Community Stories

Grail Acquired: Omega Admiralty 166.038, Full Set

Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
After much searching and agonizing, here it is, the SM 300 companion in the rare, black military dial, 17mm "longhorn" configuration. Complete with the big crown and the lovely orange sweep-second. Came with the original purchase papers and box.

1971-2 Omega Admiralty
Cal. 565
166.038

An apt demonstration of the beauty to be found in asymmetry.

More on these fine pieces and their various iterations here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/comprehensive-omega-admiralty-thread.69037/page-15#post-1775783 (and thanks to the OF community for the wise advice, as always!)

DSCN4897.JPG DSCN4898.JPG DSCN4902.JPG DSCN4903.JPG Movement.jpg Caseback.jpg DSCN4894.JPG DSCN4895.JPG
Edited:
 
DSCN4890.JPG
Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
That’s a neat watch! Looks like a W10- love it.
It really does. I wonder if that was the inspiration, or if they were both drawing models from the same source (i.e. WW2 military-dialed pieces).
 
JwRosenthal
Posts
16,307
Likes
44,994
Dr.Sascha Dr.Sascha
It really does. I wonder if that was the inspiration, or if they were both drawing models from the same source (i.e. WW2 military-dialed pieces).
Well, Hamilton and CWC had taken over the contracts by this time when Smiths was out- perhaps Omega had designs on competing for the contract and didn’t get it, then pumped out their sample run as a civilian model to dump the inventory ….perhaps?

We saw this with Zenith and the Rainbow, they lost the contract and were sitting on a few thousand watches. Put it in a pretty box and send it to the dealers!
 
RCpeedy
Posts
12
Likes
12
"Dr.Sascha, post: 1808790, member: 8678"]After much searching and agonizing, here it is, the SM 300 companion in the rare, black military dial, 17mm "longhorn" configuration. Complete with the big crown and the lovely orange sweep-second. Came with the original purchase papers and box."

Super cool, I love a good grail story, thanks for sharing.
 
Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
hronists hronists
Amazing watch! What’s the diameter?
Bezel is 35mm, but it has a disproportionate wrist-presence b/c of the crown guards and the elegantly elongated lugs.
 
timoss
Posts
974
Likes
1,514
Nice. Is that typical look for the lume on these?
 
Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
timoss timoss
Nice. Is that typical look for the lume on these?
Yes. In my experience, shaped lumes that are not constrained by something (e.g. a metal perimeter) tend to age, color and pillow this way. It makes each piece unique, and is also a good indicator that the dial has not been retouched. I see the same thing on my Le Jour Triton, which also has round lumes w/o constraint. A lot depends on the chemistry of the dial paint, whether the lume is in contact with metal, how much they have been exposed to sunlight (and therefore how much energy they've absorbed)--the ones on my Nivada CASD have "scattered" in a very cool way.

20210624_104158.jpg 20210624_104235.jpg
 
Revo
Posts
384
Likes
593
That is gorgeous. And pretty much a birth year model for me (1971).

DIBS.

Edit: this is what the Dynamic should have looked like, instead of that stupid comic sans font for the numbers.
 
wilderbeast
Posts
911
Likes
4,393
Really cool watch! Wear in good health. Is it 17mm lug width? If so, that’s the same as the Smiths W10.
 
Revo
Posts
384
Likes
593
wilderbeast wilderbeast
Really cool watch! Wear in good health. Is it 17mm lug width? If so, that’s the same as the Smiths W10.

My theory is that the MoD specified 17mm to make the watches less likely to slide off 18mm NATOs and/or to make them harder to use with civilian straps.
 
Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
Revo Revo
My theory is that the MoD specified 17mm to make the watches less likely to slide off 18mm NATOs and/or to make them harder to use with civilian straps.
Interesting hypothesis. Can the OF community find any evidence to support this, I wonder [gauntlet = thrown].
 
JwRosenthal
Posts
16,307
Likes
44,994
Well, US military watches had 18mm lugs, but standard issue straps were 16mm as had been worn since post WWII.
5708AC95-9F2D-46CF-BA30-85A84588A958.jpeg


17mm was the generic size for 11/16th which was pretty standard for most pre-metric watches. England went metric in 1965, is it possible the 17mm was a hold over of the English measurement?
 
Revo
Posts
384
Likes
593
JwRosenthal JwRosenthal
17mm was the generic size for 11/16th which was pretty standard for most pre-metric watches. England went metric in 1965, is it possible the 17mm was a hold over of the English measurement?

That would make sense except all of Smiths wristwatch production from WW2 onwards used metric lugs widths and were either 16 or 18 mm (I mean the 12''' men's watches). The Smiths W10 case was made in-house and according to a spec sheet drawn up by the MoD, so we know that contractors (in this case Smiths) were working to def stan criteria.

I can't think of another reason for having 17mm lugs; especially as the strap was 18mm. The lugs therefore bite into the strap slightly, making a tighter fit and so less likely to slide around. Just my theory.
 
Dr.Sascha
Posts
1,101
Likes
7,168
We should keep in mind that in the Admiralty's case, at least, it came in two varieties: the 17mm "longhorn" and the 18mm "shorthorn." The former took a metal bracelet, and the elongated lugs were necessary to accommodate the endpieces.
 
10 More Posts...
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

DIV

1968 Omega Geneve Admiralty 166.038 (serviced)

DIV Private Watch Sales
DIV
DIV
Posts
12
Views
10K
Thommas

Omega Admiralty 166.038 first execution w/ military dial

Thommas Private Watch Sales
flqt-9000
flqt-9000
Posts
2
Views
3K
flqt-9000

Omega Admiralty 166.038 “military dial”

flqt-9000 Private Watch Sales
Comtaygious
Comtaygious
Posts
9
Views
9K
mementomori1983

White-Dialed Omega Admiralty 166.038 - Catch or Release?

mementomori1983 Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
mementomori1983
mementomori1983
Posts
3
Views
4K
mementomori1983

Advice Needed On An Omega Admiralty (166.038)

mementomori1983 Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
Joe K.
Joe K.
Posts
46
Views
33K