Hi Guys,
I just purchased my first Omega through a friend who is a collector. He found it the day I mentioned I'd like to buy a vintage Seamaster, and it appears to be completely correct and original, and has not been polished. The 565 movement is fully functional, and was just serviced before I got it.

These seem to be faintly uncommon, but pop up from time to time. I put a brown Morellato strap on the watch because it came with a matte black imprinted alligator strap that I just did not like. Currently looking for a buckle and a cognac Cordovan strap to go with the watch.

Does anybody have any information about these watches? I've read up on the movement and general period, but apart from production dates there doesn't seem to be much around.

Thanks!

 

It's a nice watch and somewhat unusual, but not rare.
No real story to them, just another case variation for a 1970ish period Seamaster.

Some people comment that the bezel is missing and that the lugs have been polished to death but this is incorrect. The case has a flat surrounding the crystal and the rounded lugs are fresh from the factory.

The only thing that grates with me is the cyclops crystal (mine also has one that is going to get changed out.

 

Thanks for the info!
Just curious, what do you mean by cyclops crystal? Is the crystal unoriginal? I thought there was supposed to be a small omega symbol in the center.

 

Yes, it's an original Omega crystal, no problems with that.

I just don't like the date/day-date magnifiers, AKA "cyclops".

 

The cyclops is the magnifier window, some love it, some hate it. A Rolex looks funny without it, and Omega’s sometimes looks funny with it. I have some watches with and some without and it just depends on the watch and your taste. Having a crystal changed is easy and you can keep the original for resale. While there in there they can see if the specs on the dial are just superficial and get that out.

I believe you also have the “sparkle” dial which is highly desirable among the 70’s SM fans. I personally love this period for seamaster and am surprised they don’t fetch more considering they tend to be larger (35-37mm), and their styling is much more modern. But maybe that’s why they are in a void, don’t have the same charm as the 60’s SM’s and too small for someone who’s used to wearing a Planet Ocean as a daily.
Welcome to the group and were it with pride

 

The sparkle dials actually came in at the tail end of the 1960s so aren't purely a 70s thing, the 5XX and 75X movement's were gone by ~1972 after all, but you could be right about the level of appeal. Personally I would take a sparkle ahead of a SMDV (and did) but they don't achieve as high a value as I would expect either considering the larger size. Perhaps they are still a sleeper model.

There were a few case designs, here is mine a slightly more conventional 166.032 from 68-69: