When it comes to Omega luxury watches, the "Speedmaster" is the first to come to mind, due to its association with the moon landing and the Olympics. However, the "Seamaster," which is the flagship model of the same series, has the potential to be worn for various purposes on land, sea, and air. Let's explore the appeal of the Seamaster.
2025/11/15 update
Learn about Omega and the Seamaster
Omega, which pursues functionality and performance as a measuring instrument, has two pillars: the Speedmaster, which keeps accurate time even in outer space, and the Seamaster, which functions perfectly even in the deep sea.
Here, we will take a look at the Seamaster while touching on Omega's history.
Omega's History
Founded in 1848, Omega began as a watch workshop opened by watchmaker Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds in northwestern Switzerland.
Louis Brandt had been pursuing precision timekeeping since the company's founding, and his two sons, Louis-Paul and César, developed the legendary 19-line caliber, which they named Omega, meaning "ultimate achievement."
Since then, Omega has served as the official timekeeper for numerous sporting events, including the Olympics, and today its chronographs are capable of measuring time to 1/1000 of a second.
When NASA's Apollo 11 landed on the moon on July 21, 1969, the astronauts were wearing Omega Speedmaster Professionals.
It remains the only watch certified by NASA for spacewalks today.
The Seamaster is Omega's flagship collection
Omega was appointed as a watch supplier to the British and Allied forces in 1940, and focused on improving water resistance and shock resistance. In 48, they released the Seamaster, a waterproof wristwatch with a round case and an automatic movement.
In addition to timekeeping on land and in space, Omega has also ventured to the bottom of the ocean with its Seamaster, with the 2019 Five Deeps Expedition attempting to reach the deepest part of Earth's ocean trenches.
The Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional that accompanied the project was attached to the outside of the submersible and reached a world record depth of 10,925m.
The design means it can operate perfectly under incredible pressures of approximately 1500 atmospheres, or 15,000 meters deep.
The Seamaster in the movies
The Seamaster is also known as the watch worn by the main character, James Bond, in the 007 film series.
Starting with "GoldenEye" in 1995, "Tomorrow Never Dies" in 1997, and "The World Is Not Enough" in 1999, the Seamaster has been renewed with each film.
The Seamaster appears as an important piece of equipment in the film, and the same model Seamaster as in the film is actually available for purchase.
The Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition is the same model as the watch worn by Bond in the latest film, "No Time to Die," released in 2021. It's a Master Chronometer with 30 bar water resistance and high magnetic resistance. It's automatic (Cal. 8806). 35 jewels. 25,200 vph. Approximately 55 hours of power reserve. Titanium case (42mm diameter, 13mm thick). 30 bar water resistance. Price: 1,595,000 yen (tax included).
Seamaster Features
The Seamaster is designed to operate perfectly underwater, and all the mechanisms necessary to achieve this are packed into its small body.
Not only the movement, but all parts, including the case and bezel, are designed to withstand underwater activities. Here we will explain the features of the Seamaster.
Highly waterproof
The Seamaster, a masterpiece of diver's watches, has high water resistance that can withstand use by professional divers.
Even excluding special models such as the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, which boasts a water resistance of 15,000m, most watches are water resistant to over 150m.
In addition, it is equipped with professional-grade features such as pushers that function fully underwater, a unidirectional rotating bezel to ensure accurate measurement of elapsed time, and a helium escape valve to protect the crystal and case back during decompression.
Seahorse relief
The Seamaster's design is closely linked to Venice, known as the "City of Water." In particular, the "Seahorse" relief on the case back is inspired by the famous Venetian gondolas and the carvings on their sides.
This is one of Omega's iconic designs and is highly sought after by collectors.
The Seamaster Edizione Venezia, part of the City Editions lineup, also pays homage to Venice with features such as a spherical crown and domed dial inspired by the dome and arched ceiling of St. Mark's Basilica.
Thorough pursuit of movement performance
Generally, it is recommended that mechanical watches be overhauled approximately every three years.
However, Omega recommends overhauling your watch every 5 to 8 years, partly due to the use of Omega's unique Co-Axial escapement.
In a coaxial escapement, the contact area between the escape wheel and the anchor is small, which reduces power loss and wear, making lubrication almost unnecessary.
The "Master Chronometer" designation is awarded to watches that are equipped with a movement that employs this mechanism and that have passed COSC-certified (Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) tests and strict inspections established jointly by METAS (Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology) and OMEGA.
The design of a mechanical movement that meets the standard of ±5 seconds per day is unique to Omega, which has pursued the performance of wristwatches as measuring instruments.
