First Omega is finally here - Thank you OmegaForums! (Seamaster ref. 166.010)

Forum regulars have likely seen and grown tired my stream of repetitive newbie posts over the last few months as I dove into vintage Omega (and watches more generally) for the first time. Well today the hours of obsessive research have finally reached their conclusion, so I figured I'd share some photos here and express my gratitude for all the help in the process. I was lucky enough to pick this up from a collector for a very reasonable price, and I think it checks all my most important boxes: sharp case, clean dial, onyx hour markers, quickset date, original crown. Tradeoffs are some very minor spots on the dial and slight degradation on the hands but both of these are really only visible through a jeweler's loupe. I had also been prioritizing the chronometer variant in my search lately lately but I think I'll come to appreciate the simpler dial on this one. Plus if I want an Omega chronometer, I should really get a Connie anyway right...? I'm thinking gold pie-pan with lyre lugs... 😅

Very nice! I know you've been looking for a 166.010 for some time now. Part of you will be sad the hunt is over but it'll pass as you look at your wrist. Looks great.

Congratulations - that's a beauty. And it looks fantastic on your wrist, which is (mostly) all that really matters😀

Next on the list is sadly a series of mundane yet necessary non-watch expenses.

Perhaps after that though it'd be cool to have a proper tool watch for work. I know intellectually that my work environment is truly unsuited for mechanical watches entirely (wrists are often submerged, covered in sawdust, in and out of walk-in coolers) but I get a sick pleasure from doing it anyway... And I do have to time things daily... So far the Seiko 5 has been up to the task even with only 50m of claimed water resistance. If something does happen and the dial gets messed up or it needs a whole new movement, I can surely live with it. But I did have my eye on listings for a matte, red seconds Sinn 104. I'll need to ruminate on it for a while longer. The 41mm diameter feels like a bit much personally, and even with all the Sinn durability and shock resistance tech, the risk to reward ratio just may just not be worth it to me at that price.

As far as vintage Omega I still need to explore exactly which reference, but I love the look of a gold, lyre lug, pie-pan Connie on a brown alligator strap. I think one with maybe arrowhead hour markers could eventually make a great sibling to the Seamaster...

I was a little mournful deleting all the push notifications I'd set up for new listings for this reference. But it's better that I don't look, I hear watches get jealous ;-)

My only advice for a tool watch is to get one where when it earns its first scratch you think "nice!". Instead of "oh shit, a scratch on my $3k tool watch". Seems straightforward but you'd be surprised.

The Sinn 104 is certainly up to the task (I have a 556 and adore it) but I'm not personally one for countdown bezels.