176.002 ST – SPEEDMASTER MARK III

General Description –

The Mark III is an important piece, in that it is the first automatic Speedmaster. It was also aggressively bold in design. Omega referred to the as part of the “pilot” design family, like the flightmaster that came before it, but the Mark III’s design is like a flightmaster cranked up to 11, with steeper angles that make it resemble a traffic cone or volcano. Omega referred to the shape as “anatomic” in that it was designed for comfort to conform to the shape of the human wrist. It also looks like there’s an inch between the crystal and the dial.

Omega promoted the Mark III heavily alongside the traditional Moonwatch and the Mark II, which itself looked big and bold until the Mark III came along. Omega advertised it from 1972 through 1975, and it came in multiple dial colors. Interestingly, Omega labelled some later versions of the Mark III as “professional”, though I’ve never seen anything to indicate why it was initially not considered “professional” but later switched.

The 002 only came in steel, and there are six dial variants (Type D and Type E) that collectors could reasonably hope to find. A seventh dial (D1) was pictured frequently in marketing materials, but I’ve never actually seen one in the wild. That dial may have been a prototype or a test dial that never made it into production.

Seamasters in a 176.002 case?

This question comes up often and has for years. A Type A Seamaster dial is pictured in A Journey Through Time and described to the precursor of the Mark III. Since AJTT is generally considered an authoritative source, it has opened the door for people to assume other Seamaster dials found in 002 cases were legitimate.

My opinion is that 176.002 is a Speedmaster Mark III reference, period. I am skeptical of any other dials in that case, including the one in AJTT. I have no proof, but when asked for my opinion I answer honestly and share my skepticism.

At the end of the day, I believe that 176.002 is a Speedmaster reference.
Ref. 176.002 with a Seamaster dial as pictured in A Journey Through Time. At the end of the day, I believe that 176.002 is a Speedmaster reference.

Caseback and Maker

For more information on casebacks, case manufacturers, and their maker’s marks, see the Caseback Collector’s Guide.

Notice that despite being a Speedmaster, both caseback variants say “Seamaster”. Remember that the Speedmaster family is an offshoot of the Seamaster family.

Variant 1

Maker: EPSA (diving bell symbol)

Caseback design: Circle surrounding lightly engraved SEAMASTER, Hippocampus logo, Omega symbol

Variant 2

Maker: EPSA (diving bell symbol)

Caseback design: Larger lightly engraved Hippocampus logo, Omega symbol, SEAMASTER

Specs

002

Production Estimates, Dates & Serial Number Range

The Mark III is the second most common cal. 1040 watch, following only the ref. 176.007. I estimate Omega made 16,000 of them. The production dates I’ve seen on Extracts are all from 1972 and 1973, but the serial numbers span the range of 1040 production, from 31,641,XXX to 38,298,XXX. They were advertised through 1975 so were likely in production for most of the cal. 1040 run.

**For more recent 176.002 serial number data, head over to the interactive serial number chart and filter by reference.

22

It should be noted that serial numbers of the 176.002 (Mark III) and 176.009 (Mark IV) do overlap, and both watches were advertised side-by-side, so there is no evidence that the Mark IV replaced the Mark III.

002-eoa

Collectors Should Look For

  • Case condition is critical. I suspect that the grade of steel used in this era is more susceptible to scratches than the steel used on modern Omegas. Look for the original sunburst finish and sharp edges. Evidence of over-polishing is easy to spot via soft or rounded edges.
  • The Mark III case can occasionally be found with horizontal or circular brushing as well. Both case finishes are correct.
  • Look for Type D or E dials. I believe any other dial to be a later replacement.
  • The earliest Mark IIIs were not designated as Professionals, sometime around 1973 the non-professional dials were discontinued. Read more here.
  • Type E dials and bezels show more wear than the 007 Seamaster Type A counterparts, which could be a result of the case/crystal design (just my speculation).
  • Crystals show more wear than most models as well. Look for crystals without cracking on the edges.
  • Hands should be either standard stick or needle/syringe tip, but should show age or lume deterioration in most cases.
  • There are six dials commonly found, but I haven’t observed any one variant being more popular, rare or valuable. It is just important to make sure the bezel and hands are appropriate for the dial.

From My Collection

176.002 ST – Speedmaster Mark III Pre-Professional, Telemetre

This was my first Mark III, which at the time completed my steel 1040 collection. It took me so long because the vast majority of Mark IIIs available for sale in the past few years have had issues: overpolished cases, cases with severe dents and dings, service rotors, damaged dials, mismatched hands…the few that were in acceptable condition were usually severely overpriced.

I tend to go for pieces with at least one unusual or uncommon attribute, and this one has a few of those. The bezel has a telemetre scale and has faded in parts to a purplish color. The E3 dial is “pre-professional”, which matches with the earlier needle/syringe style minute hand. The case is a nice example of the horizontal-grain brushed finish, which appears on some Mark IIIs in period ads and some other “pilot” styled cases of the time like flightmasters or Big Blues. Interestingly the horizontal finish appears to be a legitimate but less common variant in all of these cases.

The serial number on this one is 34241XXX, and it came on a 1162 bracelet with straight 172 ends.

176.002 ST – Speedmaster Mark III Professional, Tachymetre

Knowing how hard it is to find a Mark III in great condition with a reasonable asking price, I jumped on this one just because. It is different in enough ways to set it apart from my other Mark III (dial color, bezel function). Like my first Mark III it has horizontal brushing, but it is in even better condition.

The dial is a D3 professional dial, and is in mint condition, with attractive patina. The hands are the earlier needle style with matching lume. This one came on a weird aftermarket oyster-style bracelet with solid links paired with a vintage Omega bracelet. A little weird but it sort of works.

The serial number on this one is 32936XXX.