A Week On the Wrist... ... of the average watch dude
So I wanted to do this write up like I’ve done write ups before. I’m not here for the upvotes or YouTube cash, just because I like my watches and I find it fun to talk about them.
Today is my two-week-old Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Master Chronometer.
The good
- it fits better than its size suggests
- It is a really tight package from a design standpoint
- The finishing is truly excellent
- METAS, and the online portal, is a super cool standard
- The bracelet, links, and screws are fucking extra when it comes to feel and quality
- Surprisingly versatile despite its modern aesthetic
The less good
- the bracelet clasp is truly massive
- The diver extension is unnecessary
- There appears to be a naked pin upon which the entire bracelet depends
- I miss the liquidmetal in the bezel
- On bracelet this watch is really, really heavy
- I miss the flat embossed crown with the polished element on brushed/textured surface
- the polished ceramic dial is very reflective
So obviously based on this list you can tell I really like this watch. My gripes are mostly very subjective and minor.
The watch
fits quite well on a small wrist in spite of its size. This was my primary concern when I went in for this watch, as I also owned the older ceramic design and did find the 41mm to be quite large. The
new design of the end links and bracelet ensure this. Stare at the end links long enough and you will see why— as well as the end links being female, the first link is actually specially designed to
subtly double back. That means the bracelet actually subtracts some width on wrist. It’s also not as thick as most oyster style bracelets. The wearability is also helped by the really tight design language. It’s not too much and not too little. Other blingier watches can really be a lot on an average wrist, but everything here is executed well to keep presence but not overwhelm to the eye.
Looking closer than a birds eye view, I find that this quality carries over to a macro level. Every bevel, surface, and curve is perfect to my eye. The polish is sparse but what is there shines. The
brushing, like all Omega watches, is the best in the business. There is a slight play in the end links, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to remove and replace. There is no keeper on the bottom so they can move both up and down once the springbars have been squeezed. Contrast this with my AT which requires a doctorate to remove. One last note about the end links is that there are
two very small screws whose function I can only guess. Maybe it has something to do with the five link. The finishing on the bracelet is stunning. There are a lot of surfaces with the five links and it is just so well done. The flanks are beautifully brushed and the screws are perfectly sized with crisp channels and prefect recession.
Aesthetically it is a home run. I love the scallop bezel, even if it is not the functional masterpiece the Planet Ocean’s is. And I like the H2 valve— it makes me feel important. The curve of the flanks going into the lugs is an SMP-specific silhouette and unlike any other watch from Omega or otherwise. A nice contrast from the ‘cosmic’ contour on the Speedmasters and Aqua Terra. Although is screams modernity, I was pleasantly surprised that it takes to a
simple stitch brown leather strap quite well. Maybe not as well as a milsub but well enough to change things up when you feel like it.
The movement is of course a highlight for modern flagship Omega watches— the in-house 8800 in this case. I have a watch with the 8900 and there are some interesting differences. For instance this has only one bridge where the 8900 has two. It also only has one barrel. This is not to mention the jumping Timezone function on the 8900 as well, which I am a huge fan of. Still, the 8800 is beautiful and accurate. And I absolutely love to log into Omega and show people the test stats of the METAS process.
You get the idea. I like the watch. But let’s hit some of the things I don’t like. Speaking of that bracelet. Check out the
naked pin on the push button extension. I’m sure it is safe, but I can move it at least a little with my thumbnail, so there’s that. Maybe there is something holding it in, but at worst it does at least appear to be friction fit and at best it looks a little janky. So that is one functional thing I think could be better.
And the clasp. It is
absolutely massive. It adds so much weight to the watch. I have another beefy 42mm diver built like a tank and this thing has it by a few grams. Combined with a non-tapering bracelet and you’ve got one heavy watch. I don’t mind this as much while it is on, but when I put on my Aqua Terra I notice the weight difference immediately, and that is also not a small watch. Because the clasp is so large, it makes up almost 1/3 of the
total length of the bracelet when closed. Granted I have small wrists, but that might be in the calculus for you.
Small, but I prefer the embossed crown with matte bead blasting relief as found on the Aqua Terra, Planet Ocean, etc. This one is
high polish positive and negative space. Also, it is clear that the bezel is not going to be as grippy as your average knurled dive bezel. But I love the scalloped edges-- there is no other watch like it.
Finally, a small thing, but the ceramic dial is
very, very reflective. The indices are set up and large enough that this holds very little bearing on its legibility, but in raw daylight the sun will catch it and it will be bright.
In the end, it was between this and a Black Bay 58 for me. This won because I just think it is the better watch by most/all raw metrics. If you are really into the vintage aesthetic, you can’t go wrong with Tudor, but I ultimately couldn’t swallow the aluminum bezel and no micro adjustment in sight, plus some reported finishing issues on the bracelet. And despite its size, the Omega bracelet is
so well finished. I have been playing around with strap and nato options but I always come back to how beautiful the bracelet is.
So that’s it! I hope this was helpful for you. I enjoyed writing down my thoughts about this awesome watch.