Andrew at Vintage & Prestige has an enduring love affair with the Omega Seamaster…
“My first was a 1992 200m Quartz, which was bought new. Known now as the “Pre-Bond” Seamaster, as this model was made before the Pierce Brosnan/ Goldeneye/ Omega outing, this model offered all of the panache of a Rolex Submariner but at a fraction of the cost. Mine had the desirable double flip lock clasp, which felt like it could survive anything I could throw at it. I wore it daily with pride; it was one of my first “proper” watches”
“The biggest drawback was the concave case back, which never sat close to the skin. It looked amazing, but it didn’t fit as well as it could have done.”
“Later, I was given an Omega Speedmaster which was a larger manual winding watch and it was favoured not least as it also fitted like a well made glove. The 200m Seamaster was put in the drawer and used for holidays.”
In the late 90’s to the present, from time to time I’ve worn “Bond” 300m Omega Seamasters, so called as these were the Brosnan version as aforementioned. Whilst I genuinely love the Bond connection, I hadn’t fallen for, or been completely sold on the watch when it was new to the market, so I sold these in favour of other watches. Such had my love of the Rolex Submariner evolved, and I was genuinely blinded by black over blue.”
“I’ll add now, I’ve always understood why someone would buy a Seamaster 300m, and always admired them on someone else’s wrist, but they weren’t quite right for me. Irrespective, I buy and sell the best I find or that I am offered, always confident they are superbly made and will be well enjoyed.”
“Fast forward to 2014, I was in Italy, having sold a vintage Rolex DayDate I’d travelled there to sell, as planned, but unusually, my client also wanted to buy the vintage Rolex Datejust I was wearing. This would leave me with the unusual dilemma of being watchless for the remainder of my trip. I don’t do watchless.”
I’d sold three Seamaster chronographs over the last two months and was offered one as part exchange against the Datejust. Never one to turn down a deal, and given this Seamaster was cared for, this all worked rather well, so on my wrist the Omega went. And within five minutes, sat with a coffee in a sun filled piazza, I began to fall quite madly in love.”
A far larger watch than I prefer, and as fat as it is wide, it has every functionality that could ever be needed. A chronograph with a rotating bezel has always seemed superfluous, but somehow it works on the Seamaster together, like it does on a Tudor Big Block. The date is easily legible, and the fat, over-engineered hands do the job admirably. The blue wave dial looks astonishingly good in the sun, and when the bezel on this example fades fully it will look sublime.”
“Its scratched all over and has a small mark on the case, all of which I love. Polished 300m Omegas look too obvious. This watch has been used and enjoyed but there is no stretch on the bracelet and its got that gentlemanly thuggish appeal that says it will be in action for many years to come, looking similar to how it looks now.”
“When I returned home, it stayed on my wrist for several days, which, for me, is quite unusual. The big Omega is now my “go-to” watch for travel. Its been to the beach, on the slopes and in various cities. Hugely understated, given its size, there is a weight and feel to the watch which exudes dependability.”
“I’ve always said that the most important thing to consider with any watch (and this can be applied to any non essential item) is connection. I connect with my Omega Seamaster 300m Chronograph. Its not for sale. I don’t think it will be. I wasn’t the first owner, and it has no box, no papers, and as I said, it has more scratches than a cat freshly in from the forest, but for me, its perfect. If I had to choose only one watch to wear for life (the usual debate) I suspect this would not be “the one”. But it would run “the one” close.”
“As for my first Omega Seamaster, well, I sold my 200m Quartz. I regret this. They have doubled in value over the past two years and they are lovely watches. Yes, mine had box, papers, all the links and the pearl was still on the bezel. It was a silly decision to sell it. So, if you have an automatic 200m, which has a less concave case back, and you want to sell it, and its as nice as my old one, let me know. I’ve gone full cycle on modern Omega Seamasters and its not stopping. I’ll write about older Omega Seamasters another time. 120m…. mmm.”
