Vintage Omega Seamaster 166.010 Automatic 1966 Serviced UK Warranty

SPECIFICATION

Reference: Omega Seamaster 166.010
Movement: Omega Calibre 565 automatic
Age: circa 1966
Case Size: 35mm
Case Thickness: 11mm
Lug to Lug: 43mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: Used Omega watch
Box and Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless steel
Warranty: 12-month mechanical warranty (UK only)

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with light wear
• Case and bezel have some light scratches and marks
• Sunburst dial has some patina
• Replacement crystal, used Omega signed crystal included
• Applied baton hour markers and date window at 3 o'clock; slight tarnish present
• Omega-signed crown
• Omega Calibre 565 automatic movement, fully serviced
• Omega genuine beads-of-rice bracelet fitting wrists up to approximately 7½ inches

THE WATCH

One of the pleasures of handling a Seamaster from this period is seeing just how much Omega achieved without leaning on decoration. The broad polished bezel forms a clean frame around the dial, while the brushing along the case sides gives the design a little more character than it first lets on. It has the elegance of a dress watch, but with the reassuring presence that makes these classic Seamasters so appealing.

The sunburst dial is the real reward when the watch moves in the light. The applied markers catch a glint, the slender hands are beautifully in proportion, and the framed date feels part of the composition rather than an afterthought. There is a quiet confidence to this kind of mid-1960s design: nothing oversized, nothing included just for effect. It is the sort of watch whose small details reveal themselves gradually, and that is a large part of its charm.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

One of the clever details of the Calibre 565 is its distinctive date-setting mechanism. Rather than turning the crown to advance the date, the wearer uses a pull-and-push action to move the calendar forward one day at a time. It was a welcome convenience in the 1960s and remains an interesting piece of practical watchmaking. As with other vintage quickset mechanisms, the date should be adjusted with the hands well clear of the midnight changeover period.

OUR THOUGHTS

What we particularly love about the Seamaster 166.010 is that it isn't a watch you need to save for a special occasion. It has all the elegance you could wish for, yet there's something wonderfully relaxed about it. It's a watch you can enjoy on an ordinary day and still feel a little special every time you put it on.

And there's a particular pleasure in knowing that the movement ticking away on your wrist is a genuine piece of Omega's mechanical watchmaking history. More than half a century has passed, yet here it is, ready to become part of somebody else's story. For us, that's one of the greatest joys of owning a vintage watch.