The history of diving watches began in 1932 with the OMEGA Marine . However, these models were not a huge success because they were simply ahead of their time . The design of these first diving watches produced by OMEGA was characterized by a removable double case made of stainless steel or gold.
It should be noted that the OMEGA Marine was tested for water resistance in Lake Geneva at a depth of 73 metres and subsequently by the Swiss Horological Research Laboratory at an artificial depth of 135 metres .
The OMEGA Seamaster is born
The first OMEGA Seamaster appeared in 1948. Due to its reliability, design and high water resistance, the new model line quickly became a commercial success story and continues to enjoy great popularity around the world today .
The origins of the collection go back to the waterproof wristwatches that OMEGA supplied to the British Army during the Second World War .
Through this collaboration, OMEGA gained important experience in water resistance , in particular the screw-down case back and the innovative O-ring seals , which were first made of lead and later of rubber. This experience proved very important for OMEGA in the development of the Seamaster collection.
The very first Seamaster models from 1948 were equipped with various variants of OMEGA's automatic caliber 28.10 and featured either a small or a central seconds display.
Early developments in 1952
In the following years, the Seamaster watches were constantly developed further. In 1952, OMEGA's first wristwatch with a date window was released, the Seamaster Calendar . It was equipped with the automatic caliber 353 and the date window was located at six o'clock.
In addition, like all the first Seamaster models, OMEGA gave it a hermetic crown , an O-ring seal that guarantees water resistance and a hardened watch crystal . This was attached with a steel tension ring and a slightly bevelled bezel.
1957 – The OMEGA Seamaster 300
In 1957, the OMEGA Seamaster 300 was launched. OMEGA designed this watch especially for professional and amateur divers. It was later praised by them for its robustness , precision and reliability . Due to these characteristics, the Seamaster 300 was also used by divers in the British Royal Navy .
What was special about the watch was that it was equipped with a watch glass that was about three times as thick as standard watch glasses of the time. This meant that the OMEGA Seamaster 300 could withstand a pressure that far exceeded the maximum testable pressure of 20 bar at the time.
Experiments with the case shape in the 60s
In the 1960s, OMEGA experimented with different case shapes for the Seamaster collection . In 1966, OMEGA presented the Seamaster Cosmic , a model with a so-called monocoque case .
This type of case is made from one piece. This improves water resistance. One disadvantage, however, is that the watches can only be opened by removing the glass with a special tool.
In addition, the OMEGA Seamaster Bullhead was launched in 1969. This watch was characterized by a shield-shaped case and an internal rotating bezel as well as the placement of the chronograph pushers and crown above the twelve o'clock position.
In 2013, this exceptional model was re-launched in different versions and in an updated form, with the Co-Axial movement OMEGA 3113 .
OMEGA and COMEX (PLOProf and Seamaster Professional 1,000m)
Starting in 1968, OMEGA worked with French diving specialist COMEX (Compagnie Maritime d'Expertises) on Seamaster 300 watches, which later achieved a world record of 365 metres in a simulated dive .
After four years of development and collaboration, the findings were incorporated into the first OMEGA Seamaster Professional 600 in 1970 , which is also known as the PloProf . The name is composed of the French words for professional divers, “plongeurs” and “professionnels”.
When developing the watch, COMEX and OMEGA not only aimed to achieve what was then an enormous water resistance of 600 metres , they also wanted to solve the helium problem . This involves adding helium to the breathing air in diving bells, as otherwise the partial pressure of oxygen and nitrogen would reach a toxic level. If the helium were to get inside the watch, there would be a risk that the watch would literally explode during the ascent due to the helium expanding when the pressure drops .
That's why the two companies have sealed the OMEGA Seamaster Professional 600 in such a way that helium cannot get into the watch during diving .
To achieve this high level of water resistance, the OMEGA Seamaster 600 was made from a single block of steel and fitted with extremely hard glass and a Twinlock crown . Other striking features were the red safety pusher on the side, which was used to unlock the diving bezel, and the crown, which was moved to the left side and specially sealed.
Shortly after the watch went on sale, the PloProf was used by the French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau in several experiments in the Red Sea to study the physical and psychological stress on people working at great depths.
Just one year after the launch of the “PloProf”, OMEGA presented the Seamaster Professional 1,000m . During development, OMEGA focused on the ever greater depths reached by professional divers and optimized the watch accordingly.
The OMEGA Seamaster Professional 1,000m is similar to the Seamaster Professional 600 with the crown on the left and the monocoque case, but appears much less bulky .
The watch is also equipped with a five-millimeter-thick mineral glass, which is attached with a highly compressed sealing ring. This contributes significantly to the high water resistance of 1000 meters.
The model was tested by numerous professional divers during development and set new standards in the world of diving watches in the 1970s.
First underwater chronograph
In 1972, OMEGA introduced the Seamaster Automatic 120M . This first chronograph whose pushers could be safely operated underwater featured the OMEGA Calibre 1040 and was water resistant to a depth of 120 metres.
21 years later, in 1993 , OMEGA launched the Seamaster Professional 300M . This was celebrated as the comeback of the first underwater chronograph. This time, the watch with its chronograph function could withstand more than twice the stress at a depth of 300 metres .
At the same time , a three-hand version of the watch was released, the OMEGA Seamaster Professional Diver 300M , which was also water resistant to a depth of 300 metres and was worn by the Frenchman Roland Specker when he set a world record in free diving at a depth of 80 metres in Lake Neuchâtel .
These two Seamaster models were also the first OMEGA watches to be equipped with a helium escape valve . Inside ticked the chronograph calibre 1145 or the automatic calibre 1109. Both movements were chronometer-certified .
Partnership with Sir Peter Blake / The Seamaster becomes the Bond watch
Sir Peter Blake , globetrotter and America's Cup legend of Emirates Team New Zealand, became an OMEGA brand ambassador in 1995. Since then , OMEGA has dedicated watch models to the team's crew members for each America's Cup outing .
At the turn of the millennium, Sir Peter Blake also undertook several research trips around the globe to clarify ecological and maritime issues. Always on board was the Seamaster Professional Diver 300M , which the members of the Blake expedition crew needed for their scientific work .
Jean-Claude Biver played a key role in linking the OMEGA Seamaster with the famous film character James Bond. As one of OMEGA's leading marketing minds, Biver recognised the immense advertising impact that could come from associating the brand with an iconic figure such as James Bond . This was a masterful marketing move that fundamentally changed the perception of the brand on a global level.
In 1995, the film GoldenEye was released, and James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, wore an OMEGA Seamaster Professional Diver for the first time. This decision was not a coincidence, but a strategic move by Biver, who wanted to transform the brand from a renowned watch manufacturer into a symbol of style, elegance and adventure . The Seamaster was deliberately chosen to embody Bond's sophisticated yet robust image.
The collaboration with the James Bond franchise proved to be hugely successful and played a key role in establishing OMEGA as a leading luxury brand in the field of sports and diving watches . The Seamaster's repeated presence in other Bond films, such as "Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997), "The World Is Not Enough" (1999), and "Die Another Day" (2002), as well as with Daniel Craig as Bond in "Casino Royale" (2006) and the following films, made the watch an unmistakable accessory for the secret agent .
Without this brilliant marketing strategy, OMEGA probably wouldn't be where they are today. The association with James Bond not only gave the brand a modern and contemporary appeal, but also elevated it to the ranks of the most iconic watch brands in the world .
2002: The OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra
In 2002, OMEGA expanded the popular Seamaster collection with a selection of new timepieces. The new range, called Aqua Terra, paid homage to the spirit of the classic Seamaster models and was designed to emphasize reliability both on water (Aqua) and on land (Terra).
To keep the Seamaster Aqua Terra watches modern and at the cutting edge of technology , OMEGA has continually developed the collection since its launch. While retaining signature features such as the case shape , almost every other element has been revised over time .
In 2008, the dial was also revised and what is now the most famous identifying feature of the Aqua Terra collection was introduced: the teak design , which brought the look of wooden deck planks from luxury sailing boats to the dial.
2005: The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean
In 2005, OMEGA introduced a new range of diving watches: the Seamaster Planet Ocean . It is a tribute to OMEGA's diving watch legacy and takes up the design of the first OMEGA Seamaster 300 from 1957.
The watch is equipped with a sapphire crystal and the caliber 2500 with co-axial escapement. It also has a water resistance of 600 meters .
The following year, the OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph was launched. Inside it ticks the calibre 3313 with column wheel and co-axial escapement.
2014: The OMEGA Seamaster 300
In 2014, OMEGA launched a new edition of the historic Seamaster 300 diving watch. The new model, the OMEGA Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial , is very similar in appearance to its 1957 model.
However, the watch is equipped with the Master Co-Axial 8400 calibre , which features OMEGA's magnetic field protection technology from 2013, and thus guarantees excellent precision even under the influence of magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss. The OMEGA Seama family