Dive masters: Omega’s ocean-inspired timepieces
The new Seamaster family from the Swiss luxury brand explores the depth of its diving watch expertise — satisfied customers include James Bond and the Prince of Wales. By Joanne Glasbey
Omega has been making waves since the Marine, its debut diving watch, was launched in 1932. Over the years the Swiss house has created professional-level timepieces that have been used for depth-defying ocean exploration in engineering feats that can withstand crushing underwater pressures as well as satisfy those seeking swimmer style.
With its patented double case sealed with cork to keep out water, the Marine was tested at 73m under Lake Geneva, and five years later laboratory tests found it to be waterproof at a depth of 135m. This set the bar for further development. Throughout the Second World War, work continued to improve water resistance, anti-magnetism and robustness, producing watches that were able to withstand the harshest conditions, with more than 110,000 delivered to the UK Ministry of Defence for Royal Air Force and Navy pilots.
In 1948, the battle-proven technology was paired with elegant design and launched as the Seamaster collection. Described as a waterproof watch “for town, sea and country”, it has been popular ever since for its diving credentials, cool looks and versatile style. While Seamasters have starred in some of the world’s deepest exploratory dives, they have also been playing a supporting role on screen as James Bond’s watch of choice since Pierce Brosnan strapped one on for GoldenEye in 1995. Now there are models for swimmers, snorkellers and scuba divers. And landlubbers.
To celebrate its 75th anniversary the Seamaster has been given a revamp. There’s a refreshed range, Summer Blue, which comprises 7 models and 11 watches in total (including strap options), from dressy to supertech. Tracking water resistance in tones of blue, the dial shades deepen the further the watch descends.
The jumping-off point in the “shallow” end is a pair of sleek Aqua Terra models in sky blue with a depth rating of a not too shabby 150m. At the other end is the professional-spec Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep: this beast, with its blue-black dial, is water-resistant to 6,000m. Admittedly, the world record for a scuba dive is only 332m, but it’s like staring into the abyss. This, after all, is the watch originally created to accompany explorer Victor Vescovo in 2019 when he dived in his submersible to nearly 11,000m under the Pacific Ocean in the Mariana Trench to Challenger Deep, the deepest point on Earth. The new version features a map of that part of the ocean floor plus a hidden message commemorating the achievement: UV light on the dial reveals a circled area with the handwritten words “Omega was here”.
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Between the two extremes is the entertainingly named Ploprof (from plongeur professionnel, French for “professional diver”). The go-to watch for French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and the underwater research company Comex for its deep-sea experiments, the modern version reflects the original’s asymmetric Seventies looks.
The Seamaster Diver 300M has been worn not only by James Bond — Daniel Craig sported a sand-coloured version on a mesh bracelet in No Time to Die — but also the Prince of Wales. The anniversary iteration of the 300M has a Summer Blue varnished, wave-patterned ceramic dial, a ceramic bezel with enamel diving scale and raised indexes filled with light-blue Super-LumiNova.
All watches in the current collection are powered by Master Chronometers and each has a strikingly decorative caseback. Back in the Fifties, Omega was searching for a symbol for the Seamaster to capture its seafaring heritage. It was found in Venice, inspired by sculpted representations of Neptune’s seahorses on the city’s gondolas. For the 2023 Seamasters this emblem has been remodelled as a trident-bearing Poseidon with two seahorses — a fitting motif for these deities of the sea. omegawatches.com
