In 2018 the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M collection underwent an extensive redesign; the current generation has premiered new materials (i.e., ceramic and tantalum) and a new powertrain, the Master Chronometer self-winding movements. The Seamaster Diver 300M first edition goes back as far as 1993; since then, the original diving watch has proved to be an iconic Omega watch, much appreciated off the diving suit as underwater, becoming a cult watch when worn by Ian Fleming's main character too.
Twenty-seven years in the making, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M has grown generation after generation to become a multi-purpose, all-around sports watch, with the Planet Ocean somehow replacing the 300M as a quintessentially professional product. In the last couple of years, Omega has unstoppably introduced new variants with the latest in a row, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition, playing as the brand's hero in a joint project aimed at preserving our marine ecosystem.
Nekton is an international non-profit foundation whose mission is to safeguard our oceans; as far as preserving the seas concerns, there are countless foundations out there, and they keep growing; it is proof positive that taking care of the environment is paramount and cannot be postponed any longer. Kudos to Omega watches for being such an active player in a project this relevant. As long as the Nekton edition concerns, it reminds a similar project carried out by Sir Peter Blake, a never-forgotten Omega's ambassador, and explorer.
Case, bracelet, and bezel; the Nekton Edition comes as a full metal diving watch: where case body and bracelet are in steel, the bezel's inlay is, surprisingly, in grade 5 titanium instead (please bear in mind that Grade 5 is harder than Grade 2 titanium, which makes it far more difficult to machine and polish). The ring features embossed and mirror-polished numerals and indexes atop a sandblasted base. Remove the date window, and Omega has built the ultimate "old school" diver's watch, a feast for the eyes of any true classic diving enthusiast. Nonetheless, the Nekton Edition is as classic looking, with its two-tone style, as it is contemporary.
When picked in steel on steel, it sports a 007 Pierce Brosnan feel to it. I can't forget when James Bond used to wear a Seamaster Diver 300M under his bespoke suite while on a mission to save the world. Thumbs up to the smooth rubber strap on pin buckle; build quality is pretty good, and it tapers around your wrist seamlessly. By contrast, the way it joins the case is odd-looking, as it takes an unusual shape from the lugs to the wrist, highlighted by two lines in relief, running all the way down to the tang buckle. I love the dial's wave pattern, achieved by the laser ablation process applied to a ceramic disc.
The Nekton's distinctively classic attitude is also in the solid case back, a must-have to any diving watch, if you ask me. Omega's designers engraved the case back with a Seamaster 2, the submarine Nekton operates when exploring the marine depths. The NAIAD Lock device, an Omega patent, ensures that all the engravings and marks of the screw-in case back remain in the right position once the case back is closed.
Powered by Master Chronometer certified Omega caliber 8806, it is unrivaled in accuracy and is not affected by any existing magnetic field. Therefore, I see the maximum 55-hour power reserve as an area of technical improvement or the only weak point in such a compelling scenario.
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition measures 42mm, across, but its acceptable thickness, in the benchmark, is among the top-rated Seamaster Diver 300M's winning factors; a rare combination of reasonable size and a professional diver's pedigree made the Seamaster Diver 300M such a longstanding success. With this all-metal stripped-down design, it looks more like a 40mm diving watch. If you are going to ask me which option would I pick myself, I'll go for the steel on steel, no doubt. At a 300 Euros premium price (6,200 Euros Vs. 5,900 Euros), the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition reference 210.30.42.20.01.002 is a great one-piece-collection timepiece, a bit too heavy if you ask me unless you remove as many links as possible to make it perfectly wrap around your wrist. I would also appreciate Omega testing a mesh bracelet on the Seamaster 007 Edition's likes and see how it works out.
(Photo credit: Marco Antinori for Horbiter®)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
