Omega Seamaster 60 Ref. 166.062 Blue Big Crown

Omega’s relationship with underwater exploration is one of the defining chapters in the history of the modern dive watch. From the introduction of the Seamaster in 1948 to the development of increasingly specialised instruments, the brand progressively refined its approach to water resistance, legibility and reliability. During the 1960s, as recreational scuba diving expanded beyond military and professional circles, Omega responded with watches designed for a new generation of divers, combining practical engineering with the more expressive proportions and colours of the period.

Introduced in this context, the Omega Seamaster 60 occupies an interesting position in the evolution of the collection. Conceived as a compact diving watch with a depth rating of 60 metres, it reflects a transitional moment in underwater watchmaking: a time when dive watches were becoming everyday instruments, equally at home beneath the surface and on the wrist away from the water. Its distinctive oversized crown, which earned the model the collector nickname “Big Crown”, gives the design a particularly purposeful character, while the coloured dial and rotating bezel connect it to the adventurous aesthetic of late-1960s and early-1970s sports watches.

This example, reference 166.062, dates to 1970 and features a blue dial matched with a blue bezel. The combination gives the watch a cohesive, unmistakably period character, capturing the nautical palette that became central to the visual identity of diving watches. The generous crown reinforces its functional design, while the 37 mm steel case offers balanced proportions that distinguish the Seamaster 60 from larger, more specialised professional divers.

Inside, the automatic Omega caliber 565 belongs to the respected 5xx family of movements that helped establish the brand’s reputation for robust, well-engineered everyday mechanics. Featuring a date complication and an automatic winding system, it represents the mature development of Omega’s post-war movement architecture. The serial number, in the 30.7 million range, is consistent with production around 1970.

The tritium luminous material on the dial and bezel belongs to the watch’s original period specification, linking it directly to the era in which it was made. The blue dial and bezel are complemented by the Omega steel bracelet, reference 1125, fitted with reference 560 end links, a configuration that suits the watch’s original sporting purpose.

The Seamaster 60 captures a distinctive phase in dive-watch history, when technical functionality and the emerging lifestyle appeal of underwater sports began to converge. Neither an oversized professional instrument nor a conventional dress watch, it represents the versatile side of Omega’s diving heritage: a compact, colourful and mechanically accomplished sports watch with a design language firmly rooted in the early 1970s.