Hands-On Omega Seamaster 300M „Black”

Łukasz Doskocz17.12.202417.12.20246 min. of reading

The Seamaster 300M collection has recently been enriched by two models, including a very classic, black “no-date” version – could this be the Seamaster that fans have been waiting for?

I can’t help it – not that there’s anything wrong with that – that the Omega Seamaster is inextricably associated with Bond… James Bond. It was first worn by Pierce Brosnan, making his debut as 007 in the very successful film “Goldeneye”. Surprisingly, today I remember the film equally for Isabella Scorupco in the role of Bond girl and the watch Bond wore on his wrist. Reference 2541 is the progenitor of what the Seamaster 300M collection looks like to this day. This original piece had a characteristically shaped case with a diameter of 41 mm, a steel bracelet and a dark blue bezel, as well as a dial decorated with engraved waves. Although it was powered only by a modest quartz movement, for historical reasons it became a collector’s item and one of the most beautiful references in the modern era of the Seamaster. And the most beautiful one? – in my humble opinion, of course. Again, it is Bond’s merit.

Although Daniel Craig wore many different Omegas on his wrist during his reign, the Seamaster 300M landed on it only once – in the otherwise excellent “Casino Royale” – until the last act of Craig’s saga. “No Time to Die”, the film with which the Briton ended his adventure with Bond, has apart from a spectacular ending (we won’t reveal it in case any of you haven’t seen it yet) also brought a new Seamaster. The 300M “No Time to Die” was made out of titanium and designed in a quiet military style with vintage elements. The watch received a convex sapphire glass and a titanium mesh bracelet. Bronze was selected as the leading color on the matte dial and aluminum bezel insert. As I wrote, this is definitely my favorite Seamaster in the entire collection, but titanium, vintage elements, and finally the association with the fictional character of 007 may not be to everyone’s liking. And here comes to the rescue one of the newest Seamasters – a classic, monochromatic, steel diver’s watch in essence.

Seamaster 300M „Daniel Craig”

Although the new model officially has no personalized name or association, in collectors’ circles it functions under the nickname of the retired James Bond. However, the actor did not wear the watch in any film, but appeared “in it” privately and was quickly spotted by curious eyes. Their skilled and inquisitive gaze assumed that it was a reference unavailable in the manufacturer’s portfolio at that time. Omega presented the actual watch a few months later, in the shape of a rather very attractive reference 210.30.42.20.01.010.

Since the watch is heavily inspired by the Bond version from “NTtD”, it has many elements introduced to the collection by this particular reference. Titanium was this time replaced with a more universal and certainly more widely appreciated steel, which can be nicely finished with satin brushing and decorative (discreetly but elegantly) polishing. The whole thing measures 42 mm in diameter, a fairly significant 13.8 mm in thickness and lug-to-lug of 49.7 mm. On paper it is not a small watch, but it’s not exaggerated either, considering its diving pedigree and sports nature. Unlike titanium, it also weighs a bit – with the bracelet an even 155 g, which of course is not an overwhelming number by any means.

And speaking of the bracelet, it is also inspired by the titanium edition and its mesh style, made here of braided steel, suitably thick (in relation to the size of the case) and adequately flexible, but… with one big drawback, unfortunately. While the bracelet itself is very well made and – in my opinion – suits the watch perfectly, the clasp is definitely the biggest drawback of the whole thing. The butterfly deployant with a pair of safety buttons works well, but is way too massive, definitely too thick and too large overall, which deforms the bracelet, and when fastened, thickness is dangerously close to the thickness of the case. This is definitely something Omega should work on, and any micro-adjustment would be more than welcome too.

Black

The 42 mm Seamaster 300M case is topped with a rotating bezel, with an insert made of matte aluminum instead of shiny ceramic. The bezel, as befits a true diver, rotates counterclockwise, in 120 distinct clicks. A convex sapphire glass (with an internal anti-reflective coating) is placed firmly in it. Together with the aluminum, both of these elements add a slightly discreet vintage note to the watch, which works perfectly here in contrast to the more modern incarnation of the Seamaster.

Under the sapphire dome, Omega positioned a black dial. Its surface is decorated with laser-engraved waves, but they are discreet, subtle and do not interfere with reading the time. There are 12 applied and luminous hour indexes on the surface: 8 round and 4 rectangular, including a double one at 12 o’clock. The symmetry of the dial is not disturbed by the date display, and the characteristic, “Seamaster” style is completed with very characteristic hands, finished with mirror polishing. The tips of the hour, minute and second hands are also filled with a bit of luminova. Most of the luminous elements emit a bright, green light, except for the minute hand and the dot at 12 o’clock on the bezel. These – crucial for safe diving – glow yellow. The composition is completed by a set of white-painted inscriptions, from the brand logo to information about the mechanism and water resistance, which is a full 300 m (or 1000 ft).

Mechanically, Omega has remained faithful to its manufacture caliber number 8806. The mechanism has a 55-hour power reserve, generated by a centrally mounted automatic winding rotor. In addition, there is the Co-Axial escapement, a silicon hairspring balance ticking at 3.5 Hz and the Master Chronometer certificate, guaranteeing high resistance to magnetic fields. Since the brand decides to expose its movements (or rather cover them under sapphire glass), one can admire the typical set of decorations for the Biel manufacture, led by Geneva stripes in arabesque, black screws and hand-filled red engravings.

Some final impressions and priceing

The Seamaster 300M “Daniel Craig” in the mono-black version costs just under 7 100 EUR, combined with a mesh bracelet. However, if you prefer the rubber option, then the price will drop to 6 500 EUR. Compared to the Seamaster 300M with a date display, ceramics and a classic bracelet, the timepiece is a bit more expensive. The policy of offering “less for more” may seem surprising, but on the other hand, in this (new) version, the watch is paradoxically more interesting for several reasons, and certainly more tool-watch-like, with more character. Actually, if Omega improved the questionably ergonomic clasps, we would have a watch without flaws.

My favorite in the collection is still the titanium “No Time to Die” (in this version, even the clasp did not bother me so much), but the steel, monochromatic black “no-date” edition of the watch can appeal to many classic, traditional tastes.