THE ALL NEW OMEGA SEAMASTER

Easily one of the strongest new high-end wristwatch product offerings for 2018 is the updated Omega Seamaster Diver 300M.

Originally launched during 1993, the Seamaster is today a truly iconic model for Omega. At the time in the early 1900s it was meant to reassert Omega’s relevance but also their distinctive design ethos.

In fact, the Seamaster 300M was supposed to NOT look like the Rolex Submariner – which at the time dozens and dozens of watches did indeed look like.

The first companies to copy Rolex did so with their own name, but Omega wanted to be more than just like Rolex, it wanted to be something totally refreshing and contemporary in its approach to a late 20th century luxury timepiece.

It is important to talk about the original Seamaster 300M design because the new, for 2018, updated models celebrate those core values and aesthetics that made the original so popular.

And Omega had big marketing plans for the Seamaster 300M when it was new. The Seamaster 300M was the Bond watch during the 1990s and remains the James Bond 007 official wrist watch today.

One of the most iconic design elements of the Omega Seamaster 300M is the manual helium release valve located at 10 o’clock on the case.

This feature always draws anyone’s attention to those who notices it. “What does that crown do?” is a common question.

The answer? It aids specialised commercial divers to be able to wear a watch in a decompression chamber after a deep dive, and they won’t have a worry that the crystal may “pop” out because of helium molecules that want to escape the case.

Nevertheless, the job that the Seamaster 300M was designed for, is communicated to the wearer of old and new generation models with the presence of a crown that most people will never need to touch.

And for the new 2018 models, those helium release valves can be unscrewed and the watch will still be water-resistant to 50m (a new feature).

Omega has been continually producing at least some form of the Seamaster 300M for the last 25 years.

Don’t forget that Omega have added dive watch lines to the Seamaster collection over the years including the dressier Seamaster Planet Ocean, and the vintage-style Seamaster 300. It remains an excellent all-purpose mechanical sport watch.

In my humble opinion, that wonderful dial with its distinctive hands and hour markers is a design that has aged beautifully.

Over the years, of looking at other sport watch dials, you appreciate that Omega made something with the enduring power of a Seamaster – and now with a contemporary and active feel to it.

Everything about the Seamaster 300M is new for 2018……

Omega however have produced a number of two-tone steel and 18k Sedna (rose) or yellow gold models. These two-tone Seamaster 300M models

For a long time, Titanium Seamaster 300M models complimented the steel ones. The modern generation, for 2018, have one Titanium model – a limited edition piece produced in Titanium, Sedna gold, and Tantalum.

To examine the important details of the 2018 Seamaster 300M watches let’s begin by looking at the movement.

It goes without saying that Omega has included the Seamaster 300M into its family of Master Chronometer watches, which means it contains an in-house made METAS certified “Co-Axial Master Chronometer” movement.

The movement is the Omega caliber 8800 automatic. Operating at 3.5Hz (25,200bph) with a co-axial escapement, the caliber 8800 has a power reserve of 55 hours, uses a silicon hairspring and non-magnetic parts giving the movement a super high resistance to magnetic fields.

One change to the Seamaster 300M dial for the 2018 models is the position of the date window, which is now at a more symmetrical position at 6 o’clock (versus 3 o’clock).

Omega also tells us that new rules exist saying that dive watches need to have luminous points at all 12 hour markers.

Thus, the Seamaster 300M has a small hour marker under the date window. According to these new rules, the Submariner would not pass given that on most models the date window replaces the hour indicator at 3 o’clock.

So, in conclusion, when looking for your next watch, that special treat, or the piece that you want to grow old with, the Omega Seamaster MUST be one that you put on the list.

An icon just got better, a lot better.