I have been attracted to Omega watches for as long as I can remember. In the late 1960s my Mum and Dad treated themselves to a Geneve each; a big investment as we were a decidedly working class family. I remember being intrigued by the hippocampus engraving on my Dad’s caseback (his Geneve was also branded as a Seamaster). Eventually, in 2001, I had the means to buy one of my own: a Seamaster 120m chronometer with calibre 1120. In a perfect world, it would have been a Diver 300m but finances wouldn’t stretch to one of those at that time. But, I love this watch and it has not been off my wrist in more than 17 years. However, I fancy a change now, and of course, the new Diver 300m launched this year has really caught my eye. It should be a slam dunk. But the more I research, the more I am drawn to alternatives, specifically the PO master chronometer (probably the 39.5) and the Aqua Terra master 41.5. I have not tried any of them on yet, but I am interested in your thoughts on considerations I should have in mind when I do step into the jewellers shop.
Personally I would go for the one you like the most. The agony of choice is never an easy one. Good luck.
I tried on the new Seamaster 300 last week. It's amazing. I have the blue AT, rarely wear it, will never sell it. I love it. The PO wears too thick, at least for me. I had one, but sold it.
Looks amazing. How pronounced are the new laser etched waves in the flesh? In some of the promo pics, they almost imply two alternating colours on the dial but I suspect that is just the way the light is catching them.
The 39.5 PO would be perfect, if it just happened to be about half it’s thickness. I just can’t be comfortable with it. The seamaster is unique and beautiful and a winner but perhaps within that unique aesthetic lies the its weakness as you may get tired of it ( I did) The aqua terra line is perfection imo. But it looks like you want a diver as you had the non diver for a while. How about the Seamaster 300?
I think the 300 is a lovely watch, but if I’m being honest, I prefer the more modern dial designs of the other watches.
They nailed it with this version. Waves look really good. Nothing looks forced on this one. Never even considered previous versions of this watch, but this version chandsd my mind. Price point, as I recall is $4900 USD.
Thanks for this. Is it now officially on sale in the US? The UK release date is quoted as being August.
That's fair. I myself like the sm 300 but have not likes it enough to get it. I did have the ceramic smp300 and loved it but eventually the PO won over it. It's just classic and simple and elegant. But I zeroed on the 2500 PO's most specifically the LMLE. The 8500 PO's are beautiful watches, and the 39 .5 is a really elegant size for it BUT....BUT..... so freacking thick. THE AT is without fault for me and I enjoy it tremendously, it just seems by your posts that you are craving a diver. If I where to choose between the latest SMP300 and the latest PO I would go for the SMP
Not yet. You can leave a deposit and I think 2 months from now they are ready for delivery. I was at an Omega event and that is why I was able to check out some of the Basel 2018 offerings. The complete line of Seamaster 300 look really nice. The black dial, the gray dial, the black/gold version. They had them all there to try on. They also offer on a rubber strap, but that really changed the look, for me it is strictly a bracelet.
Thanks for all the thoughts above. I found this hands on video for the new 300M. It’s in Chinese but has some of the best close up views that I’ve seen of the watch so far.
I was debating between the very same watches not three weeks ago. I was sure I wanted to keep the size around 40mm. I went to an Omega boutique and tried on all the different sizes of those watches and I ended up with the 43.5mm Planet Ocean. It sounded like it would be way too large based on everything I had read about it/all the pictures I looked at but once I had it on, I knew it was the one for me. In other words, it's very hard to make any kind of informed decision without trying them all on. No matter what advice people offer on what's too big or what style is more attractive, it won't really help you know how it will look on your wrist. You may end up being surprised and fall in love with something that isn't even really on your radar.
It’s tough to wear a watch as thick as the PO on a regular basis and on all occasions. I would go with whichever of the 300M or AT you prefer if you plan to wear it regularly.
Videos and pics do not do that watch justice (often the case). I had a chance to try those on, and I think Omega hit it out of the park with this remake.
I have been deciding between the 39.5 PO, 2018 Diver 300M and Aqua Terra and just recently decided that once i've saved enough I'm going with the 39.5 PO. It's definitely not that thick, at least compared to the 43.5. I believe the thickness is roughly 14.1mm where-as the new 2018 Diver 300m got chunkier and is around 13.5mm? If so, that's not a major difference. Here's a couple pictures I took in the AD I went to for the PO 39.5:
Fair point - I hadn’t realized the 300M had gone from 13 to 13.56. The thinness was absolutely one of its best traits and really allowed for it to be quite a versatile watch.
Yet more helpful perspectives ... thank you. I guess the key message is, try the watches on and decide on what looks and feels best at that point.
I like each iteration of the PO less than the one that came before it. At this point I'd rather have the 300m because it's so much thinner.
I'd agree. My opinions totally changed from trying on each one of these watches. Obviously I haven't tried on the new 300M but I was 100% dead set on that one before trying on the 39.5 PO. I thought my wrist would work with larger watches but ended up being more drawn towards 40mm or smaller watches .