Orange is the new black – or in this instance, orange adds to the black in the case of Omega’s newest Seamaster Diver 300M!
The Omega Seamaster Diver is a modern icon of the watch world, ever since Pearce Brosnan strapped it to his wrist in Goldeneye. While the Seamaster has been around for quite some time prior, it wasn’t until 1993 that it was re-vamped, and then shot into pop culture status in 1995 thanks to 007. We’ve seen it evolve over the years, and in 2018, it got a refresh with a shiny ceramic look – the dial being polished ceramic with laser etched waves, and a more modern ceramic bezel. Then in 2023, Omega released the next generation of SMP with the addition of the 60th Anniversary of James Bond, which was tested to an extent with the No Time To Die model Daniel Craig wore to celebrate his final outing as Bond that was released in 2019 in anticipation of the movie that was inevitably delayed thanks to COVID.
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Now, Omega has doubled down on this new design, which takes the great neo-vintage cues from the models from the 90s, and blends with the new models we’re used to today, now featuring domed sapphire crystals, and oxalic anodised aluminium bezels. And gone are the waves on the dial, replaced with a textured black aluminium dial and less the date at 6 o’clock. Since the full titanium No Time To Die and the subsequent 60th Anniversary model, Omega has added to the lineup with standard production models in steel, Bronze Gold, and Bronze Gold with Titanium. Now, Omega adds their trademark orange colour to the Seamaster Diver 300M on a steel bracelet and a bright orange strap!
We recently had the chance to get these models out and about to see how they look outdoors, and they are good-looking watches. Omega has taken the new look and rather than playing around with the design and colours too much, decided that restraint was in order – as much as bright orange is restrained, that is. Featuring orange varnished outlined indices at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions, a bright varnished orange seconds hand and the “Seamaster” logo in orange, the look is different enough to be fun, but not too in your face (if on the steel bracelet that is).
On the steel strap, the watch looks familiar and not too different from the standard black variant. It is a good option for those who want the look of the mesh bracelet and a more understated piece. Still in the 42mm steel case that is 13.8mm thick and 49.7mm lug-to-lug, it wears nicely on most wrists. Thanks to the design, the watch has never felt too big, at least on my 17.5cm wrist, and even on Champ’s smaller 16.5cm wrist, it seems just as fitting.
On the rubber strap, this is a much more flamboyant piece. Why orange? Simply put, it is a colour that is super visible under water when diving – one reason Omega has used this in the past on models like the Seamaster Planet Ocean and PloProf. My personal thoughts are, the rubber strap does wear a little better on the wrist, and with Omega, you could always opt to purchase a black strap if the orange isn’t up your alley. But, coming into summer in the Southern Hemisphere, it could prove to be the colour of the summer…
Inside is the standard Omega Calibre 8806. An automatic movement with 55 hours of power reserve. While this isn’t large by today’s standards, with many brands now adopting at least 70/72 hour power reserves, the Seamaster is designed to be a daily, so as such, the 55 hours is not going to be an issue for many people. But what it lacks in power it makes up for in accuracy with a METAS certified movement. My 2020 Seamaster was still to this day, one of the most accuracte watches I’ve owned, only gaining about 1 second per day on average.
Initial Thoughts
I’ve always been a bit of an Omega Seamaster fan, thanks to the aforementioned 007 GoldenEye movie I first wathed as a teenager, and subsequent hours spent playing the video game on the Nintendo 64. And yes, I’ve owned a couple, which I wrote about in my “Owners Persepetive” review. That being said, I always had a soft spot for the OG from 1995, and while I loved the new models, this newer more vintage inspired version is just that little bit better.
The aluminium bezel taes me back to a simpler time, and with these models, the graduated dive scale is also lumed, so you get an added bit of extra nighttime visibility. The domed crystal looks great, especially on the dial that is now textured aluminium as opposed to the ceramic laser etched waves. I’m still not a huge fan of the steel mesh bracelet as it will fit certain wrists better than others thanks to the lack of flexibility, so I would opt for the rubber over this. But I would get both a black and orange strap so I can be both loud and proud, or a little more subtle. Overall, this is new Seamaster Diver 300M adds some colour to the current collection, and gives people another choice to consider.
Reference: 210.30.42.20.01.018 (Steel) / 210.32.42.20.01.006 (Rubber)
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 42mm x 13.8mm thick x 49.7mm lug-to-lug
- Case Material: Brushed & Polished steel
- Dial: Matte black sandblasted dial with rhodium plated indices filled with Super-LumiNova. Orange Varnish on seconds hand and 12, 3, 6 & 9 o’clock markers
- Crystal: Domed scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal with anti‑reflective treatment on both sides
- Water resistance: 300m (30BAR)
- Movement: Calibre 8806, METAS certified and anti-magnetic up to 15,000 gauss
- Power reserve: 55 hours
- Strap/Bracelet: Choice of steel mesh bracelet with push-button folding clasp or orange rubber strap with foldover pushbutton clasp.