Then Goldeneye happened. And Tomorrow Never Dies. And on and on, up through 2021’s No Time to Die. All of which created a steady Seamaster drumbeat across 30 years.
“The Bond connection brings so many first time Swiss watch owners into the brand,” says Ash. “While the Moonwatch is still king among diehard Omega collectors, I meet more normal people who recognise Omega from the Bond collection than even the moon landings.”
And if any of those Bond-inspired newcomers decides to cross-check the Seamaster against the Submariner, what they’ll find is an insane variety of options starting at a fairly democratic price point, and plenty of availability. You could walk out of an Omega shop with a box-fresh Seamaster Aqua Terra for no more than $6,000 retail; try the same with a Sub, and if the person behind the Rolex calendar doesn’t laugh while croaking out the word “waitlist,” you’ll pay at least $9,000.
What’s the history of the Omega Seamaster?
Born in 1948, it is the longest-running nameplate in the Swiss brand’s history, pre-dating even the Speedmaster. That first Seamaster looked nothing like the watches you’d imagine; it was closer to a simple, slightly dressy field watch with some water-resistance.
The archetypal Seamaster, the 300M (named for its depth rating), showed up in 1957, looking like it was ready to rumble with Jaws. From there Omega’s vaunted dive watch family has flourished, with some notable milestones—and funky choices—along the way.
Like the 1970’s Omega Seamaster 600, a.k.a. the Ploprof—a watch that wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but was built for professional SCUBA divers who had to deal with immense pressures (literal and figurative), including hours in decompression from working at depth. A fella by the name of Jacques Cousteau wore one for his TV show.
In 1993 Omega delivered a reborn Seamaster 300M, and though it’s been through a few evolutions since then, it remains the centerpiece of its namesake line—and the watch most likely to be compared to Rolex’s Submariner. It’s the Seamaster that’s spent more time on Bond’s wrist than any other, and the watch you think of, when you think of an Omega diver.
Between 1970 and 1993, the Seamaster name was slapped on a whole array of timepieces, from square-ish “TV” dials to dressier watches to this thing. Seriously, toss “vintage omega seamaster” into the eBay search bar. It’s a fun ride.
To end on a proud note, in 2019 Omega took its iconic diver to new heights—well, depths—when it set a world record by sending a specially modified Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 10,928 meters (35,853 feet) deep into the Marianas Trench.
What should I look for in an Omega Seamaster?
Many vintage Seamasters—up to and including 1990s models—are more like dress watches than dive watches. If you’re looking for a watch that’s handsome and simple, a vintage Seamaster will get you there, with a fairly nice price. You can often find clean examples for $1,000 to $2,000. As always with vintage, either do lots of homework, or buy from a trusted dealer.
