This Watch

A customer recently asked us, “What is a classic Omega Seamaster?” and really, this is the answer. We have here a truly classic stainless steel Omega Seamaster, reference 166.009, dating to 1965. It has all the ingredients people look for in a good 1960s Seamaster: elegant proportions, a clean automatic movement, a practical date function, and an original dial that has aged honestly without losing its charm.

The satin-silver dial is the real centre of the watch. It has a soft radial finish that catches the light beautifully, with just the right amount of gentle spotting and even patina to remind you that this is now almost 60 years old. The applied chrome baton hour markers are especially attractive, each with black onyx-style inserts that give the dial a sharper, more refined look. These darker accents are matched by the original sword-style hands, again with black detailing, giving the whole watch a very smart and balanced appearance.

At 3 o’clock is the date window, complete with the original Omega cyclops magnifier in the crystal. This is a lovely period detail and one that is often missing or replaced on watches of this age. It gives the watch a very distinctive 1960s feel and adds a practical touch without spoiling the clean layout of the dial. The Seamaster script at 6 o’clock is also exactly what you want to see — elegant, understated and instantly recognisable.

The 34.5mm stainless steel screw-back case is a great size for a vintage Omega. It wears neatly, but not small, and the long, polished lugs give it a lovely presence on the wrist. The caseback carries the classic Seamaster hippocampus emblem, another detail that makes these 1960s models so collectable and so recognisably Omega.

Inside is Omega’s automatic calibre 562, one of the dependable full-rotor automatic movements that helped build Omega’s reputation during this period. It is a proper vintage in-house Omega movement and a very strong reason why these watches remain so popular today. The whole watch has that tried-and-tested Seamaster formula: good case, good movement, good dial, and a design that still looks as wearable now as it would have done in 1965 — only today with added character, warmth and originality.

Extra Points 

Founded by Louis Brandt in 1848, Omega started out as La Generale Watch Co., an unassuming, but international business. It wasn't until 1885, when the company had been taken over by Louis' sons, that the first mass-produced caliber, the Labrador, was released. By 1903, the company had renamed itself Omega and only two years later were they the official timekeepers at many sporting events across Switzerland. Omega stepped onto an international stage in 1932 as the official timekeepers at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the first of over 20 Olympic Games. Omega were one of the 12 companies, now known as the Dirty Dozen, commissioned to produce watches for the British Military during the Second World War. One of Omega's most iconic watches, the Seamaster, was introduced in 1948 to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Over 70 years later, it is still one of Omega's best selling watches. Omega made headlines in 1962 when Wally Schirra wore the Speedmaster as part of NASA's first crewed spaceflight programme, making the Speedmaster the first watch to enter space. It was only a few years before the Speedmaster became the official chronograph for the American space missions and was worn by Buzz Aldrin as well as the Apollo 13 crew. Omega are still involved with NASA and have been instrumental in creating vital pieces of equipment for space exploration. Omega's reputation continued to soar in the 1990s with Omega Seamaster worn by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. As well as post-1995 James Bonds, Omega has been worn by the likes of Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy, Prince William, Rory McIlroy, Ringo Starr, Michael Phelps, Cindy Crawford and George Clooney.