Identifying an 861 Service Dial

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861 speedmasters are the most accessable and easily maintained of all the watches covered on this site – they offer the best comprimise between value and durability.

However even these watches will loose value with a service dial. A service dial is an Omega made, and supplied replacement dial with a different specification to the original. These were fitted some time after 1994 when tritium was phased out, and these dials have no T marks each side of SWISS MADE, and no step.

The reason this destroys the attraction is that the dial is the heart of the watch, and a new dial is without any of the charm I seek in a vintage watch. On the 861 dials, it is easy to spot as ALL 861’s carried T marks up to about 1994. (Well beyond the scope of this site).

On the left is an original, tritium, stepped 861 dial. On the right is the superluminova service replacement
On the left is an original, tritium, stepped 861 dial. On the right is the superluminova service replacement

The differences are that the serice dial has:

  • No T marks
  • No step between the minute track and the central plate
  • Superluminova for the markers

Superluminova is so much more effective than old tritium that spotting it is as simple as switching off the lights:

This shot was taken after switching off the lights, without changing the camera settings. The bright marks easily give away the superluminova
This shot was taken after switching off the lights, without changing the camera settings. The bright marks easily give away the superluminova

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