Omega Geneve 166.0098

The Omega Genève 166.0098 is a vintage dress watch produced in the early 1970s. Contemporary sources list it as part of Omega’s International Collection around 1971, and auction records show examples dating through at least 1973–1975. It was part of Omega’s Genève line – a name first used in 1953 to highlight the brand’s chronometer successes at the Geneva Observatory – which by the late 1960s denoted Omega’s higher-end yet unpretentious dress watches. The 166.098 exemplifies Omega’s 1970s focus on simple, reliable automatic date watches: steel or gold-capped cases housing full-rotor movements, with straightforward styling and solid build quality. In effect, it’s a classic, “exact time for life” vintage Omega from that era.

Case Materials

• Stainless Steel (ST 166.0098): A fully stainless-steel case with a screw-down steel caseback. Case diameter is about 35 mm. These models typically have a polished finish.
• Gold-Plated Steel (MD 166.0098): A 20-micron gold-capped (gilt) case over steel with a steel screw-in back. (Omega refers to this as “gold-plated,” often with a polished or brushed gold finish.) No solid 18k gold variant of ref. 166.098 is documented.
• Case Construction: All versions use a two-part case (front and screw-back) with a flat acrylic (“Plexiglas”) crystal. They carry a nominal 3-bar (30 m) water-resistance rating originally. The crown is usually Omega-signed (push-pull).

Dial Colors & Markers

Omega offered the 166.098 in several dial colors, all with applied baton (stick) hour indices:

• Silver / White Sunburst: The most common dial is silver or white with a sunburst finish. These dials feature applied polished baton indices. Some silver-dial variants have black (onyx) inserts in the markers and matching pencil-style hands, while others use fully luminous (tritium) white markers and hands. (Omega’s archive notes “silvered, with luminous hands” for the steel model.) A date window sits at 3:00.
• Blue Sunburst: An eye-catching deep blue sunburst dial was also made (circa 1972–73). This blue dial has applied polished batons (often with luminous dots) and contrasting white-painted baton hands. The hour markers and hands on at least one known blue example are tritium-lumed (aged to a golden patina).
• Champagne / Gold-Tone: Gold-capped models often carry a champagne-gold sunburst dial. These have gold-tone baton markers (usually with black insets) and matching gold hands. One retailer notes a 1971 gold-plated 166.0098 with a “brushed golden tone” dial and polished gold hour markers
• Black Matte: A striking matte black dial variant exists (circa 1972). This black dial has bright white-painted baton markers and an all-white hand set for high contrast. This example used non-luminous white indices and hands with a black seconds hand.

All versions include a central seconds hand (usually a thin needle in black or matching metal color) and a date aperture at 3:00. The minute track is a simple printed railroad ring. Lume (tritium) is common on many variants’ indices and hands – aging to cream or gold color – although some (notably the black-dialed example) use non-luminous white paint.

Calibers (Movements)

• Omega Cal. 1481: The primary movement for the 166.098 is Omega’s caliber 1481 – a self-winding (automatic) caliber with date and 17 jewels. This is the caliber shown in Omega’s official data for ref. 166.0098, and many auction and dealer descriptions confirm a caliber 1481 (quick-set date in later examples) was fitted. A serial number on a known example dates it to ~1972
• Omega Cal. 1480: Some vintage listings also cite caliber 1480 (17 jewels) in the ref. 166.0098, described as a “full rotor” automatic (non-quickset) variant. It appears 1480/1481 were closely related auto calibers used in these Geneve automatics.
• All movements are full-rotor automatics with date, no other types exist for the ref. 166.098 are documented.

Hands Styles and Lume

• Hour/Minute Hands: Typically slim “pencil” or dauphine-shaped baton hands. On steel/silver models they are polished silver or black-accented; on gold-capped models they are gold-tone. Many hands have luminous paint inserts or stripes (touched with tritium lume). For example, some silver-dial models use black-on-gold pencil hands with lumed centers, while others use simple white-lumed batons (as on the blue and black dials).
• Seconds Hand: A fine central seconds hand – usually black or matching metal. In photographs and descriptions, steel cases often have a black seconds hand, whereas gold-capped watches may have a gold seconds hand (or sometimes black on a light dial). The seconds hand contrasts for easy reading.
• Luminous Details: Tritium lume was applied to the hands and indices on many variants (as indicated by “luminous” in Omega’s data and observed patina on vintage pieces). Where present, the lume has aged to a creamy or pale yellow tone under UV light.

Other Characteristics

• Caseback: All models use a solid screw-down stainless steel caseback (with water-resistant construction). The backs are generally plain (sometimes marked “Waterproof” or with reference codes) and not display type. Some back references note only “Stainless Steel” or “Acier Inoxydable,” with no Omega logo. The screw-in design (two-piece case) was typical for Omega dress watches of the time.
• Bracelets/Straps: Originally these watches came on 18 mm straps or bracelets. Most surviving examples are fitted with leather straps (Omega-branded buckles or aftermarket straps). Auction records and old catalogs indicate both leather (black or brown) and flat-link stainless steel bracelets were used. No special integrated bracelet was unique to this model. The clasp or buckle is usually simple (some Omega-signed).
• Dimensions: Approximately 35 mm case diameter (excl. crown) by ~12 mm thick. Lugs are straight and drilled. The overall style is clean and slim-bezelled, giving a broad dial view (a “chunky” wrist presence in photos. despite slim profile).

Notable Variations: Beyond case material and dial color, no separate sub-models (e.g. chronographs) share this reference. All 166.098 examples are date-automatics. Some exist with quick-set date (1481) and others without (1480). The presence or absence of luminous material, or the choice of dial color, are the main variations. A rare black-dial version with white indices has been documented. Otherwise, the watches are standard Geneve dress models of the era. (Modern reissues or homages are outside this scope.)

Summary: The ref. 166.098 is a classic early-1970s Omega dress watch – a sturdy 35 mm automatic-date in the Genève line. It was made in steel and gold-capped cases, with silver, blue, gold, or black dials and simple baton indices. Its movements (cal. 1481/1480) were Omega’s reliable self-winding calibers of the time. It represents Omega’s mid-century Geneva heritage and 1970s design ethos of high-quality yet understated timepieces.