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Seamaster CK2913 and 16X.024 300. Why the 300 name?

  1. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    Just occurred to me that I can't think of a good reason why the seminal 50s and 60s Omega diver designs were labeled Seamaster 300 since they actually had 200m depth ratings (about 660ft). Had there already been a 200m design that these replaced or is there some other reason I have overlooked? Any suggestions?
     
  2. DIV Jan 18, 2018

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    I think that Omega designed to be depth rated to 300m, but they were only able to test them to 200m.
     
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  3. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    You might be right but that almost seems like an admission of failure! In that case maybe they should have called it Seamaster 200.
     
  4. TsoloT Jan 18, 2018

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    It apparently was a sequencing thing not a rating thing ...wasn’t the 300 only rated to 200m

    And the early ploprofs were just called 600 with no meters mentioned
     
  5. TsoloT Jan 18, 2018

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    It was the Watches placement in the range
     
  6. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    Yes I guess it could just be an arbitrary placing name. They did seem to use a variety of naming systems. The Seamaster 600 name was certainly used for the mildly water resistant dress watches using the 600 movement family (manual wind only presumably) but the Seamster 30 models were presumably named for the depth rating? Maybe they did it just to mess with us.
     
  7. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    Hi @padders

    Great observation and question.... Sometimes there is no logical answer ... as we enter into the realm of Sales and Marketing...... They are the ones to come up with names and the such......

    All we can do is look at old ads... and deduce.... and or ask people that were there.... fewer and fewer....

    here are two ads I found on line... after a quick google search....


    Clearly Seamaster 3oo ad states pressure proof to 20 atm .... approx 200 m 650 ft...

    seamaster3oo.jpg



    The Seamaster ( Professional) 600 ad ... ( from Omega's site) states 2000ft , there might be wiggle room here that the 600 does in fact represent 600m . later dials are marked 600m/ 2000ft ....

    SE_Ploprof_2.JPG

    and another ad i found on the net.... seems the Sales and Marketing guys got smarter see watch#3 Semaster 200 waterproof to 700 ft....

    OmegaSeamastersad1972.jpg


    Still no answer to why the Seamaster 3oo was names as such..... Let see what we can find.....


    Good Hunting

    Bill
     
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  8. Vercingetorix Spam Risk Jan 18, 2018

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    The Seamaster 30 were named for the movement diameter. The 300 reminds me of Richard Hammond. Watch the video at 3:45.
     
  9. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    Hi @padders

    Your correct on the Seamaster 600 ( non professional ) were powered by 60x and maybe 6xx caliber movements...

    On the Seamaster 30 ... If my memory not failing me ... it was name for the 26x and 28x caliber movement ( 30 mm Family of calibers ).


    Good Hunting

    Bill Sohne
     
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  10. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    Love the vid clip!

    I did consider that when I posted earlier but by the time those models were released, the 30 calibre naming scheme was long dead and as Bill says above, they had names like 26X and 28X, same movements but they hadn't been called 30SC etc for over 10 years at that point so it seems a little odd to look backwards for the name
     
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  11. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    once again Sales and Marketing Strikes with no rhyme or reason !!!

    also just came across my old page that Chuck used to host for me on his site...... back in 2001

    http://chronomaddox.com/seamaster_3oo_a_history.html


    Best

    bill
     
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  12. Vercingetorix Spam Risk Jan 18, 2018

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    The naming may have changed but the diameter of the movement remained at 30mm. Didn’t Omega just release a limited edition using NOS versions of this movement?
     
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  13. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    Very interesting. I note that in the first Ad you show there, the 501 cal is also tagged as the 28SC so clearly Omega did continue using the pre 1948 calibre names in marketing. Seamaster 30 could well be so named.

    Apropos of nothing, I wonder how many have clicked in here thinking I was an idiot because I hadn't figured out the SM300 name but not realised that the depth rating was actually lower and there was a disconnect.
     
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  14. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    Hi @padders

    How do you think I feel ? I wrote that 17 years ago... and never thought twice about the depth rating and the name !

    augh


    Good Hunting

    Bill
     
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  15. padders Oooo subtitles! Jan 18, 2018

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    Oh Bill, I apologise, I wasn't casting any aspersions, you shouldn't have let on!
     
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  16. micampe Jan 18, 2018

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  17. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    Hey @padders

    We all put our pants on one leg at a time..... No one knows everything.... but heck I should have caught that one years ago !

    oh boy....


    Good Hunting

    Bill
     
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  18. Vercingetorix Spam Risk Jan 18, 2018

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  19. Bill Sohne Bill @ ΩF Staff Member Jan 18, 2018

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    Yup ... Steve G a good guy.... I have not talked with him in years.... He was part of the " old crowd of watch collectors in the 1990s " I remember stilling next to him at a TZ get together circa 1995...


    The way we met was pretty funny... I sat down next to him. He then said to me " Do you know how lucky you are?" I replied " No, How lucky am I?" ( this was not a joke by the way). He then said " Well you are sitting next to a guy who has 2 Zenith caliber 135 chronometres they are very rare....and you in fro a treat !" I then replied " Do you know how lucky you are ?" He looked very puzzled.... I then said " What are the odds that your sitting next to a guy who has 3 Zenith caliber 135 in his bag !". At that point he asked who I was .... I told him " Bill Sohne" ... and he struck his head.... and we both laughed.


    Good Hunting

    Bill
     
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  20. M'Bob Jan 18, 2018

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