Eight shades of blue
The iconic Omega Seamaster turns 75 this year and celebrates with the new Summer Blue collection. Its eight models perfectly translate the history and innovation of the Maison when it comes to diving watches. These instantly recognisable references all display dials in a different shade of blue, which corresponds to their water resistance. Let’s dive in!
The Seamaster, a promising start
Omega unveiled the Seamaster in 1948 to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Inspired by a 1932 instrument, it was the first ever diving watch to be commercialised for the public. The “Marine” was then tested at a 73-metre depth in Lake Leman. Ultimately, it turned out to be water-resistant up to 135 metres during testing at the Neuchâtel Omega laboratory. Encouraged by these promising results, the Maison collaborated with the Allied British forces during WW2. It equipped the soldiers, pilots and sailors with reliable and tough timepieces which resisted extreme conditions and were particularly water-resistant. The caseback would later be stamped “W.W.W” by the French Ministry of Armed Forces, meaning “Waterproof Wrist Watch”.
The perfect ocean exploration instrument
During the next decades, Omega dove further into mastering and innovating their diving instruments. Over the years, the Seamaster became a diverse collection of many variations with higher and higher water resistance. The Seamaster is crucial in the discovery and protection of the ocean and therefore THE unquestionable watch for explorers of the abyss – whether professional or casual. And the new Summer Blue collection – revealed a few days ago during a magical and unique event in Mykonos, Greece – is the perfect example.
Seamaster Summer Blue: precision at every level
This summer collection pays tribute to the iconic ocean watch with its eight models, some of which are also available with a rubber strap. That means eleven variations in total, which all boast a blue Omega Summer Blue dial. The colour, which varies in intensity, represents the water resistance levels of each watch, from the sports chic models to the most technical ones.
Aqua Terra 150M 38 mm and 41 mm
The Aqua Terra collection launched in 2002 was named after the Maison’s ocean exploration heritage associated to an urban lifestyle. These dependable references both at sea (Aqua) and on earth (Terra) are powered by the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8800. METAS-certified as a Master Chronometer, this calibre guarantees precision and magnetic resistance for the Aqua Terra watches, including these two steel variations in 38 mm and 41 mm.
These watches are water-resistant up to 150 metres and display a light blue gradient dial inspired by the glistening surface of the sea. However, the 41-mm model differs by what may seem like a detail but is actually significant. The dial displays an engraved “teak” pattern which emulates wooden decks from luxury sailboats. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M 41 mm is also available in a skyblue rubber strap variation. The braided pattern is reminiscent of a ship’s rigging. Last reference to the sea: the indices take inspiration from the shape of a ship’s hull and display light blue, luminescent coating.
Click here to read the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M 38 mm full technical sheet – €7,500
Click here to read the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M 41 mm full technical sheets:
With steel bracelet – €7,100
With rubber strap – €6,900
Aqua Terra Worldtimer
The 43-mm Aqua Terra Worldtimer in steel is perfect for travelling the world with its multiple display functions. Together, the city name display and the 24-hour scale – light blue for daytime, dark blue for nighttime – provide the different time zones. It’s time for frogmen to become sea explorers.
In terms of design, the Worldtimer is every bit as good as its sisters with the engraved, laser-coloured grade 5 titanium dial. It displays an embossed, strikingly realistic view of the Earth from above which can be admired through the hesalite glass. The closed caseback displays the Seamaster collection logo, trademark of the Summer Blue watches. It represents the Greek God of the sea and waters, Poseidon, armed with his trident (symbol of the Maison) and riding two seahorses.
Click here to read the Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer 150M full technical sheet:
With steel bracelet– €10,900
With rubber strap – €10,600.
Seamaster 300
Diving straight into the heart of the Seamaster collection with this 41-mm variation in polished, satin-finished steel. The Seamaster 300, inspired by a 1957 model, is of course water-resistant up to 300m. It boasts all the features of a true diving instrument: the unidirectional rotating bezel, hands and indices coated in luminescent material for optimum visibility under all circumstances, and the screwed-in crown and caseback. This sports-chic watch houses an automatic calibre certified as a Master Chronometer with a silicon anti-magnetic balance spring and a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
€8,000
Click here to read the Seamaster 300 full technical sheet.
Diver 300M
An icon among icons, the Diver 300 is the watch worn by Pierce Brosnan – alias James Bond – in Goldeneye (1995). The 42-mm Diver 300 in steel comes with either a steel bracelet or a blue rubber strap and shows off a more sophisticated design. The ceramic dial is enhanced by a blue ceramic bezel with a diving scale in “Grand Feu” enamel. Riding the waves of Summer Blue tones, the wavy gradient pattern of the dial builds upon the movement of the ocean swell. The embossed indices and openworked hands, coated in Super-Luminova, provide optimum visibility at great depths.
Click here to read the Seamaster Diver 300M full technical sheets:
With steel bracelet – €6,700
With rubber strap – €6,400
Planet Ocean 600M
Omega took it up a notch with a Seamaster model that could perform up to 600 metres under the sea. The Planet Ocean, unveiled in 2005, then had an orange bezel and a distinctive helium escape valve. This very useful instrument when practising saturation diving on a submarine or in a hyperbaric chamber liberates helium particles during the decompression phases. Without this escape valve, the watch would be subject to important damage or could even explode. Here placed at 10 o’clock, it completes the diving gear of this 39.5-mm steel model.
€8,000
Click here to read the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M full technical sheet.
Ploprof 1200M
Oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and marine research company Comex already used the Seamaster Professional 600 during their exploration of deep waters.
Also called Seamaster “Ploprof” – meaning professional diver (“plongeur professionnel” in French) – this diving instrument displays a distinctive, atypical design. It boasts a striking monobloc case with a 1,200-m water resistance and a screwed-in crown as well as the iconic guarded pusher at 2 o’clock. The case includes a blue bezel with an insert in sapphire crystal for optimum resistance to pressure. For additional protection while diving, the watch was equipped with crown guards and crafted in O-MEGASTEEL, an in-house exclusive high-performance alloy of steel. This innovative material better resists corrosion, is of a whiter colour and shines like no other. For the perfect 70s look, the model comes with a blue, perforated rubber strap.
€15,300
Click here to read the Seamaster Ploprof 1200M full technical sheet.
Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M
The Seamaster Summer Blue reaches its last stage with the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M. This model made history in 2019 as the diving world record, at 10,935 metres in the Mariana trench. This dial reveals this world record in ultraviolet lighting with the indication “Omega was here”.
The watch is water-resistant up to 6,000 metres and answers the very strict specifications of the ISO 6425:2018 norm for saturation diving watches. The METAS-certified (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology) Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8912 is housed by a 45.5-mm O-MEGASTEEL case. The dial is also very worthy of your attention. It represents Challenger Deep, the deepest location in the ocean (around 11-km deep) as mapped by the Five Deeps team thanks to over one million sonar spots. Its relief-heavy surface gives off a striking depth effect.
€14,000
Click here to read the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M full technical sheet.
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