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Seamaster Immaculate Dial 165.002 1966?

boobconsultant
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Hey OF,

I’d love a second opinion on this one, just to learn a bit more.

I’m pretty sure it’s original, but the dial (from 1966) looks almost too perfect - and if something looks perfect, it usually isn’t 😅
So, is it realistically possible for a 60-year-old dial to be this immaculate, or am I missing something?
And yes - the case has been overpolished quite a bit.

Not looking for selling advice, just trying to understand the watch world better. Any thoughts or explanations on this piece would be much appreciated 🙏


I’m still at the beginning of my OF journey, so I definitely don’t know everything. yet.

🍒consultant

Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.16.16.webp Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.16.35.webp Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.16.49.webp Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.16.54.webp Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.17.00.webp Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.17.08.webp
 
Dan S
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The dial looks ok in those photos, but the photos are so over-exposed that they would hide a lot. As you mentioned, the case is really bad.
 
HorsinTime
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It does look nice to me, but as @Dan S says above, it's really hard to see what's going on (or isn't going on) from those photos. Photos in different lighting conditions, or without digital overexposure, would give you a better idea. I'm guessing that the dial is generally clean but that there might be some fading or small marks on the dial you'd see if you were holding it in your hands. On the plus side, it's probably going to look exactly like that in bright sunlight!
 
mac_omega
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I think the dial is in brilliant condition.
Did some "darkening" with photoshop in order to detect flaws - nothing serious...

Screenshot 2025-12-22 at 15.16.35.webp
 
boobconsultant
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So it's possible to have a dial in this kind of condition after 60 years - thanks a lot for confirming!

another question: is polishing so detrimental to the value mainly because of the way it looks and the loss of original geometry (which makes total sense for cases with sharp lines and facets, like Constellation 14900 or 167.005), but less so for simpler cases - like this one, with its small and simple lugs? Or are there any other definite or technical reasons why polishing is considered bad?
 
Davidt
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Polishing is certainly an issue and the best watches are unpolished or have minimal polishing.

However, this is an entry level Seamaster, even with the good dial, so polishing maybe reduces the value by 15%, but then the spread of sold prices on these can be 50-100% anyway.

Some collectors are ‘dial people’ and would happily take that case for that dial. I think if it’s the right price it could be a decent buy.
 
nkhandekar
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In a non-scientific way, I have observed that watches without tritium or other radioactive lume, tend to have dials that have survived, on the whole, better than their lumed counterparts.
 
boobconsultant
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Davidt Davidt
Polishing is certainly an issue and the best watches are unpolished or have minimal polishing.

However, this is an entry level Seamaster, even with the good dial, so polishing maybe reduces the value by 15%, but then the spread of sold prices on these can be 50-100% anyway.

Some collectors are ‘dial people’ and would happily take that case for that dial. I think if it’s the right price it could be a decent buy.
I guess I’m more of a “dial person” as well, so I definitely see the appeal of this one. But after doing some research, i feel like the “right price” would be somewhere in the 600–800EUR range, rather than the 1,200 the dealer is asking..
 
boobconsultant
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nkhandekar nkhandekar
In a non-scientific way, I have observed that watches without tritium or other radioactive lume, tend to have dials that have survived, on the whole, better than their lumed counterparts.
really interesting observation - I’ll definitely pay attention to that next time
 
Davidt
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boobconsultant boobconsultant
I guess I’m more of a “dial person” as well, so I definitely see the appeal of this one. But after doing some research, i feel like the “right price” would be somewhere in the 600–800EUR range, rather than the 1,200 the dealer is asking..

Yes for a basic silver dial that’s too much
 
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