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Omega Seamaster Cosmic (Ref. 166.022) "Turler", 1970s — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Omega Seamaster Cosmic (Ref. 166.022) "Turler", 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Omega (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
OMSMCOT
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (OMSMCOT)
Catalogue title (original)
1970s Omega Seamaster Cosmic (Ref. 166.022) "Turler" (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number OMSMCOT), this is a wristwatch by Omega, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Omega has had its share of home runs over the decades to be sure, but every so often a model will unexplainably slip through the cracks and off the radars of collectors. Our eyes become so glued to the big names that we miss some incredibly unique things. And the Seamaster is a big name, absolutely, but the "Cosmic" sub-model has been extravagantly overlooked. The Cosmic comes in a variety of case shapes and fantastic dial combinations, a diverse family that deserves its time in the sun. Turler was established in 1883 by two brothers, Jean Henri and César Alexander Turler. The two brothers made a name for themselves by offering their customers the newest and most exclusive Swiss watch brands at the time; namely Omega, Longines, IWC, Vacheron Constantin, and Blancpain. After establishing themselves as one of the top retailers in Zurich Switzerland, and with the prestige the Turler name carried, they started to cosign the dials of some of the watches they offered, similar to the other well-respected retailers at the time. These Turler cosigned watches produced throughout the 20th century are now desired by collectors alike for their rarity and the provenance they carry. Stock # OMSMCOT Brand Omega Style Seamaster Cosmic Model 166.022 Serial N/A Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Silver "Turler" Millimeters 36 Bracelet Omega 1040 Brick-Link Bracelet CASE & BRACELET The unpolished 36-millimeter stainless steel case gracefully shows its 50 years of age. This is a watch that has been and is meant to still be, worn day after day. The case is sharp and beveled, featuring a sunburst finish. One of our favorite parts of this watch is the fitted end links connecting the signed Omega bracelet to the case. They were perfectly designed to complete the shape of the case and create a singular streamlined look. They even fit to the case along the same eye line as the 11 and 1 o'clock markers on the top side and the 5 and 7 o'clock markers on the bottom, achieving ease of design remarkable in its hidden simplicity. The Omega 1040 brick-link bracelet retains 19 links that show some stretch from use. DIAL & HANDS The dial is a beautiful dark silver with black inlaid stainless steel hour markers. The dial has a matte appearance but upon closer inspection, you'll see a fantastic and slightly rough texture. The silver is connected to a white outer track by the all intact and lightly aged tritium markers, a matching feature to the tritium-filled steel hands. Finally, this particular Seamaster Cosmic was retailed originally by Turler, featuring the brand's signature in bold black text at the bottom of the dial. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, previous service history is unknown.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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