December 2014
Exploring the universe of timepieces and watchmaking
THE LIFE AQUATIC Omega
Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial
BEST BETS Weighing in on GPHG winners SOUND VALUES Appreciating the minute repeater YEAR IN REVIEW The good, the bad and the unexpected
INTO THE DEEP Dive into the world of the Omega Seamaster – a milieu inhabited by pro aquanauts, sports watch enthusiasts and a certain sliver screen super spy BY AARON DE SILVA
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A wave of optimism and progress swept through the late 1940s and 1950s. World War II was over, and societies looked towards brighter days as cities and lives were rebuilt. In Switzerland, watch factories teemed with life once again. Though the country was not involved militarily, economic activity had come to a halt during the war. For Biel/Bienne-based Omega, the postwar period was defined by tremendous creative energy, during which three of the manufacture’s best known models emerged: the Constellation, Speedmaster and Seamaster. The latter was a response to the surge in interest in diving, both as a profession and recreational sport. Scientists, explorers and military personnel were exploring the ocean’s uncharted depths. At the same time, leisure diving started gaining in popularity, in tandem with the rise of the jet set – wealthy Europeans and Americans who plied the Mediterranean on board their pleasure crafts. Watch manufactures wasted no time producing tool watches to cater to the demand: Panerai introduced the Luminor (1950); Blancpain launched the Fifty Fathoms (1953); Rolex debuted its Submariner (1954); and IWC unveiled the Aquatimer (1967). Omega’s response was the Seamaster 300, launched in 1957. It was a robust, nononsense diving instrument with an automatic movement, encased in a 42mm steel hull that was watertight to 200m (and not 300m as its name might imply). It was a large watch for its time, but the extra dial space allowed for improved visibility, a feature boosted by the luminescent hands and indexes. The Seamaster 300 was, as Omega president Stephen Urquhart tells CROWN, “representative of the ambitions
FROM TOP: American diver Kendall recovering his Seamaster 300. Seamaster 300 ad from 1965 of the (Seamaster) line – a design triumph that works especially well underwater.” The Blueprint The characteristics of the Seamaster 300 were so definitive that it became the progenitor of many of the Seamasters that followed, not the least of which, 2014’s revamped Seamaster 300 (opposite page). This year, Omega reinterpreted the 1957 classic by adding all of its latest innovations, most notably its new antimagnetic, serially produced calibre, the Master Co-Axial. Other significant upgrades include the proprietary Liquidmetal technology, which allows metallic alloys to be
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incrusted into ceramic; and Ceragold, a ceramic-gold hybrid. Both techniques were incorporated into the diving scale on a unidirectional rotating black ceramic bezel. The seamless, durable finish is especially useful in an area prone to wear and tear. Elsewhere, the hour and seconds hand are coated with blue SuperLuminova, while the minute hand is treated with a green variant. Slightly smaller than its ancestor, the 41mm diver comes in steel, 950 platinum, grade 5 titanium and 18K Sedna gold varieties. Bicolour options pair steel or grade 5 titanium with 18K Sedna gold. The overhaul has already won plaudits among collectors and enthusiasts. “The latest Seamaster 300 collection is beautiful,” proclaims George Tan, a Singapore-based Omega collector who counts more than 50 Seamasters in his collection. “It retains the DNA of the first model, yet still maintains all the functions a diver’s watch should have. Best of all, it incorporates all of Omega’s latest and best technologies.” Tan is but the latest in a long succession of fans to sing praises of the Seamaster 300. In 1962, Henry Kendall, an American diver, aviator, cinematographer and photographer, was forced to land his seaplane on water, and it sank not far from shore. When Kendall and his team returned several days later for a dive to salvage equipment from the cabin, the only functioning objects were his underwater cameras and Seamaster 300. “It started to tick again as if nothing had happened,” he recalls. With its fuss-free design and strong emphasis on functionality, it’s no surprise that the world’s most famous explorers and divers have also sworn by the watch. In 1963, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his team used it in
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FROM TOP: Seamaster 600 “Ploprof” from 1970. A precursor of the Seamaster line is the Marine from 1932. a series of experiments in the Red Sea, to prove that divers could live in submerged, saturated gas environments for long periods. The Seamaster 300 was also the watch of choice for military units such as the British Special Boat Service. Diving Through History Although the Seamaster 300 was launched in 1957, the Seamaster line itself dates back to 1948, the same year that Omega celebrated its centenary. The first Seamasters
were loosely based on waterproof timekeepers made for British troops at the close of WWII. However, those weren’t the first professional divers’ chronometers the company manufactured. That distinction goes to the Marine model of 1932, which featured a removable double case for better water resistance. “The significance of the Seamaster line cannot be overstated,” says Urquhart. “Its launch predated the Constellation in 1952, the Speedmaster in
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1957, and the De Ville in 1967. In fact, both the Speedmaster and the De Ville families have roots that can be traced to the Seamaster.” What made the Seamaster unique was the way the crown was sealed. Rolex already owned the patent for the screw-in crown system, so Omega devised an alternative, using rubber O-ring gaskets. Most of the other waterproof watches of the time employed lead or shellac gaskets that were vulnerable to temperature fluctuations. But rubber proved to be highly resistant. In independent simulated tests, the cases withstood temperature changes of -40ºC to +50ºC in quick succession, at a depth of 60m. It is innovative, utilitarian features like these that appeal to professionals, amateur divers and collectors alike. “I have always enjoyed swimming,” says Tan. “So it’s natural that I like divers’ watches that have good performance. Seamasters fit the bill.” Because of the ever-increasing depths at which divers had to work, the Seamaster had to evolve to keep up. In 1970, the Seamaster 600 “Ploprof” (a portmanteau of the French “Plongeur Professional”, or Professional Diver) was unveiled after four years of research and development. Carved from a solid block of steel, the watch boasted a twinlocking crown and helium escape valve, and is water-resistant to 600m. A year later, Omega introduced the Seamaster 1000M, with a water resistance that matched its name. A decade ago, Omega debuted the Seamaster Planet Ocean,
MASTER THE SEAMASTER
Fun facts about the Seamaster, to be used liberally in the presence of other watch nerds
• The Seamaster’s first diving record was achieved in 1955, when diver Gordon McLean reached a depth of 62.5m in Australia. • Other than making diving history, the Seamaster line was also a test bed for Omega’s research into alternative case materials and finishes, such as titanium in the late 1960s, tungsten and PVD in the early 1970s, ceramics in the late 1970s and forged carbon in the 1980s. • The Planet Ocean model worn by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale is the most expensive Omega watch ever to be sold at auction. It fetched CHF 250,250 at the Omegamania auction of 2007, organised by Antiquorum. • Bond watches continue to perform well at auctions. A 2012 Christie’s sale in London saw the Planet Ocean Skyfall go under the hammer for CHF 236,473, the second highest price for an Omega watch sold at auction. • According to the independent World Watch Report, “Seamaster” has been the most searched watch by name on the Internet for several years.
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with a 600m waterproof rating and designs inspired by the Seamaster 300. The watch subsequently gained worldwide fame after starring in 2006’s Casino Royale as James Bond’s watch. Various editions have appeared in every single Bond film since, seducing a new generation of enthusiasts such as Bond fan Jerry Ow, a 30-something sales executive who began collecting Omegas three years ago and counts a Planet Ocean Skyfall Limited Edition in his repertoire. “I think it’s a great branding tool for Omega to appear in Bond films,” he says. “The only drawback is that Sean Connery and Roger Moore are no longer starring in the franchise!” On the wish list of Arthur Lee, who has been collecting Omegas for more than 20 years, is a blackdialled, quartz-powered Seamaster that has since been discontinued. He has a blue variant, along with a
Planet Ocean 600M (with Co-Axial calibre 2500D), Seamaster 300M Non-America’s Cup, James Bond 007 50th Anniversary Collector’s Piece Seamaster Co-Axial 300M, and Planet Ocean 600M (with Co-Axial calibre 8500). The photographer, who leads an active lifestyle, says that all his Seamasters have been put through the paces, accompanying him on his many swims. Besides their impregnable cases, it’s the power reserve feature that delights him. “The 8500 with 60-hour power reserve allows you to leave it for up to two days and it will still be running.” For many years, Urquhart himself used to wear a Planet Ocean with an orange bezel – “It’s a great watch that makes a bold fashion statement.” But his tastes have since changed. “These days I’m drawn to the Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial, which beautifully conveys both the past and the future of our brand.”
FROM TOP: New for ladies, the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m in stainless steel and Sedna gold with diamonds and mother-of-pearl dial. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m for gents comes in 38.5mm and 41.5mm cases in stainless steel. Bi-coloured 18K red or yellow options of the Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m are also available.
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Lindy Hemming, the Oscar-winning costume designer who chose the blue-dialed Seamaster for James Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye, explained that: “Commander Bond, a naval man, a diver, and a discreet gentleman of the world would wear this watch.”
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Bond in Die Another Day (2002), a 10,007-piece limited edition Seamaster was launched with the 007 logo appearing thrice – on the dial, the case back and on the clasp. “Omega” was mentioned for the first time in a Bond flick in 2006’s Casino Royale, when Vesper Lynd, Bond’s assistant in the movie, questioned him.
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The Diver 300M (pictured) and the Planet Ocean 600M have appeared in five Bond flicks so far.
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Besides the Professional Chronometer model, Bond wore a Diver 300M and Planet Ocean in Casino Royale. That same year, Omega launched two special editions of those watches: a 10,007-piece limited edition Diver 300M; and a 5,007-piece Planet Ocean.
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To date, there have been a total of seven special edition Bond Seamasters, some tied to particular films; others commemorating the series as a whole, such as the Bond at 50, released in 2012 on the 50th anniversary of the franchise (pictured).
BOND AMBITION Omega has been associated with the James Bond franchise since 1995’s GoldenEye. Now, with the highly anticipated 24th instalment of the Bond franchise – tentatively titled Bond 24 – to be released in 2015, here are seven (of course) Bond-Seamaster trivia
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Pierce Brosnan started wearing a quartz Seamaster in GoldenEye. He switched to an automatic version in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), a Seamaster Professional Chronometer.
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