General Description –
THIS WATCH IS NOT THE “JEDI”. I get that so many people call it a Jedi that it can be hard to undo but out of respect for the late Chuck Maddox, and respect for the actual cal. 861 Jedi, and out of respect for the 176.005 as a watch that can stand on its own without that nickname, I will NOT call it that, ok? Moving on…
You can recognize the 176.005’s squared case easily from across the room. It’s big and bulky and has proportions akin to a TV set, an old PC monitor, or even those old microfiche readers. This was a thing in the early 1970s as Zenith made a similar El Primero design that was known as the fernseher, German for “TV set”.
The 005 can be found in steel or gold-plated. The original brushed finish had sharp, straight edges that are obvious on well-reserved, unpolished examples. But…the design had lots of exposed metal that took a beating in examples that were worn frequently. Thus most examples you see today are either covered in scratches and nicks or have been polished to a point where the original finish is gone and the edges are softened and rounder than they should be.
The case design is up there with the Mark II 176.002 ST and the Big Blue 176.004 ST as the most “out there” 1970s designs Omega ever did. Maybe that’s why the dials are comparatively sober. The dials most associated with this case are the “wedge” dials (Type G). These are elegant dials which have less writing on the dial and applied markers and logos give the 005 a regalness to counterbalance the ruggedness of the case. The steel cases should have blue or silver dials; the gold-plated case should have brown or gold dials.
Specs
Caseback and Maker
For more information on casebacks, case manufacturers, and their maker’s marks, see the Caseback Collector’s Guide.
There is one version of the steel caseback, and two versions of the gold-plated caseback.
176.005 ST
Maker: Jean Vallon (fish/narwhal symbol)
Caseback design: Circle surrounding lightly engraved SEAMASTER, Hippocampus logo, Omega symbol
176.005 MD
Both variants of the gold-plated 176.005 I have seen are identical on the outside, but the inner caseback is varies based on the order of the text and symbols.
Variant 1
Maker: Jean Vallon (fish/narwhal symbol)
Caseback design: Circle surrounding lightly engraved SEAMASTER, Hippocampus logo, Omega symbol
Variant 2
Maker: Jean Vallon (fish/narwhal symbol)
Caseback design: Circle surrounding lightly engraved SEAMASTER, Hippocampus logo, Omega symbol
Production Estimates, Dates & Serial Number Range
I estimate that there were around 8,500 176.005 STs in steel made, and 5,500 gold-plated 176.005 MDs.
These watches appeared in ads and catalogs in 1974 and 1975. The only production date I know of was for a steel 005 in November 1974. I suspect they were made earlier though. The November 74 one had one of the highest serials I’ve seen for a 176.005 suggesting that late 74 was probably near the end of the run for this reference. Also, the Omegamania Auction in 2007 – the same one that erroneously referred to the 005 as a Jedi – had two 005 listings that it claims were sold in 1973. NOTE: I have often wondered if these sale dates were actually manufacture dates from an Extract. Either way, take their facts with a grain of salt considering they got the name of the watch wrong…
The serials for steel 005s range from 342544XX to 4092XXXX, but more than half begin with 35.
**For more recent 176.005 serial number data, head over to the interactive serial number chart and filter by reference.
Gold-plated 005s range from 345844XX to 356111XX. Ref. 176.005 MD is probably the reference with the best-defined batches based on serial numbers. Most (more than 85%) are found starting with 3468XXXX or 3469XXXX, and thus far the range 346856XX through 346874XX is nearly exclusive to this reference.
Collectors Should Look For
- Good cases seem hard to find, especial gold-plated ones. Collectors would prefer unpolished with scratches and dents to polished with chrome finish and rounded edges. Refinished (correctly) cases are out there but uncommon due to the high cost of servicing compared to market value.
- Dial Type G is the most correct. There are 005s with Type I dials (or others) out there but you have to make a judgment call as to whether that dial and case started out together that way. I have no proof either way, but consider that only Type G dials were pictured on these case in period ads.
- The printing on the bezels seem to fade or flake off on these occasionally. I believe replacement bezels are available.
- Look for serial numbers in the 34-36 million range, and particularly starting with 3468, 3469, 3559 through 3561.
- The crystals seem to attract chips and scratches, and replacing them can be tricky and requires a crystal sleeve. Read this thread and have a conversation with your watchmaker to make sure they know how to properly seal it.
- Be alert for frankens and redials. For some reason, it seems that this reference is often seen with incorrect dials – for whatever reason – more frequently than other 1040s.
From My Collection
176.005 ST – Seamaster Chronograph TV Case
Like the Mark III, these watches are hard to find in decent shape. The dial, hands, and bezel on this one are pretty close to perfect, so I opted for this one with a refinished case. The refinishing is fairly sympathetic.
176.005s are known for being difficult to find correct replacement crystals for, and I suspect mine has a non-OEM crystal that was installed with epoxy. I will have that sorted at the next service, but for now I just keep it away from water.
This one also came on a 1162 bracelet. The serial number is 35603XXX.
176.005 MD – Seamaster Chronograph TV Case – Gold Plated
This was the final piece needed to complete the collection. There is plenty of wear on the case, but it retains its original case finish, which is difficult to find on the gold plated 176.005s. The pushers and crown even retain all of the gold plating, which is not common on these.
The dial on this one is G3, probably the most common on a gold-plated 176.005. It came on the original 1175/175 Omega bracelet, which I was happy to get because there seem to be fewer and fewer matching bracelets for the gold plated models.
The serial on this one is 34689XXX.