I recently purchased an Omega Seamaster Deville, reference no. 166.020. It's a vintage watch, and it's a little bit beat up. However, it keeps time pretty well, and until recently, I was fairly satisfied with my purchase.

Then, out of the blue one day, the "bezel" (what I thought was the bezel, anyway) popped off. Needless to say, I freaked out, because I frankly had no idea that such a thing could happen to a watch in the first place. I did a bit of research, and quickly discovered that with this particular watch model, the movement is accessed by removing the crystal, and thus the front must be removable.

Anyway, I was in a bit of a pinch, so I just super-glued the thing back on. I'm embarrassed to say that I considered this quick fix to be quite permanent. I forgot about it, and blissfully went on with my life. About a week later, I looked down at my wrist and the "bezel" was gone. Completely gone. And it has not graced me with its presence since.

I've been searching the internet tirelessly, in search of a replacement, but no likely suitor has deigned to make an appearance. Then I came across something new: a tension ring (I think I've also seen it referred to as a "retention ring" and a retaining ring")! They typically come bundled with a new crystal, and come in either "white" or "yellow."

I'm a bit of a novice, when it comes to the world of watch collecting and repairs. I am really in desperate need of help here. Am I looking for a "tension ring" and not a "bezel?" Does white/yellow = silver/gold?

If I do need to buy a new bezel ring, where do I procure one? Are there any generic bezels that might fit my particular watch?

 

Hello - the tension ring is inside the crystal, and the bezel is outside the crystal. So unless the crystal also came off, you need a bezel.

There might be bezels available that fit your watch, but since we don't know what case material your watch is, I can't tell you if the correct one is still available from Omega. Let me know the case material and maybe I can help you find out if one is available...

Cheers, Al