Thinking of buying a vintage Seamaster cosmic but worried about plastic part

[Tondiisk]

Hi forum, first time posting.

thinking about buying a Seamaster cosmic 2000 Ref 166.128


as far as im aware the Calibre 1012 have some parts made out of plastic, not sure the function of the parts, but worried about wear and tear.

is this a small issue or is it a deal breaker?
What do you guys think? am i just overthinking about it?

 

[GuiltyGear]

As far as I'm aware, the balance stop lever is plastic. That's the part that stops the balance when you pull the crown to set the time, hence providing hacking. I haven't read about any issues with it and even if it breaks, it shouldn't be too complicated or costly to repair.

Having said that, can't say I'm a fan of the 1012 movements, and I guess most aren't. The 500 or 700 series are better looking and superior, even in terms of value retention.

 

[Tondiisk]

GuiltyGear

As far as I'm aware, the balance stop lever is plastic. That's the part that stops the balance when you pull the crown to set the time, hence providing hacking. I haven't read about any issues with it and even if it breaks, it shouldn't be too complicated or costly to repair.

Having said that, can't say I'm a fan of the 1012 movements, and I guess most aren't. The 500 or 700 series are better looking and superior, even in terms of value retention.

Thanks for the reply.
you’re right,been reading about some people being not a fan of 1012 movements.
the thing that attract me the most about this watch is the grey color dial and simplicity of the dial.

not sure if there's another vintage grey dial omega, any recommendations?

 

[Archer]

T Tondiisk

as far as im aware the Calibre 1012 have some parts made out of plastic, not sure the function of the parts, but worried about wear and tear.

is this a small issue or is it a deal breaker?
What do you guys think? am i just overthinking about it?

Yes, there are 2 parts inside that can be plastic. As noted the balance stop lever is one:



Longevity is not an issue with this part in my experience - I maybe have replaced one in the last say 15 years or so...

Second is the cam for the date indicator driving wheel:



Again, not a common part that needs replacing, but if someone has tried to quick change the date while the date is changing, it may cause some damage to this cam. Otherwise it's fine. New cams made of steel are available.

These movements are not as popular as the 550/560 series, but when properly serviced by someone with experience, they are quite reliable and accurate. If I really liked the watch, the fact it has one of these movements wouldn't stop me from buying it.

 

[GuiltyGear]

T Tondiisk

not sure if there's another vintage grey dial omega, any recommendations?

I'm biased because I really like these references, but 168.022 and 168.023 have silver dials in sunburst or sparkle, the latter appear slightly darker depending how the light hits. The date only 168.022 with a chronometer-grade 564 is my personal favorite of the series.

Not my photos:

 

[Tondiisk]

Archer

These movements are not as popular as the 550/560 series, but when properly serviced by someone with experience, they are quite reliable and accurate. If I really liked the watch, the fact it has one of these movements wouldn't stop me from buying it.

You’re right, it shouldn’t stop me from buying it either.
think im gonna go ahead with the purchase, thanks