1968 Omega Seamaster Cosmic Date Auto Crosshair 166.023
Ref: 166.023
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Omega box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original 18mm Omega flat link "beads of rice" bracelet with a signed Omega folding clasp, this bracelet will fit up to a 7-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa. 1969 and is sold in worn, vintage condition, but overall very fair condition, as you can see. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kk04wS4ix-laITeZM0ATPZix1SWfO289?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 18:33 - https://youtu.be/vKdh1JEIEGU
The Watch
Here we have a 1969 Omega Seamaster Cosmic Date Auto Crosshair 166.023; the Seamaster Cosmic was introduced in 1967, jumping on the hype for space travel and everything space-related. The continued relationship with NASA only strengthened Omega’s position as the preferred manufacturer. It generated new life in the Seamaster range. The production run was for less than a decade. The 33mm polished and brushed monocoque (coque in French means hull) C-shaped case design is made from a solid piece of stainless steel, with access to the movement by removing the crystal with a special tool. The gentle curve of the case leads to a lug-to-lug length of 36mm and a case thickness of 9.5mm; its flat back and angled sides make the watch comfortable to wear. On the right side is a signed crown. The case holds the domed Omega-signed crystal above a silver crosshair dial with a vertical brushed textured surface. An outer minute chapter ring with tritium pips surround applied steel indexes finished with chamfered edges and black infill that catch the light as you rotate your wrist. At 3 o’clock, a date-framed window with cyclops magnification on the crystal. Slim sword hands with Tritium infill are complemented by a tapered sweeping centre seconds hand. At noon, the Omega “Automatic”; at 6 o’clock “Seamaster” “Cosmic” printed in black. On the reverse, the Hippocampus is etched onto the surface. Inside an Automatic Omega Cal. 565, 24 jewels, 19,800 beats per hour, the quickset date is done by repeatedly pulling the crown into the final position. The watch comes paired with its original flat link 'beads of rice' Omega bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp and will fit up to a 7-inch wrist.
Personal Note
This reference 166.023 Omega Seamaster Cosmic was initially released in 1967 during the era of space exploration and the goal of landing on the moon, this only continued the imaginative designs of many brands, including Omega, well into the 1970s. This example features a wonderful crosshair dial and its original "reverse-cyclops" Omega-signed crystal, allowing the wearer to read the date easily without the cyclops protruding from the crystal, like Rolex. I would not hesitate to add this fantastic example to your collection today and I would suggest picking up a few 18mm straps too as this looks amazing on both its original bracelet and leather straps!
The Brand
They were formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co., founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador In 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH). In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva's hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. Celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. In 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today, Omega is still the first choice of astronauts. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967, and their production started in 1968. Then, In 1972, Omega introduced the reference 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.