Omega Seamaster 120m 'Deep Blue' dial vintage, 1970
Manufacture: Omega
Complications: Date and sweep second hand
Ref: [s:1vd8vlvy]ST116.073[/s:1vd8vlvy] ST 166.0073
Cal 565
Original purchase date: estimated at 1970



History and Impressions
This watch is powered by the vintage Omega Cal 565 that is contained in many of the Seamaster and Geneve watches in the 1960's and 1970's era. These models were issued with blue and black faces - I have the version colloquially known as 'Deep Blue'.

This example has been around - but still looks fantastic. I have a typed letter passed onto me from the original owner's son that says, "I was handed it by my father who was an officer in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundeswehr Bundeswehr Marine (Navy). He wore it for many years and loved the watch stopping wearing it only when his site failed and he opted for a modern quartz watch".

But the watch has been fully serviced and overhauled by the previous tz owner at Omega and the finish both inside and out is as the posting said, "simply stunning". This is an original - though the hands were replace during service. The dial and bezel are near perfect. The movement runs lovely and smooth.

The winding is a little stiffer than it's modern companions but the quick date 'pump action' works just fine . I found instructions on the method of how to wind and set and change the date on this page: http://www.old-omegas.com/pics/sea71-565/p123.jpg

Compared to 'modern' Omega 300m versions I noticed these immediate physical differences: (1) Modern bezel in uni-directional; Vintage bi-directional; (2) Modern just a luminous pip; Vintage numerics are luminous - on the bezel; (3) Modern lume Superluminova; Vintage lume tritium; (4) Markers more distinctive on the 120m vintage. There are of course lots more but in terms of esthetics there are immediately obvious to me.

I seem to remember reading the 120m version was released to market for the enthusiast diver - with the 300m version destined for the professional diver (or professional desk-diver)

Vital Statistics
Cal 565
Self Winding
Sweep second hand
Water Resistance: 120m
Case Dimensions: 42mm x 39mm, thickness 13mm, tonneau-shaped
Lugs: 22mm
Black Stainless Steel Rotating Bezel with Arabic ten minute markers
Concave lugs
screw-in crown
screw-down back with Seamaster logo
Deep Blue face with applied faceted baton indexes and luminous rectangles framed by white background
Outer minute / second divisions - big luminous hour markers
Date Aperture
Luminous Steel hands - "losange" type for the hour hand

The Movement
Here is the Cal 565 movement - in excellent condition
Technical details: 24 jewels. Straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring

courtesy of Tom tz-uk.com

The face
Has a combination of the faceted batons and lume with white background - Very easy to read off the time and just that bit different from it's 300m cousin. It has bezel has lumiosity built in which I really find attractive - the only other watch with this feature I have is the PloProf (1200m modern version). You can certainly see they come from the same stable!


The lume shot
showing the -T SWISS MADE T - tritium still has some life - (the new replaced hands show up brighter)


The Case
is three-part, steel, polished finish, having concave lugs means it hugs the wrist rather nicely - here is a casual wrist shot:


The case back
with hippocampus and in the days when it was o.k. to put 'waterproof' on the case.


Conclusions
This is my first vintage watch I have purchased for myself. The other is a 1978 Rolex Air-King Perpetual owned and bought originally by my father which I have inherited. I have worn the 'Deep Blue' for more than a week at a time and find it an extremely easy watch to wear. Time keeping is good and apparently the movement is the same as the COSC certified Cal 564 but has not been COSC certified. Certainly it seems to keep very acceptable time.

I am ordering the archive material from Omega based on the movement serial number which should make interesting reading. It would be great to add an original [s:1vd8vlvy]ST 1170/623[/s:1vd8vlvy] ST 1170/634 bracelet - sadly no longer made by Omega - but the non-OEM bracelet suites it just fine as an alternative. I have been told these are quite rare especially in this condition so I'll be hanging onto it for a bit I think :wink:

Final Pictures










Thanks as always, for looking.