BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
With an expansive catalog of dive watches, Omega’s love for the aquatic environment is no clandestine. Recently the brand decided to extend its support to Nekton, a non-profit organization that is working towards the conservation and protection of ocean waters.
And to commemorate this partnership, Omega has released a special variation of its Seamaster 300 professional dive watch, the Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition. This new watch features a Matt Black ceramic dial, a grade 5 titanium bezel, and a bright red seconds hand.
Based on the 2018 refresh of the Diver 300M, the Seamaster 300M Nekton Edition looks very familiar, but bring forth a few noteworthy updates. First and foremost is the dial. While it still features a wave pattern, the black dial on the 300M Nekton has been finished in Matt instead of gloss finish on the regular version. This helps in giving the watch a more rugged look and keeps the wave pattern subdued as compared to glossy dial on which the waves pop and stand out. The dial layout remains almost like the regular 300M diver with maxi style lume filled applied markers forming the hour index, a segmented minute track, and skeletonized hour and minute hands. However, Omega has opted for perfect symmetry this time around and removed the day complication. And to add a pop of color to the dial not just the tip but the entire seconds hand has been painted red.
The case is another area in which this watch has received some changes. Measuring 42mm in diameter and water-resistant to 300 meters the case is still crafted from stainless steel. Sitting on top the case is a uni-directional bezel that is made of grade 5 titanium and features a laser-ablated dive time scale instead of an enamel filled ceramic bezel insert. Flipping the watch over reveals a screwed-down case back which has been kept closed and has been deeply engraved with a submarine medallion to pay a tribute to the Nekton Research institute.
Under the hood of the 300M Nekton Edition runs Omega’s in-house calibre 8806. This is a self-winding unit that features Omega’s Master Co-Axial escapement and offers a power reserve of around 55 hours when it is fully wound. The movement is METAS certified and can resist magnetic fields up to 15000 Gauss. The movement has been beautifully decorated with Arabesque Geneva stripes throughout, but sadly has been hidden beneath the case back.
The new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition can be purchased on either a black rubber strap for USD 5,850 or on a steel bracelet for USD 6,150. Thankfully this watch is not a limited edition.
