1972 Omega Seamaster Chronograph 'Dual Time' + Box - Ref. 176.007
A fine and early Omega Seamaster 'High Frequency' with an upolished crisp case and bracelet, and it's Omega box
WHY IS THIS WATCH SPECIAL
This extremely well preserved unpolished reference 176.007 was released by Omega in 1972. The movement was the first 'High Frequency' automatic used by Omega (28.800 A/h). All parts are original, even the mint crystal has it Omega logo etched in the center, the seamonster with 'Seamaster' lightly engraved the back of case is still clearly visible in real (However it is difficult to show 'Seamaster' on the photo, it depends on the lighting) and the original steel bracelet show no stretch at all.
This version features a very handsome multi-coloured dial with a deep, metallic blue, background. An impressive vintage chronograph, this model incorporates the same movement calibre used by Omega in the Speedmaster Mark III and Mark IV – the calibre 1040, which Omega had developed with Lemania. The chronograph’s minute recording hand is fitted to the dial’s centre and features an orange, winged tip to clearly delineate it from the other central hands. Beneath the baton indexes for the hours, there are Arabic numerals for the five minute markers and these, with the addition of the outer track with white divisions for minutes and seconds, allow the chronograph readings to be easily taken. As the chronograph minute recording hand is set to the centre and read to the scales at the edge of the dial, there is of course no subsidiary minute recording dial and the space this creates is taken by an aperture for date. To the base of the dial there is a chronograph hour recording dial and the sub dial at 9 o’clock combines constant seconds with a 24-hour dial with triangular indicator and a grey sector for daytime hours and light blue sector for the night. There is provision for quick date change, when the crown is pulled out to its first setting and wound away from the user, the date advances. The watch comes with it's Omega box.
THE STORY
The 007 was depicted in ads and catalogs every year from 1972 through 1976 with at least 5 different dials. Steel watches had dials in blue and silver.
A gold 176.007 was gifted by Omega to Albert Piguet when he retired from Lemania and is currently on display at the Omega Museum.
Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed it's name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph to be chosen by the NASA in 1965, the first watch worn on the moon.
The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War II. What distinguished the Seamaster from its diving watch predecessors was its O-ring gasket which improved its water-resistance. Previously water-resistant watches relied on lead or shellac gaskets which were easily affected by temperature changes like those a diver would experience at various depths. Omega turned to the submarines used during WWII for inspiration and included a resilient rubber gasket in the Seamaster’s final design. This new case remained intact at depths up to 60 meters and temperature ranges between -40 degrees and 50 degrees Celsius.
Omega engineers was so confident of the Seamaster’s durability, they attached one to the outside of an aircraft and flew it over the North Pole in 1956.
The Seamaster was a watch for customers who wanted something for town, sea and country and took inspiration from the watches Omega produced for the British military in World War II. These 'watch wristlet waterproof' or w.w.w watches were more utilitarian in design than the first Seamasters but the basic elements remained the same: Solid case construction, legible dials and a world class movement inside. The tradition of Seamaster dress watches continued throughout the 1940s all the way to present day.
The Omega Seamaster received a major boon when it was selected as the James Bond watch. Although James Bond’s author Ian Flemming included a Rolex watch in his novel and even wore a Rolex himself, Omega pushed Rolex out of the film as the costume designer noted Omega was more historically relevant to the British Royal Navy and, in turn, the James Bond character. Therefore, Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond wore an Omega Quartz Seamaster Professional 300 in the film Golden Eye in 1995. For the next three Bond films, Brosnan sported the Omega Seamaster Automatic Chronometer in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002).
When actor Daniel Craig was cast as the next James Bond for 2006's Casino Royale, he wore an Omega Seamaster. Craig donned a Seamaster again for Quantum of Solace (2008) and a Seamaster for Skyfall (2012). In celebration of the 24th Bond film, Spectre (2015), and a 20 year-long partnership with the Bond franchise, Omega released the special edition Seamaster Spectre which harkened back to the original Bond Seamaster.
THE DATA
- Maker: Omega
- Model: Seamaster Chronograph 'Dual Time'
- Reference: 176.007
- Year: 1972
- Material: Stainless steel
- Dimentions (WxHxT): 39x42x16mm
- Caliber: Omega 1040 (High Frequency 28.800 A/h)
- Bracelet/Strap: Omega steel
- Lug width: 22mm
- Box/Papers: Original Omega box
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
This watch is in extremely good condition for its age. The case and bracelet are very well preserved and unpolished, the angles are crisp, the original blue dial and hands are mint, the crystal is original and finally, the steel bracelet doesn't show any stretch. This is a fine and collectible classic vintage timepiece, impressive and sporty, with a real presence on the wrist, perfect for everyday wear. The watch comes with its original Omega box.
