Greetings all,

Thought I'd share the results of brushing the polished side links on my 60th Anniversary Seamaster 300. For daily wear, I had found the high polish of the side links too 'glittery', and to be in conflict with my personal preference for the ethos of this Seamaster to serve as a tool watch.

I specified the 2 polished surfaces of each side link on the End Links to be spared from the brushing. This way, the preserved polish on the end links blend better with the polished surfaces of the watch case, and the high-polish lugs.
The local Tourbillon and OB's naturally had zero appetite for doing this, so I had this done at a non-AD watchmaker in downtown San Francisco. The technician took ~2 hours to complete the procedure, and fee was 60 USD. For those local, please feel open to PM me for a referral.

 

Old thread I know, but I'm thinking about doing the same to the watch myself or even having the tops of the lugs brushed and was wondering if you had any more infos/ incite into how it looks a few years down?

 

Should have brushed the end links too.

 

I sold it a while back. But during the full ~year I had the watch after brushing the bracelet, the brushed surface didn't incur any scars or even light scratches. I found it much more resistant against scratches than 2 stainless steel Rolex Oyster bracelets I've had as daily watches.

Main reasons I sold the watch were due to (i) the 8806 movement, (ii) the weight of the watch on bracelet, and (iii) that high polish steel bezel. I found the rotor spin sound & vibration of the 8806 just annoying... reminded me of a cheap Invicta, compared to a silent-rotor Omega 8900. The watch on bracelet was also very heavy, not helped by the hulking clasp in proportion to the rest of the watch. Lastly, that high polish circular bezel was blinding when catching light reflections. Drawing unwanted attention from others in conference rooms at work, and also distracted me while driving while the sun is out.

I ultimately replaced it with a Glashutte SeaQ 39. Highly recommend! The GO movement has a silent rotor which I can't hear or feel spinning through the caseback against my wrist, like I could with the Omega 8806. The SeaQ 39 wears very comfortably because of its lighter weight relative to the 60th anniversary Seamaster.

With Omega's price increases over the last decade, there is no longer as steep of a price difference between Omega and other manufacturers in the Swatch group. Factoring in discounts, LE Seamasters like the 60th anniversary 2913 or the NTTD are priced at only a grand or so from watches like the SeaQ or Bathyscaphe. The new 3861 Speedmaster sapphire sandwich is sticker-priced at around what a Lemania movement Breguet Type XX Aeronavale was selling for brand new with discount, before that model was very recently discontinued.

As much as I applaud Omega's remarkable growth & technological innovations in the past decade, it is no longer the same midrange-value brand it was just 15 years ago. Back when we can get the Omega's best sellers like the Bond Seamaster, a 2254, or a Speedy Pro 3572 all on sale brand new for 30-40% off MSRP, for $1,400 to $2,000 before tax. Now that Omega's limited production editions are commonly priced in the 7-14k range, there are other compelling brands that we can access within that same price range which reward collectors with higher standards of movement, dial, case, and bracelet finishing.

 

Yeah, that polished bezel was a downside. By the way, here are some photos of Marlon Brando wearing a Seamaster 300: https://monochrome-watches.com/marlon-brando-watch-unseen-omega-seamaster-300-spotted/