Don't miss the next drop
If you know what you are looking at, this watch stops you in your tracks. The Omega Seamaster ref. 165.002 is a reference that most collectors associate with its more famous “Speedmaster Companion” or “Technic” dial variants, those dramatic black or dark grey configurations with red crosshairs, red Omega logos, and Speedy-style lume plots. Those watches are well documented, widely sought after, and command roughly double the price of standard silver sunburst 165.002s. This is not one of those either. This is something rarer.
What we have here is a red crosshair dial on the standard Seamaster dress dial layout. Instead of the full “Technic” treatment with its sport-oriented lume plots and white handset, this example retains the elegant applied stick markers, the sword hands, and the classic “Seamaster” script at 4:30, adding only the red crosshair lines that intersect at the dial center. It is a more subtle execution, a quiet nod to the sportier variants rather than a full commitment to them, and in our experience, it is considerably harder to find than either the standard silver sunburst or the black “Technic” configuration. It occupies a fascinating middle ground in the 165.002 production story, and we believe it to be genuinely rare.
The cal. 552 inside is the fully jeweled, 24-jewel international market version of Omega’s 5xx automatic family, the movement as Biel intended it without the jewel reductions applied to the US-market cal. 550 to avoid import tariffs. Movement serial 24703112 dates this example to approximately 1966 to 1967. The inner caseback is stamped with the ref. 165.002, case number 76641, “Fab. Suisse, Swiss Made, Acier Inoxydable,” along with various watchmaker service marks that confirm this watch has been maintained throughout its life. The copper-toned cal. 552 is visible with the caseback removed, “Omega Watch Co, Swiss” engraved on the rotor, and the movement finishing remains excellent.
This particular example shows the kind of honest, lived-in character that tells you a watch was worn and appreciated. The silver sunburst dial displays the red crosshair lines clearly, and while the dial surface shows some light marks and the faintest hints of age, the overall presentation is strong. The applied stick markers retain their definition, and the sword hands show warm, aged lume fills. The “T Swiss Made T” at 6 o’clock confirms tritium. The stainless steel case carries honest surface wear on the lugs and bezel consistent with decades of use, though the overall case shape remains strong with no evidence of aggressive polishing. The signed Omega crown is original. The outer caseback features the Seamaster hippocampus medallion.
We are presenting this piece on a brown textured strap. For the Omega collector who has been searching for a red crosshair 165.002 that is not the full “Technic” configuration, this is a watch you may not see again for a very long time. It is the kind of dial variant that does not surface in large numbers, does not appear in most reference guides, and rewards the collector who knows exactly what they are looking at. This is a connoisseur’s Seamaster, and it deserves to be recognized as such.
