Hey everyone, I recently purchased this 70's Seamaster, Reference Number 166.0203 with the Cal. 1010 movement. I've really fallen for the design, and intend to keep this watch for a while. The condition is mediocre, though it was priced accordingly. I've created this thread to ask the experts a number of questions about how I might be able to improve the appearance of my watch, and keep it running smoothly for years to come.



As you can see there is some patina on the dial and scratches on the case. Furthermore, there is dirt in some of the cracks, which I'd like to clean up.

1) I've read that trying to clean a dial of its patina will usually leave it worse off. Does this include using a light brush and compressed air to remove some of the built up patina/dirt?
2) I'm considering replacing the crystal since I want to thoroughly clean the case. Is this crystal held in with tension ring, requiring one of those spider looking tools to remove?
3) Is it possible to source OEM crystals for these watches still? I wasn't able to find one online when I looked, only a generic replacement.
4) I was originally considering polishing the case, however I've since read that's a bit involved. There is one part of the case I would like to clean however, the vertical face that is under the glass, surrounding the dial. As you can see, there is some patina/dirt on this face, is this easy to remove?
5) The second hand, and well as the ratchet wheel in the movement (big silver gear) look to have fingerprints and dirt on them. Can these be removed, placed on a flat surface, and cleaned with a cloth? I'm worried this could bend the parts or something.
6) How often should the case back o-ring be replaced to ensure a good seal?
7) The movement in these watches has a copper plating or something, is that right? The automatic rotor looks to have some very small spots or corrosion on it, is that even possible and can this be cleaned?
8) The watch is about 1-2 minutes faster /day. Is this reasonable? Can it be regulated better, and if so how is that done?

Any help would be very much appreciated!

 

Just get it professionally serviced. It needs one as it's running off, and the cleaning is included. Should run $200-280 depending on location.

Neat piece. FYI watches need to be serviced every 5 years or so.

 

1. Don't try to clean it up it won't clean nicely. Compressed air may blow off the hardware on the dial.
2,3 In a service have the pro polish the crystal. These plastic crystals will look as good as new.
4. Not sure how involved that would be, probably a professional can do that for you...
5,6,7,8 Will be cleaned/fixed/regulated by a good service.

 

You can safely use a blower to clean your dial. Any other method could lead tonacdammage if you do not know what you are doing - and sometimes even if you know what you are doing!

 

New crystals are available - 063PZ5200 is the part number. The watch likely needs a full service, and all the issues noted above can be taken care of during a proper service. Refinishing the case is not recommended, and trying to clean the dial is risky, but loose dirt can be cleaned off certainly.

Cheers, Al

 

Interesting, the vertical metal piece under the glass I was referring to, appears to be part of the crystal. Thanks everyone for the information.

 

You should have it serviced. Might not need to replace crystal, especially if it is an original Omega (if that's the case you should see the Omega sign in the center of the crystal). They can buff out the scratches. You don't have to take it to Omega service center. Any good watchman in your town can easily do the job.

 

Yes that's the tension ring - it holds the crystal in the case tightly.

 

It is not an original crystal, and since the tension ring is all patina'd anyways, it might not be a bad investment. Good idea about getting a service, I'm sure the watchman could clean the other components.

 

Does that crystal come with different color tension rings under the same part number? I found the following one available, but it mentions a white tension ring and cases that are not mine?

http://www.startimesupply.com/merch...0&offset=&filter_cat=&PowerSearch_Begin_Only=

 

In American watchmaker speak, white = silver colour and yellow = gold colour.

So the crystal you linked to has a silver tension ring, which is for a stainless steel case like yours. The letters in the part number are related to the colour of the ring. Difference colours will have different letters, even if the other numbers stay the same.

Crystals often fit more than one case reference. Doing a reverse search on that crystal shows it is compatible with 26 difference case numbers.

Cheers, Al

 

Thank you very much for all the tips! One final thing I am wondering, is the following caseback o-ring the correct one for this watch?

http://www.startimesupply.com/merch...ts-BackCase-Oring-OM&Product_Code=OM198ZW0004

Also, is there another gasket that's required for the crystal?

 

Nope, just the tension ring. You can use a generic crystal if you wish. for the gasket, I think it's a rubber toric one. May be Archer will confirm.

 

No crystal gasket needed - the tension ring holds the crystal in place. I would strongly recommend using a genuine crystal - the tension rings on these are often stepped and using a generic one that isn't stepped can cause problems with the way the movement is located in the case.

Proper case back gasket for this watch is 198ZW0050. It is a hard plastic gasket like the one pictured (this is a snap on case back) and these are one use only items. Once compressed they do not have the same grip to hold the case back on if the case back is removed, so will not provide the same protection from ingress of moisture.

Cheers, Al

 

Hm sorry, I looked to quickly, thought is was screwed in caseback.

 

+1 on using a genuine Omega crystal. It makes a big difference in my opinion. A movement that's not sitting correctly means that the stem is likewise not correctly positioned, and that will lead to wear sooner or later, which can be avoided by simply using the correct part.

 

Can anyone confirm if this is an OEM crystal? The seller sells lots of crystals without OEM packaging which I find odd.

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