Omega Seamaster Polaris. Vintage watches

In the period around 1982-1995 Omega had a series of watches of which I find one especially attractive, the late generation Titanium multifunction variant

I like the ‘smart‘ functionality of the time where the dial can also go black hiding the golden characters completely, leaving an elegant 7mm thin classic watch.

Holes in LCD

In the 1987 catalogue p9 it can be seen that the early multifunction variants had an inner circle

even the black one. Making it less attractive than the later one(s) with a full dial LCD with a hole for the hands. Here in 1991. This one with a broken display gives us a view into how it is made, holes in displays are not new:

The Polaris exists with different sizes, calibers and dials, and in different case materials.

I know of the three sizes: “Ladies”, “Men” and “XL”

And have seen (pictures of) these case combinations

• Titanium with gold inlay
• Gold with titanium inlays
• Gold with titanium and diamonds inlays
• Titanium with palladium inlays
• Stainless steel with Gold inlays

The backs also vary over time. The early ones with a flat back and the later having a relief Semaster logo, and some of these with gold.

The steel/titanium was brushed up, to give it a mate finish, so it can be difficult to distinguish the two on photos. In the hand the titanium is substantially lighter of course.

The bracelet exists in various matching combinations, I know of

• Titanium
• Titanium with solid gold centre-links
• Gold with titanium centre links
• Stainless steel
• Stainless steel with gold capped centre links

(With the width matching the case size of course)

The stainless steel+gold bracelet has the centre links with a gold cap similar to the inlay in the case. I have not tried to test the depth on the specimen I have had in my hands… but in the 1987 German price catalogue there is a substantial price difference (1250 vs 2300 DM) and it is (translated) called “…with gold inlays in case and in band” in German “… mit goldintarsien im Gehaüsa und im Band“, so not merely gold plated.

The early titanium bands came with the buckle of the Stainless-steel one (note the colour difference of the double link of the clasp), only being given a special ‘butterfly’ buckle in a later generation. Also note the plain back with text on the early one, and the relief on the later.

  vs

The calibers exist in a variety where at least the ‘Olympic’ 1988 Calgary/Seoul one is in the XL edition only, and the lady-size is with plain time and time&date only

• Cal. 1665, Multifunction, LCD-display, For early version both grey and black exist.
• Cal. 1460 Plain time
• Cal. 1380&1109 Plain time with date at 3-o’clock
• Cal. 1449 GMT variant with extra 24h hand, and date at 3-o’clock
• Cal. 1444 Chrono with two small dials for weekday and day
• Cal. 1675&1154, Chrono with seven hands and two buttons and date at 3-o’clock
• Cal. 1670 Olympic with seven hands, two LCD-windows and four buttons

Some got the hour dots as fluorescent , and some got diamonds.

And apart from that the models have been varied from the early to the late, e.g. look closely at these three

The first got a slighter smaller dial (larger gold bezel), and the next two got different date-wheel colour, I do not know the chronology.

The ids used for Omaga watches are a bit odd. They got a ref number that describes the total combination of case and bracelet, but they ALSO got a numbering system for the case and caliber. The first two characters describe the case material, I know of these
TB=Titanium with yellow gold
TR=Titanium with red gold
DB=Steel with yellow gold

and this is followed by a two part number, e.g. “DB 386.0822” for the case and caliber type, here a few as I understand them:
386.0820 Men, multifunction caliber 1665, from 1986
386.0822 Men, multifunction caliber 1665, from 1988
386.0823 Men, multifunction caliber 1665, from 1990-1995?
386.0885 XL, multifunction caliber 1665, from 1993

The bracelets also got a numbering system…. see e.g. this

The total combination got a Ref number, that could be e.g. “25405000” (that I think was called “2540.50” in the US to increase the confusion) and this is a “DB 386.822” (or 823? not sure) with a “DB 1455/448” steel bracelet with gold on centre links. (see this)

There is a table here that describes that numbering system, though it emphases that Omega was not consistent in this…

These are representative for the different cases, calibers and dials I know of:

These are representative for the different bands and backs I know of.

Blasphemy?

I know it is sort of blasphemy in a post on real watches to mention, but there actually ARE a few smart watches out there that more or less look like proper watches!

There are many that heads on ONLY look like a proper watch, but almost all those are two watches thick!!! (and with a horrible stamina)

There are a few exceptions like the T8 and R18, … Unfortunately only cheap Chinese smartwatches, and not exclusive watches, so no sapphire or other ‘vital’ things to be seen as a proper watch. None of the offered hybrids with proper hands has a decent size, though you could say that was exactly what Omega (and others) did decades back with a watch like the Seamaster Polaris. I bet Omega today could make a modern smartwatch in the same body if they chose to…