Vintage Omega Seamaster Help

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dainty

·Dec 10, 2025

I got some help from other forums. I'm hoping to get some confirmation and also a suggestion on a repair shop.
The watch is inherited from someone who passed 40 years ago. I was told this is probably a 166.003 from the 1960's. It would cost about $500 to replace or polish the watch face. I have no use of it since it's a men's watch but I was told it could be a women's watch because of its small size.
These information got me thinking to look for a repair shop in the Austin, TX area.

Thanks in advance.

 

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Dan S

·Dec 10, 2025

If you mean the crystal, it should cost about $50 to replace. Not $500. It appears to be cracked so you can't polish it.

In general, the watch looks fine, legit. If you don't want it, just sell it, don't invest in any repairs. Let the buyer replace the crystal.

 

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JimInOz

·Dec 10, 2025·Melbourne Australia

What he said.

Anything you spend on it decreases the return that you may attain in a sale.
If you want to sell it, eBay with a low reserve and 6 day auction will find its true value for you.

 

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dsio

·Thurs. 12:12am·Ash @ ΩF

JimInOz

What he said.

Anything you spend on it decreases the return that you may attain in a sale.
If you want to sell it, eBay with a low reserve and 6 day auction will find its true value for you.

Precisely this, if you're going to sell it, sell it as is, it'll find a buyer in a no reserve auction and you'll get a good price just include lots of good photos.

Given the 34.5mm size of these, they're firmly unisex watches, they were originally mens pieces but 34.5 is about the most common women's dress watch size at the moment so with a clean and service, it'll look great as a ladies' piece too.

 

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Passover

·Thurs. 2:08am

Hard to see if the crystal is really cracked or just scratched IMO

You could invest 5 dollars in this to find out!

 

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JimInOz

·Thurs. 2:10am·Melbourne Australia

Or just use some toothpaste and save $5 and buy a coffee.
😉

 

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hen

·Thurs. 2:19am

I wish my wife had a Omega like this!

She does have a vintage Seiko Bellmatic thou and I think it looks great on her.

Wear that watch, if you dont mind men staring at your wrist.

 

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Spruce

·Thurs. 2:20am·Sunburst dial fan

The watch is probably worth around $500-600 and the bracelet, if sold separately, another $150.

It’s a smart looking man's dress watch - sort of watch that the characters in Mad Men wore.

It will probably have a very reliable and easily serviceable 565 movement and is a 166.003.

Here are my 165.003 (no date) models with a 552 movement.

 

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SOG53

·Thurs. 5:02am

Very nice original Seamaster. If you like it I would have it serviced by independent watchmaker with Omega parts account, hopefully for around $300, and you will have a very wearable and original vintage heirloom. Or sell as is, as per prior recommendations.

 

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dsio

·Thurs. 6:55am·Ash @ ΩF

From a couple of days ago on this topic btw

 

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Canuck

·Thurs. 9:47pm

The trend today seems to be that many women wear men’s watches, or otherwise, watches of the size of the Omega, or larger. You mentioned that it is a man’s watch that could be worn by a female. Indeed, it could. There have been countless posts on this message board showing pictures of watches such as Speedmasters, Rolex Submariners, GMT Masters, etc. etc. , being worn by women. These watches are much larger than your Omega. Don’t make the mistake of selling it, then wondering if perhaps you might have enjoyed wearing it.

 

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sheepdoll

·Thurs. 11:24pm

I wore my speedmaster daily for years, when I worked at Apple in the 1990s. It wears small.

I also like wearing the chronostop, which I did until I started wearing Apple watch which is not much smaller.

I'd like to get back to wearing some of the automatics, what I have been restoring. There just is not the opportunity to wear watches like I used to.

When I do forget to charge the apple watch I swap between a quartz constellation and a ladies dynamic. Both which I made new straps for.

 

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dsio

·Thurs. 11:30pm·Ash @ ΩF

sheepdoll

I wore my speedmaster daily for years, when I worked at Apple in the 1990s. It wears small.

I also like wearing the chronostop, which I did until I started wearing Apple watch which is not much smaller.

I'd like to get back to wearing some of the automatics, what I have been restoring. There just is not the opportunity to wear watches like I used to.

When I do forget to charge the apple watch I swap between a quartz constellation and a ladies dynamic. Both which I made new straps for.

That would have been a fascinating time to be there, did you end up with any Steve stories during your time?

 

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sheepdoll

·Fri. 2:07am

Many. Our team was directly under him for 6 months.

 

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Nebulosa Cat

·Sat. 7:38pm

sheepdoll

I wore my speedmaster daily for years, when I worked at Apple in the 1990s. It wears small.

I also like wearing the chronostop, which I did until I started wearing Apple watch which is not much smaller.

I'd like to get back to wearing some of the automatics, what I have been restoring. There just is not the opportunity to wear watches like I used to.

When I do forget to charge the apple watch I swap between a quartz constellation and a ladies dynamic. Both which I made new straps for.

I hope Apple release Apple Ring asap, because my wrist is for Omega & Seiko 🙁(((

 

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AG77

·Sat. 9:31pm

sheepdoll

Many. Our team was directly under him for 6 months.

Did you also get hundreds of thousands of stock options?