Less than a century after the launch of its first diving watch, the Omega Marine, and most memorably the Seamaster in 1948, the brand from Biel/Bienne is back this year with another essential item in its sports-watch collection with a subtle redesign: the Seamaster Diver 300m.
The Seamaster, as its name implies, aims at mastery of the seas. And yet, the ocean, the gigantic mass of salt water that is subject to the vagaries of the weather and that separates the continents, is an element mankind cannot tame. But although it cannot be fully mastered, the sea can be harnassed using the right tools, which are personified in the world of watchmaking by several robust and reliable models.
The word “Master” is a sign of Omega’s sports collections, whether on land, on the sea or in the air, such as the Speedmaster, the Railmaster (which is now a sub-family of the Seamaster), the Flightmaster (a line that unfortunately no longer exists) and the Globemaster (part of the Constellation collection).
For 2018, 70 years after the launch of the first Seamaster, Omega wanted to revisit one of its iconic watches, the Diver 300m. This is actually a highly complex exercise, since it is always harder to make changes to an existing model, especially in terms of design, than to create a watch from scratch. We take a look at a success story that has passed through the ages with beauty.
The heir of the Marine
The history of the Seamaster is closely connected to the creation of a model named the Marine in 1932. In that year, Omega began its partnership with the Olympics as the official chronometer for the 10th games that took place in Los Angeles. The brand developed a wrist-watch for water sports, featuring a square dial and a double, moveable case and a second glass to make it water-tight – the model was tested in Lake Geneva to a depth of 73m – and to protect the crown from water and dust. In 1948, the Swiss brand launched its first Seamaster which was very different in terms of aesthetics from the Marine, but borrowed its mean technical feature, since it was watertight.
In 1957, the Seamaster 300 was officially chosen by the British Royal Navy and the following year, in 1958, the famous seahorse decorating the case backs on some models became the collection’s symbol. The figure 300 was not chosen at random: it related to the water-tightness of the watch, which could withstand immersions down to 300 m, but which didn’t prevent it reaching 365m in 1968, a world record at the time. Omega went even further in 1970 and developed the Seamaster 600, known as “ploprof” (“plongeur professionnel” or “professional diver”), which was watertight down to 600m, a watch that is still present in the collection, but can now be used in dives to a depth of 1,200m. In 2005, the Seamaster family welcomed a (future) best-seller: the Planet Ocean. It immediately attracted the Omega clientele with its revolving bezel and its orange Arabic numerals.
The diver cut out for action
1993 saw the birth of another commercial success: the Seamaster Professional Diver 300m. With a thick steel case topped with a revolving bezel featuring a time scale and the traditional luminous marker at 12 o’clock, a helium valve on the case at 10 o’clock and a dial with an easy-to-read display (hours, minutes, seconds in the centre and the date against a white background at 3 o’clock), even in the darkness of the sea depths thanks to Super-LumiNova®, the watch was quickly adopted by both amateur and professional divers. But its sturdiness and shape were also appreciated by sportsmen outside the water and by people seeking to add a dynamic touch to their outfits.
The fame of the Seamaster Professional Diver 300m really took off thanks to James Bond. In 1995, the hero created by the writer Ian Fleming (190801964), then played by the Irishman Pierce Brosnan, wore this diver watch on his wrist in the film “GoldenEye”, the 17th opus in the world-famous saga. During the film adventures of the famous spy on Her Majesty’s secret service, Bond has always worn a watch from the Seamaster collection since then, such as the Aqua Terra, the Planet Ocean or the 300. The limited editions that have been specially developed for each film are highly sought after by collectors and James Bond fans alike.
The new face of the collection
For Baselworld and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Seamaster Diver 300m, Omega has taken a fresh look at this watchmaking icon, incorporating the latest technical innovations and slightly modifying the design to give it a more modern feel, but without transforming it. A challenge that has paid off since the 14 models on display – six made of steel and eight combining steel and gold – were an instant hit with customers and journalists.
While the changes are not obvious to non-experts since they are often hidden in the details, they are still visible, especially when you put the “old” and the new version side by side. The case width has been increased and is now 42mm. The revolving, unidirectional bezel around the case is coated with blue or black ceramic, with a diving scale either made of luminous, resistant and gloss white enamel or of Ceragold™ – a technology developed by Omega and used to incrust gold in ceramics. There is also an elegant triangular market at 12 o’clock and the elements are coated with white Super-LumiNova®, proving a green glow. While the helium valve, so vital in deep-sea diving, is still at 10 o’clock on the case body, it is now cone-shaped, and so easier to use.
The dial disc is also made of blue or black ceramic or coated in PVD chrome, and decorated with the iconic wave pattern engraved by laser. The time markers are white and edged with blue, silver or gold, with alternating rectangular or round shapes, and are now bigger and raised; once plunged into darkness, they emit a strong blue glow. The blue or white minute track, divided into 12 sectors and contrasting with the dial colour, is now more clearly visible. The open-work blued, silvered or golden hands come in sword-style shapes, and have also been revisited by the designers to give a sharper outline. The phosphorescence for the minutes is now green, and blue for the hours. The same goes for the seconds, with a seconds hand featuring a red, varnished tip on the black or blue versions. The date counter is now at 6 o’clock and no longer at 3 o’clock, as on the older models.
The new Seamaster Diver 300m has a powerful engine in the calibre Co-Axial Master Chronometer, an automatic movement with the Metas certification. It runs at 25,200 vibrations an hour and supplies a power reserve of 55 hours.
Last but not least, the metal strap has also been redesigned fo improved comfort; it now has straight, brushed links matching the case and is attached to the wrist with a foldover rack-and-pusher clasp. For the models with yellow gold or red SednaTM touches, these precious colours bevel the central links.
