serviced: Yes, freshly serviced by a Master Watchmaker.
- Timing: Timed to precision on a state-of-the-art computerized system.
- Warranty: 1-year international warranty. Please email [email protected] for details. Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
- Box/Papers: BOX - Connoisseur of Time watch presentation box; PAPERS - Custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; New timing certificate
- Returns: 7 days full refund. 100% satisfaction guarantee
