Quick Take
This is the Seamaster 300M you know and love, but with a number of important updates. In true Omega form, the above image only shows roughly a third of the 14 new Seamasters (!) that are launching at Baselworld this week. There are six models in steel and eight more in some version of two-tone, and the case is now 42mm wide, with a wave dial in the front and a modern Master Chronometer Caliber 8800 ticking within.
Initial Thoughts
Aesthetically, this is not a reinvention of the Seamaster by any means. And some 25 years in, you either like the skeleton hand Seamaster design or you don't. For fans of the look, there are a number of subtle changes that re-establish this long-standing diver as a modern member of the Omega lineup. The case is slightly larger (42mm vs 41mm), but the lovely turned lugs remain, along with an updated cone-shaped helium escape valve (HeV) at ten o'clock. While Omega says this new shape allows the HeV to be operated underwater, I cannot think of a single reason why you would want to unscrew your HeV while actively underwater. It's possible that the new design requires a greater explanation as to its function (maybe it's for gloves? or for a better grip when wet?), but HeVs should only be opened in very specific scenarios, and none of them involve the watch being underwater. Expect an update on this later in the week.
The new Omega Seamaster 300M models replica watch also have updated ceramic bezels with either Ceragold or white enamel inlays. Ceramic continues to the dial, where we also see a return to the wave pattern (something I always loved about my 2254.50), though the use of ceramic makes for a much shinier expression of this design. While similar in concept, the open hands have been updated and the date has migrated to six o'clock, now featuring a color-matched date wheel. Viewed from behind, a sapphire display case back shows what is likely the most considerable update, the inclusion of a METAS-certified Master Chronometer 8800 movement.
Seamaster devotees will recall that the range has been host to several movements over the years, including the ETA-based Omega Caliber 1120 and, most recently, a Co-Axial 2500 that is essentially based on the same original movement (though considerably modified by Omega). With the new Seamaster 300M employing the Master Chronometer 8800, Omega is continuing to phase out their older movements in favor of their more cutting-edge in-house hardware.
While we're certainly looking forward to seeing these new divers in the metal, looking at both the black dial and the blue dial versions (the most common in the lineage of the Seamaster 300M), they look like a welcome update to a well-loved model in Omega's lineup. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Omega has sought to apply the core competencies they have developed over the past 25 years, including mixed uses of ceramic and a Co-Axial movement that is highly protected against magnetism. The Seamaster is dead. Long live the Seamaster (and the wave dial).
The Basics
Brand: Omega
Model: Seamaster Professional Diver 300M
Diameter: 42mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Black, blue, or silver
Indexes: Applied, luminous
Lume: Super-LumiNova on markers and hands
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Matching bracelet or integrated rubber strap, both with fold-over extending dive clasp.
The Movement
Caliber: Omega Master Chronometer Caliber 8800
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date
Power Reserve: 55 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 3.5 Hz (25,200 vph)
Jewels: 35
METAS Certified Master Chronometer
Additional Details: Antimagnetic and featuring a co-axial escapement
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