Omega 1000 series movements

reggie_v · Feb 19, 2026

Hi All,

I’ve had a little dig through the forum and can find a few comments on these movements but unless my search skills are just very poor I can’t find any deep dive into it.

Reason I ask is I’m looking to purchase a 168.0061 seamaster with a 1011 movement.

I’ve heard some people straight up say all these movement are poor. Some that they’re great just a tad more fragile than the 500 series. Others that it’s just the early versions that suffer but 1010 and onwards are fine.

Would like some clarification and reassurance before I proceed please. I’d assume parts availability isn’t too bad given it’s actually a newer movement compared to the 500’s.

Lastly, I read an article on here saying that these seamaster also have 60m of water resistance given they were made at the start of the 70s. I couldn’t find any data online to back this up? Is this true? Obviously I’m not going to then take that as gospel and go for a swim with it 😄 just be interesting to know.

Thanks in advance!

Archer · Feb 19, 2026

You need to separate the 1000 series from to 1010/1020 series - they are different movements entirely.

The 1000 series didn't last long, so there are fewer of these around. Many of the problems with the 1000 series were fixed in the 1010/1020 series, so those are generally more reliable. Now you will most certainly have people jump in and say that they own a 1000 series and never had any issues with it, and that's fine. I'm not talking about individual experiences, but a collective reliability factor.

The 1010/1020 series are accurate and generally function well. These are however thin movements (to match the demands of the day) and as a result there are some areas that are more fragile, in particular when not serviced regularly or properly. The dial side parts can be subject to damage if for example the cannon pinion is not serviced properly, or is too tight.

All parts are available for these movements from Omega, although some of them are quite expensive (reversing wheel for the automatic is approx. $300 US for example).

Keep in mind that for both of these series of movements Omega continues to make updates to parts to resolve problems.

reggie_v · Feb 19, 2026

Archer
You need to separate the 1000 series from to 1010/1020 series - they are different movements entirely.

The 1000 series didn't last long, so there are fewer of these around. Many of the problems with the 1000 series were fixed in the 1010/1020 series, so those are generally more reliable. Now you will most certainly have people jump in and say that they own a 1000 series and never had any issues with it, and that's fine. I'm not talking about individual experiences, but a collective reliability factor.

The 1010/1020 series are accurate and generally function well. These are however thin movements (to match the demands of the day) and as a result there are some areas that are more fragile, in particular when not serviced regularly or properly. The dial side parts can be subject to damage if for example the cannon pinion is not serviced properly, or is too tight.

All parts are available for these movements from Omega, although some of them are quite expensive (reversing wheel for the automatic is approx. $300 US for example).

Keep in mind that for both of these series of movements Omega continues to make updates to parts to resolve problems.

Awesome reply. Thanks for the detailed response. That’s put my mind at ease.

ErichKeane · Feb 19, 2026

Archer
You need to separate the 1000 series from to 1010/1020 series - they are different movements entirely.

The 1000 series didn't last long, so there are fewer of these around. Many of the problems with the 1000 series were fixed in the 1010/1020 series, so those are generally more reliable. Now you will most certainly have people jump in and say that they own a 1000 series and never had any issues with it, and that's fine. I'm not talking about individual experiences, but a collective reliability factor.

The 1010/1020 series are accurate and generally function well. These are however thin movements (to match the demands of the day) and as a result there are some areas that are more fragile, in particular when not serviced regularly or properly. The dial side parts can be subject to damage if for example the cannon pinion is not serviced properly, or is too tight.

All parts are available for these movements from Omega, although some of them are quite expensive (reversing wheel for the automatic is approx. $300 US for example).

Keep in mind that for both of these series of movements Omega continues to make updates to parts to resolve problems.

As I recently discovered, that cannon pinion/3rd wheel combo was designed by Satan himself 😁 That said, I'd love to see any photos you have of the fallout you're talking about! Also, what does "serviced properly" mean here?

Omega 1000 series movements

reggie_v

Archer

reggie_v

ErichKeane

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