1974 Omega Seamaster Cosmic on Bracelet 37mm 166.0195
Ref: 166.0195
Specification
Lugs : 9.5mm (Integrated)
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Service Box
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with an Omega Service box & Omega service parts from a service in 2022. The watch comes paired with its original chunky integrated stainless steel Omega signed bracelet with folding jewellery clasp; an additional link is provided, and this will fit a 7.15-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa. 1974 and is sold in worn condition, though as you can see from the photos, the watch is in great overall vintage condition. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1f17eF8TDJD2YtjrohY8NWupAeGyGDUfM?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 20:24 - https://youtu.be/6laT_LnIfOc
The Watch
Here we have a 1974 Omega Seamaster Cosmic 166.0195 that has a 37mm stainless steel tonneau-shaped case polished and brushed finished with integrated lugs that fit the integrated bracelet perfectly, a lug-to-lug length of 41.5mm and a case thickness of just 9mm, giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side sits a signed crown; the polished bezel holds a raised acrylic crystal, protecting a stunning sunburst anthracite grey dial. The applied baton indexes have a lume pip indicating the hours, at 3 o’clock, a framed date window, and elegant slim Service sword hands with LumiNova infill complemented by a needle-sweeping seconds hand. At 12 o’clock, we have an applied Omega, with Automatic printed underneath, and at 6 o’clock, “Seamaster Cosmic ''. On the reverse, a pressure-fit case back with the embossed Hippocampus along with Seamaster, the seahorse on the case back represents Neptune, the God of the sea. Pierre Borie conceived it after seeing a picture of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by seahorses, which is why the seahorses are wearing a bridle. Inside, we have an automatic Omega Cal. 1012, 23 jewels, 28,800 beats per hour, and hacking and quick set-date functions for your convenience. Fitted on its original chunky integrated Omega bracelet with a satin-brushed finish and a signed folding jewellery clasp, the watch comes with an Omega Service box.
Personal Note
It will come as no surprise that this is a personal favourite of mine, the case shape and angles are so unapologetically 1970s, and then we come to the bracelet, built in the same way, by who I believe is, the same bracelet manufacturer of many Zeniths and other brands at the same time. The dial colour is incredible and the way this watch looks and wears is great too, I wouldn't hesitate on this if you are looking for a great 1970s watch!
The Brand
Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848, it was founded 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 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. In 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.