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  1. matchanw Aug 15, 2019

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    My father in law, a pilot of 50 years passed away and he left me his Omega Seamaster. The watch appears to be 30-40 years old and according to what he told me , he never got it serviced but it's keeping perfect time

    My question

    Please help me identify the model number of this watch. Also where can I find the serial number ?
     
    O1.jpg O2.jpg O3.jpg O4.jpg
  2. KingCrouchy Aug 15, 2019

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    Hello and sorry to hear about your loss.
    It's a really nice Watch with a 5 Row beads of rice bracelet with 11 Endlinks. The Reference Number is inside the Caseback, it's probably a Ref.166010. If you want to wear it, you should bring it to an independent Watchmaker in your Area. We can recommend you some, if you tell us where you are located.
     
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  3. matchanw Aug 15, 2019

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    Thank KingCrouchy. I'm in Austin TX.

    What's the right way to care for this watch - do I restore it or keep as is ?
     
  4. Molko Aug 15, 2019

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    If this were my watch I’d have it ultrasonically cleaned and serviced. Nothing else. What a beautiful memento, very sorry for your loss.
     
  5. Tigeranteater Aug 16, 2019

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    Just a service. Tell them NOT to buff it. Don’t change a thing on that watch. What a beautiful piece that will remind you of your Father In Law every time you look at your wrist.
     
  6. Texas Toast Aug 16, 2019

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    Handsome watch and hoping it brings you good memories with time.

    For a gentle service you might try Martinez & Hood @ Burnet/Koenig or Austin Classic Watch & Jewelry just north up Burnet a few blocks away. Be specific about whether you want any polishing done or not (I would lean towards the latter, other than maybe the crystal).

    And yes the model# is inside the case back but does look like a 166.010 to my amateur eyes. The serial number will be stamped on the movement.
     
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  7. KingCrouchy Aug 16, 2019

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    I would just service the watch, replace or polish the glas. If you polish the case, it will loses some of the lines of the Design and the watch will not look the same as worn by your Father in Law. He wore it and looked down at this watch on his wrist, so it would be a nice way to remember him.
    Btw. If you don't like the nice bracelet or wish to change the look from time to time, you could easily put any watchstrap that is 18mm large.
    We are glad to help.:thumbsup:
     
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  8. JwRosenthal Aug 16, 2019

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    Fantastic watch and among the most coveted from this era- your FIL had great taste, as most pilots usually do.
    Agree with all that been said, and I will stress as have the others that you only want a service and clean done to this watch (independent watchmaker with Omega experience, do not take it to an Omega store!) . Polishing the crystal is fine- as long as there are no hairline cracks and it’s only surface scratches (a wet sand can usually bring a crystal back to perfection). Replacement factory crystals are available and won’t hurt the value or originality of the watch.
    Most watchmakers will hit the watch with a buffing wheel to “make it shiny”, and that’s death to a vintage piece like this with its sharp case lines and contours that play the light-it will soften the edges like a lozenge.
    If the case looks dull to you, a light hand buff with an impregnated polishing cloth will remove a surprising amount of surface gunk that an ultrasonic clean may even miss. Opinions are all over the map on hand polishing but unanimously all agree-no machine polishing!
    I love these on that BOR bracelet, but as Crouchy said, they look equally sharp on a strap and can even be dressed down with rustic leather or a NATO strap.
     
  9. Mac5 Aug 16, 2019

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    Here is what over polishing does..... What a shame.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. JwRosenthal Aug 16, 2019

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    So shiny! :eek:
     
  11. TNTwatch Aug 16, 2019

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    This looks very different from the 166.010. More likely the ref is 166.009 with calibre 562 movement. The serial number on the movement will tell more about the age, but it's more than 50 years old already.
     
  12. VetPsychWars Wants to be in the club! Aug 16, 2019

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    What, aside from it's not all marked up, do you not like about it? Facets remain. Edges are still reasonably sharp.

    Tom
     
  13. JwRosenthal Aug 16, 2019

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    That’s not the worst of the cough drop polish jobs but I think those edges couldn’t cut soft butter. It was a little over- loved.
     
  14. JwRosenthal Aug 16, 2019

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    Looking at it again, I agree with you- it has more of the earlier beefy lug style than the sleek oyster style case of the 010. But the S is post ‘63ish so is in the middle somewhere. It’s a great looking watch none the less and the OP should be proud to wear it.
     
  15. perks713 Aug 16, 2019

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    Depending on what your style is, you can take the bracelet off and put a vintage style leather band on. Brown or black will look fantastic. The Beads is rice are great, but for me, I wouldn’t wear it often with the bracelet. It all really depends on how your dressing most days.

    Here’s a 166.037

    3C7215B2-BF17-4EC5-B9E8-2CDAEFDCAD1A.jpeg
     
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  16. matchanw Aug 16, 2019

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    How much can I expect to pay for a service, cleaning and a new crystal ?
     
  17. matchanw Aug 16, 2019

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    and thanks for all your thoughtful answers
     
  18. JwRosenthal Aug 16, 2019

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    best Bet is to get a few estimates from some of the recommendations above, ang get an idea of their pricing. I would hazard a guess of $250-400 for a full service if it doesn’t need any parts. Then add parts to that. They generally don’t know what it may need until they get into it. I may be running, but some of the high precision parts may be out of spec from years of running dry.
     
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  19. Shabbaz Aug 17, 2019

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    +1
     
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  20. padders Oooo subtitles! Aug 17, 2019

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    I disagree about the S. That font style is seen commonly in the late 1950s. I think that watch is a transition from the 50s fat lug models to the lighter 60s designs. At a guess it’s from 1960-62 and could be from the 5 digit era, or as suggested above an early 166.009, as that has the notched lugs.
     
    Edited Aug 17, 2019