The Omega PloProf 1200M Summer Blue watch hands-on

Introduction

Part of a collection introduced last year to mark the Seamaster’s 75^th anniversary, the PloProf holds a unique place among diving watches. Regarded as a legendary timepiece, it has always attracted thanks to its weird shape, which speaks volumes as much as the original project’s development.

Engineered with COMEX, the “Plongeur Professional” involved the best engineers and deserves a separate chapter. The PloProf Summer Blue is its contemporary and ultimate execution, the closest homage to the original model in form and function, and everything an enthusiast, us included, could ever ask for since the first contemporary collection broke cover in 2009.

One-piece case and O-Megasteel

The Summer Blue edition set the perfect background to bring the PloProf where it all started. The 2009 model hit the spot, yet not as boldly as expected, for not being faithful to the first PloProf despite adopting Omega’s state-of-the-art technology back then.

Nonetheless, as tested by most specialised media, the first reissue was an excellent professional diving watch, housing the ultra-precise and stable 8500 movement.

It all started in 2009

In 2009, Omega had just started the technological journey that now represents the pinnacle of the industry in mechanisms and materials. However, that model was as good as miles away from a 1970s PloProf, and such a gap had grown until 2023, when Omega wrote everything off.

The PloProf Summer Blue draws inspiration from the original as never before. The case is a one-piece core and outperforms the now-old collection from any angle.

Forget the sharp edges and beefy surfaces. They are now replaced by a mixture of concave surfaces and rounded edges, which feel much like the 1970s as they offer rich details.

For instance, look at the re-engineered screw-down crown, surrounded by thin lugs bracing the Omega logo. The new design streamlines the whole left case, making it sleeker.

What a pity the solid case back is not wholly flat; that visible step might affect comfort during extended use.

An excellent design work

The recipe is flawless; the Isofrane-type strap with “PLOPROF” wording and a tang buckle adds everything an Omega PloProf supporter could have ever asked for. There you have it; the new PloProf is indeed an excellent design work.

No more nostalgia as you explore the PloProf specifications. The Summer Blue PloProf adopts the brand’s O-Megasteel alloy, whose PREN index and high hardness, according to Omega, ensure superior shine and resistance compared to comparable watches in AISI 316L or 904L.

At 55 x 45 mm, the watch is huge on paper, but give yourself a chance and try it. A PloProf deserves a wrist check before any final statement.

The Omega caliber 8219

Cutting-edge on the outside and inside, the PloProf Summer Blue houses the Master Chronometer-certified calibre 8219, entirely decorated with Côtes de Arabesque on bridges, balance wheel, and winding mass. It is no longer visible, but there is hardly a better and more precise mechanical movement within this product category and beyond.

While we cannot appreciate it through a transparent case, PloProf now pays us back with a one-piece case. Again, that is what we asked for. I think the opposite, i.e., the phased-out edition with a see-through case back and titanium case, was controversial.

The Omega PloProf Summer Blue pictured here is the only option for sale and is listed among the Heritage models. However, a helium escape valve on a timepiece designed to provide waterproofness and helium-proofness sounds strange. Please prove me wrong, but Omega could have adopted the same design approach as the Ultra Deep.

Final thoughts

There are many options for joining Omega as a customer, and the PloProf is undoubtedly the most daring. If you like the watch and know its story, this is a choice you will not regret and one that will preserve its charm for decades. I can hardly consider it a one-watch-collection choice, but nothing is comparable to a PloProf.

Build quality and details are top-notch. Look at the knurled profile atop the bidirectional rotating bezel lock-and-release button. The summer blue shade on the dial and bezel is elegant, too, despite being an inch too modern-ish for a timepiece this vintage.

The 15,900 Euro asking price is much money for a luxury diving watch, but this PloProf will be produced in limited numbers and possibly phased out quickly.

That said, there are some options, price-wise. As far as Omega is concerned, my first one might be a more mainstream and even more professional Ultra Deep or an equally vintage-looking Speedmaster 321. There are plenty of options from the competition to choose from but one thing is unquestionable: no watch is like the PloProf. Period.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)

Giovanni Maria Di Biase @Horbiter®