I should perhaps declare an interest from the outset, since the Omega Seamaster 300m is my everyday watch. Specifically, the second James Bond edition, with “Tomorrow Never Dies” engraved on the back. Anno 1997. It’s something of an infant in the Seamaster 300m collection and, yes, it shows my age. After more than twenty years one could argue that it’s time for an upgrade. For this reason, Omega’s major redesign of the Seamaster 300m last year for the 70th anniversary of the Seamaster was perfectly timed for me and – even better – it came at a thoroughly reasonable price (from 4,700 Swiss francs on the rubber strap) that is in my comfort zone when it comes to buying new watches.
And yet here comes something new, pitched to make me dig a lot deeper into my pockets but with a number of subtle differences that add even more to the Seamaster’s appeal. First there is the black ceramic case, which has gained a little weight at 43.5mm. Some purists have balked at the use of ceramic and the increase in size, but a watch’s diameter has never been much of an issue for me since my colossal 52mm Wyler Genève sits perfectly fine on my wrist and even fits under most of my shirts. Black ceramic is also used for the bezel ring with wonderfully contrasting graduations in white enamel. The refined black look continues on the dial, which is also in black ceramic, with the signature wave pattern laser engraved on it. The monochrome effect is perfect without encroaching on stealth watch territory – this is a proper diver’s watch, after all, complete with helium escape valve for saturation diving, and needs to be fit for purpose. Despite all this, however, one of my favourite things about this new Seamaster is the absence of the date at 3 o’clock, which makes the larger dial eminently more readable and logical. Who is bothered about the date at a depth of 300 metres after all?
The waves are also found on the titanium case back, which features Omega’s NAIAD LOCK system that keeps the words perfectly positioned. The sapphire crystal aperture is unusual for a diver’s watch rated to 300 metres, but affords a view of the Omega Calibre 8806 Master Chronometer movement, which meets the highest demands for precision and magnetic resistance with META master chronometer certification.
The new Seamaster 300m in black ceramic comes with a black rubber strap, which is the logical choice. But I have to admit that I’m less of a fan of rubber straps than I once was, even though I am a big diver’s watch fan. This would be the perfect opportunity, therefore, for a visit to Omega’s special site for its own NATO straps (nato.omegawatches.com) to customise the Seamaster with a fabric strap. In black, of course.
