Omega Seamaster 300 Professional GMT, c. 2006

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

In 1957, Omega introduced the Seamaster 300 — a timepiece that would help define its tool watch strategy well into the 21st century. Featuring a robust steel case with a 300-meter depth rating, a rotating bezel graduated with an elapsed-minute scale, and a metal bracelet with diver's expansion links, the early Seamaster 300 was not only a functional a diver that would go on to see use in Her Majesty's Navy, but is arguably one of the handsomest sports watch designs of the past century. As it evolved, the Omega Seamaster 300 went on to see myriad small evolutionary changes, with nearly innumerable variants in a variety of materials and colorways produced in the past 60 years. This fact alone has made the Seamaster Professional line (as it came to be known) so desirable to a large portion of the collector community. In other words, people love them simply because they don't all look the same . One of the watershed design motifs debuted in the 1990s with the introduction of blue and black “wave” dials popularized by Pierce Brosnan's 007 in the 1996 Bond film Goldeneye . This design language lived on well after the '90s ended in both modern James Bond-themed limited editions and within the core collection. The watch that we have here, a Reference 2234.50, is a GMT-equipped take on the original design dating to circa 2006. It features the same 41.5mm twisted lug case with a sapphire crystal, a signed crown, a bidirectional rotating bezel with a black and silver bi-color aluminum insert, and a lovely, luminous black 'wave' dial with a matching 'sword' handset and red GMT hand. Housing Omega's Calibre 1128 automatic GMT movement within, this piece comes fitted to the stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a signed, hidden push-button clasp — which, in our opinion, is aging extremely well. This 50th Anniversary piece packs a few usual refinements and functionality, while staying true to the fundamental design language of the first Seamaster 300 from the 1950s. In short, it 's a watch that's modern yet nostalgic, all at the same time. A rare combination, to be sure!