Over the last year, I’ve gained a great deal of respect and admiration for Omega.  The company has an incredibly rich history, and the quality of their watches is first rate.  The brand name also carries with it a degree of recognition and prestige.  In January of this year, I acquired a Seamaster GMT, which I really love.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that I’d want another Omega.  But which one?  The new Aqua Terra is an impressive watch (love the display back).  But I’m still in my early 30’s and am more drawn to younger, sportier watches.  I also like the Omega Deville Co-axial as a dress watch, but it will be awhile before I can afford the gold model that I really love.  So I went back to the Seamaster line – rugged, attractive, fun, and a genuine bargain when compared against other upper-echelon watches from IWC, Breitling, and Rolex.  Again, the choices were many, even within the Seamaster line.  The “Bond” Seamaster wasn’t my first choice, though I do like it.  The distinctiveness of the white dial GMT made it a strong contender too, but I didn’t want another GMT.  Ultimately, model 2254.50.00 offered everything that I was looking for, though I now find myself with two black dial Omega’s. 

Omega does a very nice job with the packaging.  The red (real) leather watch box is gorgeous.  Also included is an Omega credit card type wallet with three different cards inside – the chronometer certificate, the “pictogram” card (it’s used in conjunction with the manual to identify the specific features of your watch), and the international warranty card.  The final touch was a hard cover Omega manual.  Very classy – every accessory sends the message that you’ve purchased a truly special timepiece.

The watch itself is one of the greatest blends of form and function I’ve ever seen.  The case is quite sophisticated in construction.  Cosmetically, Omega has given it numerous curves and angles of polished and brushed steel which are gorgeous, yet smooth to the touch.  No sharp edges are to be found.  Functionally, the case is robust enough to warrant a water resistance rating of a 1000 ft. (300 meter) depth.  Extending from the case are the crown on one side, and the helium escape valve on the other, both of which are signed.  The helium escape valve is evidently quite an important feature for deep sea divers who have to spend extended periods within a decompression chamber.  Since the deepest I’ve snorkeled is about 15 or 20 ft. (using my Seamaster GMT might I add…) I doubt I’ll ever need it.  It’s neat conversation aspect of the watch, and does help to give it a distinctive look.  Flip the watch over, and you’ll see the traditional engraved sea monster emblem – another reminder of the history represented by this watch.

 The bezel is easy to turn with an audible clicking sound.  The bezel is actually easier to grip and rotate then the bezel on my Seamaster GMT.  The dial, which clearly owes much to the Omega 300 in design lineage, is extremely legible thanks to the oversized markers and “sword” hands.  Much has been written about the luminescent qualities of the Seamaster – it’s as easily read in darkness or light.  Another cool design feature is the date wheel color integration with the rest of the dial – looks great, and the white numbers against the black background a super-legible without magnification.  The dial is protected by a slightly domed sapphire crystal which has an anti-reflective coating on the inside of the crystal. 

The bracelet was one of the big draws for me on the model 2254.50.00.  Since I already had a Seamaster with the “Bond” style bracelet, I wanted to have the Speedmaster bracelet (so known because this bracelet is most used by Omega with their Speedmaster watches) on my next Omega.  This model also employs the two-button clasp and divers extension features which is the best combination of function and comfort I’ve yet to sample in a watch clasp.  There is absolutely no rattle or creaking noise which comes from either the bracelet or clasp – the quality is astounding.  There are a couple of potential shortcomings:  The bracelet uses push pins with collars to join the links, which progressively taper down in size.  I’ve sized a lot of push pin bracelets before, but this one is pretty tough – you’ll probably want to have a jeweler size it.  To me, this wasn’t an issue since the jeweler I frequent at my local mall did it for free.  The other potential issue is that the clasp does not have a fine adjustment.  There is a however a half-size link that comes with the watch which is pretty effective – using it, my SMP fits perfectly.       

 The Omega cal. 1120 is an amazing movement, and an excellent choice for this watch.  The movement was first introduced in 1996, and Omega uses the ETA 2892-A2 as the base ebauche, and heavily modifies it to produce the 1120.  The base ETA 2892-A2 is widely considered the best movement ever produced by ETA (first introduced in 1975, with a lineage going back much further with Eterna).  Many, many high end watch manufacturers (like IWC and Cartier) also use the 2892-A2 as a base movement.  Why?  Well, cost is no doubt a factor.  However, I submit that many watch companies all come to the same conclusion:  They could spend the money to design and manufacture their own movement in-house and still not match the technical marvel which is the 2892-A2.  Don’t take my word for it – research the treasure trove of articles on Timezone by such horological luminaries as Walt Odets and others who closely examine the attributes of the 2892-A2. 

 So Omega doesn’t begin with a low end  movement in the 2892-A2; neither do they simply slap a coat of paint on it to create the Omega 1120.  Two extra jewels are added to the 2892-A2 (the 1120 is a 23-jewel movement), rhodium plating, and other extensive modifications designed to increase precision, durability, and quality – the end result is a chronometer grade movement and a true marvel of Swiss ingenuity and engineering.  The Omega 1120 may not be an “in house” movement (designed and manufactured completely by Omega) but it certainly is what I call an “in family” movement – ETA and Omega are both divisions of the Swatch Company.  To those who would dismiss the Omega Cal. 1120 simply on the basis of it not being an “in-house” movement, I invite you to read an article by Carlos A. Perez entitled, "On The Ebauche Tradition."  In the first 24 hour accuracy test I did, the watch didn’t gain or lose a second against the atomic clock.  An impressive result, but obviously more accuracy observation and testing needs to be done.  Still, I’m certain this watch lives up to it’s COSC chronometer certification.

One of the design components that gives this watch greater visibility and legibility in both day and night time conditions is the size and shape of the markers and hands.  It's also a reason why I choose this version of the Seamster over the "James Bond" version.  The sword hands and huge markers are well coated with Super Luminova making this model SMP nearly unrivaled in luminosity:

 In conclusion, this Omega Seamaster is a very, very special time piece for me, and I’m surprised at how quickly and easily I’ve bonded to this watch.  It combines beauty, prestige, technical excellence, and history into one watch.  Of course, all this does not come without a price - $1750.00 retail for this particular watch.  You can and should expect to find the watch at around a 30-35% discount off of retail.  On the used market, it appears as though a well maintained and complete with accessory items Seamaster will always keep around a 50% retail value.  So, if you buy it right, you stand to lose very little if any of your investment if you decide to trade/sell down the road.  So not only is the Omega Seamaster a great all around watch, but it’s a great value too.      

LONG TERM UPDATE - 5/15/04

Having owned my Seamaster Professional for a one year period, I wanted to add an update to my review.  Because I wear a suit quite often to work, the SMP doesn't see as much wrist time as some of the other pieces in my collection.  That's not to say the watch won't work with a suit - it's just not my first choice for a dress watch (I usually defer to my Aqua Terra,  Explorer II, or TT Submariner for dress duty).  However, I've worn this watch quite a bit during sport or outdoor activity - I often work out in the watch, swim, etc.  It's fantastic in this regard, and has surprised me with it's robustness and durability.  One complaint the Seamaster line receives often is that the large surface area of the clasp will scratch VERY easily.  While this is to a degree true, it isn't a problem.  Why?  Simply buy a pack of Scotch-Brite pads (yellow on one side, green on the other) and use one on the clasp.  A few careful strokes in ONE direction will remove scratches quite effectively - I've done this twice since I've owned the watch and the clasp looks like new every time I do so.  You can do the same for the rest of the bracelet, but just be careful of the polished center links.  Omega has recently increased the price on most of their models, so the SMP now retails for just shy of $2000.00.  It's still an excellent value, and remains my first choice for a heavy duty dive watch. 

*All text and images contained in this review are the original work of the author, John B. Holbrook, II and are copyright protected. Use of any of the information or images without the permission of the author is prohibited.

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