166.024 Authentication Help Please

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TCT

·Sep 25, 2026

Hi. I would be grateful for a helping hand. I recently bought a 166.024. It's my first foray into this reference and I'm far from an expert. I've looked at the omegaseamaster300 website and after initially thinking the watch I bought was legitimate I'm now concerned it may not be. The attached photos (which aren't great but all I have at the moment) have been uploaded to Google's search by image with AI assisted responses to my "is this genuine" questions having come back with conflicting results regarding its authenticity. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

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Speed2Sea

·Sep 25, 2026

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I'm now concerned it may not be

Just curious what changed your mind and jumps out at you that it’s not authentic?

 

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TCT

·Sep 25, 2026

The stampings on the inside of the case back look sloppy. And my AI assisted searches have come back overwhelmingly negative (aftermarket/fake). From the examples on omegaseamaster300 I thought the bezel looked like the correct 1969-1971 heavy font but AI says otherwise. The dial doesn't appear to have stubbies but it may have one at 3 o'clock...can't tell. Not being an expert I don't know right from wrong at this point.

 

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Speed2Sea

·Sep 25, 2026

I'm sure the experts will weigh-in, but I agree the caseback and other engraving looks sloppy as you said. The dial looks wonky too. Unfortunately, the photographs are poor quality and might be that way intentionally.

 

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SOG53

·Sep 25, 2026

Before you bought it did you notice the movement is full of black gunk?

 

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TCT

·Sep 25, 2026

SOG53

Before you bought it did you notice the movement is full of black gunk?

That just looks like deteriorated case back gasket.

 

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SOG53

·Sep 25, 2026

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That just looks like deteriorated case back gasket.

Not good when is seeps into movement. Does it run?

 

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TCT

·Sep 25, 2026

SOG53

Not good when is seeps into movement. Does it run?

No. On the bright side the mvmt looks correct.

 

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flqt-9000

·Sep 28, 2026

Very nice example, looks original to me

 

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TCT

·Sep 28, 2026

flqt-9000

Very nice example, looks original to me

Thank you for your opinion. You aren't concerned by the stampings on the inside of the case back?

 

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SpaceCowboy

·Sep 28, 2026

So the caseback has been changed from non-date 165.024 to date 166.024. I’ve seen this before with other references, the question is was this done by Omega. I have a 137.070 changed to 167.070 (confirmed, with papers) so it is known to have been done legitimately before leaving the factory. 27 mill would be 68/69, correct screw down crown and period correct bezel. I would say original. Wouldn’t trust AI. Would be more worried about the state of that movement though.

 

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flqt-9000

·Sep 28, 2026

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Thank you for your opinion. You aren't concerned by the stampings on the inside of the case back?

No, caseback is fine, but don’t let AI know 😉

 

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TCT

·Sep 28, 2026

SpaceCowboy

So the caseback has been changed from non-date 165.024 to date 166.024. I’ve seen this before with other references, the question is was this done by Omega. I have a 137.070 changed to 167.070 (confirmed, with papers) so it is known to have been done legitimately before leaving the factory. 27 mill would be 68/69, correct screw down crown and period correct bezel. I would say original. Wouldn’t trust AI. Would be more worried about the state of that movement though.

I appreciate the input, thank you. Here's to hoping the movement can be brought back to life without too much of a problem.

 

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TCT

·Sep 28, 2026

flqt-9000

No, caseback is fine, but don’t let AI know 😉

And here I thought AI was the gospel😀 Thankful for this forum. Thanks again for your help, greatly appreciated.

 

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watchlovr

·Sep 28, 2026

Don’t see anything wrong with it apart from a lot of wear.
It is possible it’s never been serviced, takes a long while for gaskets to turn to gunk.

 

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sheepdoll

·Sep 28, 2026

Would fit right in with my other rat watches. ❤️

 

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SpaceCowboy

·Oct 3, 2026

There’s another 166.024, changed from 165.024, 26 mill, same bezel. Looks like a thing around 68/69.

https://www.chrono24.no/omega/seama...ver--id41168715.htm?SETLANG=nb_NO&SETCURR=NOK

 

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TCT

·Oct 4, 2026

SpaceCowboy

There’s another 166.024, changed from 165.024, 26 mill, same bezel. Looks like a thing around 68/69.

https://www.chrono24.no/omega/seama...ver--id41168715.htm?SETLANG=nb_NO&SETCURR=NOK

Thank you. Very much appreciated.

 

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TCT

·Oct 10, 2026

An unfortunate update to share which I'm incredibly ashamed to give. After gently polishing the crystal which revealed the horseshoe logo I thought that I would try removing the remnants of the melted case back from the movement. I gently starting removing it using toothpicks and cotton swab paper sticks lightly dabbed (then squeezed out ) in isopropyl. Starting coming off easily and then to my surprise the movement fired up. Wasn't able to get all of it removed but enough to be reasonably happy with the outcome. After about an hour I put the case back back on and monitored how it was running for the next several hours. Woke up this morning to what you see now. I've ruined what had been a lovely watch. I'm a collector at heart, not a watchmaker. Having done this many times in the past without issue I clearly didn't foresee this outcome from what I had previously considered to be an innocuous task. How wrong I was. Hard lesson to be learned, both monetarily and to my being. I'm sorry to all the good souls here that gave me a helping hand only for me to carelessly ruin this watch.

 

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Subspecies

·Oct 10, 2026

Sorry to see that. Is it just the lume that has fallen out or has the handling damaged other parts. I ask as most damage to a movement wouldn't be seen to this untrained eye.