ChronoScope collector watches offers an oddly specific and insanely practical tool watch with a creative design, hailing from an era that dared the prevailing norms, proudly displaying a pop of vibrant colors and a newly emerged cushion shape that became undeniably iconic of the 1970s. Without further ado, say hello to an Omega Seamaster like no other: The « Soccer Timer », reference 145.019.  Since its introduction in 1948, the Seamaster lineup served as Omega’s flagship collection, with the longest production run that spans until today, showing remarkable adaptability over the years. While the world held its breath in 1969 over the moon landing, with the Speedmaster’s infamous cal.861 starring the show, Omega had other plans for it, this time on the football pitch. Legend has it, the movement was encased inside a referee-specific Seamaster, exclusively destined to measure, with the precision of rigor, the 45 minutes of a football game halftime at Mexico’s 1970s world cup. Whether this story is true or not, the watch’s mojo harkens back to the glory days of Pelé and Gerd Muller, and for that fact alone, we can only say: Yes PLEASE! This Soccer Timer is not only a piece of watchmaking history, for when a very particular design is dictated by function. It is also a great way to differentiate your wrist while getting the benefits of a legendary calibre.

Please read the condition report carefully and refer to the high-resolution pictures to help you assess the overall condition of the watch.

MODEL / REFERENCE: Omega Seamaster “Soccer Timer” chronograph, ref 145.019 with a unicorn-grade blue dial. The 29 Million serial number puts its production date to circa 1969.

DIAL+HANDS: The matte, white and deep blue dial is amazingly preserved, retaining a sharp imprint all the way to the regatta bezel, which is something to be seen on its own, for the added splash of color.

. The sunken subdials, with their multi-colored inner portions are also clean and crisp.

. The minutes totalizer at 3 o’clock is marked with a 45-minute indicator below the “30.” indicating the “special soccer” scale, hence the reference’s nickname

 .The whole surface has gently aged, resulting in a beautiful and evenly distributed patina.

. The black and red, Tritium-coated hands create an excellent contrast against the blue surface. They are in honest vintage condition, showing some age-related oxidation. The lume material is intact and has aged to acquire a vanilla color, almost matching the Tritium indexes.

. The immaculate chronograph central hand comes in white for perfect legibility.

PS: Soccer timers typically came with either a white or grey dial. A blue variant is pretty much unseen before, apart from another one, spotted at an Omega GTG in Vienna back in 2018. There is no additional documentation, so any input on this matter is more than welcome.

CRYSTAL: The hesalite crystal shows some hairline scratches and a well-pronounced Omega signature at the center.

CASE: This chronograph comes with a very modern size, boasting a 41mm tonneau-shaped case in stainless steel that’s made to last. The short lugs help a better wearability and they span 46.5 from tip to tip, giving the case nothing short of a superb wrist presence. The case remains strong, maintaining its original radial satin finish and very sharp outer lines all the way to the well defined bevels. However, it displays some wear, commensurate with age and identified by the presence of surface scratches throughout.

CASE BACK: The stainless steel, screw-down case back has six opening notches and a slim profile, leading to a more comfortable feel on the wrist. The original finish seems unaltered for almost six decades. The Seahorse medallion at the center, along with the engraved text, remain very prominent and legible. Just like the case, it is in honest vintage condition given the surface scratches throughout. The inner side is clean, perlage decorated and bears the period-correct nomenclature, including the reference number and the EPSA hallmark.

CROWNS + PUSHERS: The main winding crown and the bezel-rotating crown positioned at 10 o’clock, bear the Omega signature. The latter is likely a replacement but they both operate as intended. The pump chronograph pushers are correct. They start, stop and reset the chronograph module crisply.

MOVEMENT: Just like the Moonwatch from the same year, This Soccer Timer is animated by the cam-switched caliber 861, based on the Lemania 1873. The manually-wound, copper-finished movement features a two-button, three-register, chronograph layout. It uses running small seconds at 9 o’clock, a central seconds hand and two recording subdials positioned respectively at 3 and 6 o’clock positions. The signed movement is clean, numbered, and has been checked by our watchmaker. It winds well, ticks strong and keeps accurate time. The chronograph starts, stops and resets smoothly.

BRACELET: To comply with its sporty allure, the watch comes paired with a perforated, 22mm black leather strap, complete with its Omega-signed stainless steel pin-buckle.

ACCESSORIES: Original Omega presentation box.

WARRANTY: We guarantee the authenticity of the watch. We also provide a 12-month guarantee for the correct function of this timepiece. All guarantees are subject to the General Terms and conditions of ChronoScope Collector Watches, Switzerland.

Please feel free to ask questions, we will be glad to answer. Virtual or face-to-face viewing is available by appointment.