Just to make the point, I’m not a James Bond fan boy (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I do have a military background however, so I do have a bias / preference towards military inspired dive watches. These are my thoughts and impression of this piece after 1 week of ownership. I’ve been down the Omega Seamaster Professional route once before, having owned a blue dial “Bond” 2531.80. To be honest there were just too many polished surfaces, I did not like the bracelet at all. Since then I really have had “no time to try” another Omega SMP, until this Omega Seamaster 300m 007 Edition came along.
To say I’ve tried a variety of dive watches in my time is an understatement. Whilst flipping in and out of dive watches is not great, it has enabled me to identify key features which I really appreciate in a dive watch. For me, this iteration of the Omega Sea Master Professional has everything I look for in a luxury sports watch and despite the hefty price tag, having looked at it and tried it on multiple times at the local AD, I just had to pick it up.
The first element of this watch which caught my eye was the dial and bezel. The matte dark brown anodised aluminium dial which is cambered around the perimeter to the minute track is a subtle detail I really dig. I love the balance of the no date dial format, the applied tan coloured indices really pop. The skeletonised sword hands are finished brilliantly. The touches of red to the dial text and tip of the seconds are another nice touch. A lot of people get hot and bothered by “faux patina”, I just see a tan colour scheme which I think works really well in this particular piece. The dial text is clear and balanced. I do think the co-axial master chronometer text could have been omitted from the dial. I quite like the broad arrow on the dial, although I understand it’s not for everyone.
The domed sapphire crystal is beautiful and demonstrates subtle dial distortion. The anodised aluminium bezel with again tan inlay is crisp and highly legible. The unidirectional bezel has a definite crisp action and is lumed. Overall I think the dial is highly legible, balanced and really well done. The crystal and bezel are equally impressive to me. In low light conditions, the lumed dial and bezel are torch like and last for a sustained period of time. The crown is well protected and has a smooth action as you would expect. The helium escape valve, doesn’t really bother me. I guess it wouldn’t be a Sea Master Professional if it wasn’t there.
The case dimensions I think are spot on. Grade 2 titanium, 42mm diameter, lug to lug 49mm, case thickness 13mm. Coming from a Tudor Pelagos (14mm), this piece seems to sit with a lower profile which is odd given it\’s only 1mm height difference. The case back is well adorned with mil spec text often seen with government issued watches. It really doesn’t add a whole lot in my opinion and I’d rather it not be there. A small 007 is engraved on the case back, which is a relief. I purchased this watch with the shark mesh bracelet, which is an amazing piece of kit to behold. Having said that I’ve been wearing mine on a black Omega NATO strap which is simply sublime.
I’ll be honest, I’m not a total movement nerd, suffice to say that I shouldn’t have to worry about accuracy or magnetic fields. With a power reserve of 55 hours, I think that’s plenty to keep out of trouble. So, at one week in I’ve had this piece on pretty much non-stop. It’s taken a few trips to the beach and in the surf and I’m absolutely stoked with this piece. If you get a chance, go take a look at the Omega Seamaster 300m 007 Edition.
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