Omega Seamaster Professional Ceramic, 2017

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Why We Love It The Seamaster 300 line was Omega's response to the Rolex Submariner when introduced in 1957. Featuring robust steel cases with a 300 meter depth rating, rotating bezels graduated with dive-timing scales, and a metal bracelet with diver's expansion links, the early Seamaster 300s were not only functional divers that would go on to see use in Her Majesty's Navy, but are arguably one of the handsomest sports watch designs of the past century. As it evolved, the Omega Seamaster 300 went on to see numerous evolutionary changes, and nearly innumerable variants in a variety of materials and colorways have been produced in the past 60 years. This fact alone has made the Seamaster Professional line (as it came to be known) more desirable than their Rolex counterparts to a large portion of the collector community - simply because they don't all look exactly the same . One of the watershed design motifs began in the 1990s with the introduction of blue dials and bezels popularized by Pierce Brosnan's 007 in the 1996 Bond film Goldeneye . This design language lives on well after the 90s ended in both modern James Bond themed limited editions and in the core collection. This piece, dating to 2017, stands out not only for its blue 'Bond' coloration, but also due to an innovative use of ceramic as both a bezel and dial material! Featuring the now-classic twisted lug design language and a modernized version of the stainless steel multi-link bracelet with deployant clasp introduced in the Goldeneye era, this Reference 212.30.41.20.03.001 eschews the more traditional 'wave pattern' dial in favor of a rich deep blue flat coloration. With oversized Luminova indices and the iconic 'skeletonized' sword handset, this is a more subtle take at the traditional James Bond package. The Seamaster Story Since the Seamaster’s launch in 1948, it has been the vibrant, beating heart of Omega's collection. The key to its longevity, in part, lies in its adaptability. It comes in dive watch models, which were worn by professional divers (and James Bond), or dress models favored by the likes of Mad Men ’s Don Draper. Omega released the first Seamaster in 1948 to coincide with the Summer Olympics held in London. In a city ravaged by the Blitz, the Olympics represented a time to look forward while still being respectful of the past. For Omega, whose 40th Anniversary was also that year, the manufacture’s role as Official Timekeeper represented the ideal opportunity to launch a new collection. Advertising material of the time touted the “ruggedness” of the Seamaster, more than the average wearer would ever likely call for in its life… which would prove all the more important with the 1957 launch of the Seamaster 300 diver’s model. Today, the Omega Seamaster is a collection of timepieces as varied as the people who wear them – including dress and sport models in a variety of case sizes and materials with any number of dial layouts and designs. It is without question an important historical model and a delight to wear in any of its variations.