dear friends,

I have recently bought one of my Grails... the 165.024.

It is gorgeous, case dial and hands look stunning but the insert is in poor conditions: do you have any advice??



In your opinion... is it possible to repair or not?

Thanks!

 

New bezels are available...

 

Yes, I know it... But I'd prefer to find a worn one... The new ones are too perfect...

 

Get a new one and rub it in sand to get a worn look

 

Yours is a worn one!! Problem sorted

 

Your choices are easy;
1. Live with it.
2. Replace with modern luminova.
3. Buy another vintage watch with good bezel and swap, sell the 2nd one.

 

original bezels are more difficult to find than the watches. With these early Seamasters, you are buying the bezel as much as the watch.

 

Not necessarily. It always pays to look:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121816127370?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:ITPurchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network

 

Trust me I look every day...thats not the correct bezel. They are less common than the watch for sure.

 

Vintage bezels do come up on eBAY every once in a while. Depending on condition, I have sen these sell in the 200-300$ range. This was a while back.

 

As I'm was the buyer of this EBay bezel and it was just delivered a hour ago, I'm hoping your incorrect on this one @CajunTiger. See pics below


Seems identical to bezel of 2 Big Triangles I acquired recently. A little more worn perhaps. Numerous pics on line showing this bezel on other 165.024 and 166.024s

..................166.024.............................................Recent Purchase from Ebay...................................165.024



Perfect size




Down loaded this pic below from

http://thatwatchandmore.blogspot.com/2013/03/buying-vintage-omega-seamaster-300.html.

Author seems to indicate that all five bezels were produced for the 165.024 or 166.024 and either of them can be considered correct on all models with the exception of type "D" which was used on later models. It appears that the bezel in question is a type "A".

 

Sorry, but CajunTiger is right.
Your bezel is for a 166.073, which the ebay add also states. The evidence is NOT on the front, but on the back of the bezel. Here's a compare shot of my 165.024 (RN) and my 166.073. On first sight completey same bezels. Font, triangle and everything. But the 166.073 is blue....AND do have other dimensions and a larger/wider "frame" on the backside (166.073 on the right). So it won't fit a 16x.024 case.




Sorry

 

Have you tried installing it?
edit...@kox beat me to it.

 

There were actually 7 different versions of the 16x.024 bezel. So the author is missing a few ;-) And no, it is absolutely not correct that either of them can be considered correct on all models. Like the speedies, there's a fine linie between the production of bezels types and the timeline between 1963 and 1970 production of the 2.gen. SM300's.
Your "type A" was only used on the military versions, but a very similar one (with fatter font and rounded triangle) was used on the civil later versions of the 166.024 mostly.

 

No. Bought it as a spare for future use. I thought these would be INTERCHANGABLE.......not.
Should have known @CajunTiger is never wrong when it comes to Seamasters.

Well, I have a few options

Return it as it is returnable
Buy a 166.073 in need of a nice bezel
Sell it to a member who needs one

I'm learning about Seamasters every day. Sometimes the hard way.

 

And if you are anal like me, it has to be the correct bezel. Just because it fits doesn't make it right.

Finding the right one is pure luck, its like a needle in a haystack. For every 100 seamster 300's that sell, maybe one bezel might show up that is correct.

 

Thanks gentlemen for pointing out my error. This is now the 2nd time the @CajunTiger has helped me out with secret Seamaster knowledge.

Could have been a lot worse if I had held on to this bezel and later bought a 16x.024 ( see I'm even learning the correct notation!) in need of one and then, and when it was too late, finding out they don't fit.

Regarding the Seamasters that I have vs the installed bezels, I think I will be satisfied even if the vintage bezel is not the most correct of the seven possible candidates. Without a Seamaster Only or Seamaster101 for a guide, Seamasters are tough sledding.

That being said, I can firmly state that, I live in mortal fear of posting any more pics of my growing Seamaster collection.

 

Fear not ;-) We have all made mistakes ... and in the SM300 game, that's very hard not to do.
BTW: your installed bezels are correct. The 166.024 on the left is for certain. The BT on the right, depends on the serial no., but could be fine if late.

Keep sharing

 

Not quite in the same league as MWO or Speedmaster101 my SM300 post (originally on another forum) may be helpful as a research starting point.................

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...mega-Seamaster-300-including-Military-watches

 

Brilliant essay.