Rory didn’t wear the $137,000 Omega De Ville Tourbillon he wore last year when he won his CJ Cup title. He defended his CJ Cup title this week while sporting his Omega Seamaster 300M, which he’s worn for most of the year.
WOTW Specs Name: Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer
Reference: 210.32.42.20.10.001
Limited: no
Date: 2022
Case: Stainless Steel
Bezel: Green Ceramic
Dial Green Ceramic
Size: 42mm
Movement: Calibre 8800, 35 Jewels
Power Reserve 55 hours
Glass: Saphire Crystal
Waterproof: 300 meters
Bracelet: Green Rubber Strap
Price: $5,100 (~$5,200)
Omega’s Seamaster watch is one of the most well-known in watchmaking with a history stretching back nearly 75 years. In 1948, the 100th anniversary celebrations saw the debut of the first Seamaster. Omega has been making dive watches for over 100 years. Some of the pioneers in diving and exploration wore them. With rubber gaskets, the Seamaster was more resistant to water. The seals on previous dive watches were made from shellac or lead, which did not withstand temperature fluctuations well.
Rory wore the Seamaster 300M at the Masters earlier this year. It is made of stainless steel and measures 42mm in diameter. The right side has the traditional screw-down crown. The manual helium escape valve is located on the left, just around 10 o’clock. These valves can be found on many dive watches. They are used to let out any trapped gases. Although dive watches can withstand high pressure from the outside, they can also keep water out. However, they are not very good at decompression. Saturation dives allow divers to stay in pressurized capsules for several days, which allows them to recover from deep ocean dives. These capsules are filled with helium to replace nitrogen and the tiny helium molecules in the air can penetrate all gaskets and seals of a dive watch. As the diver decompresses, the helium pressure builds inside the watch. This could cause damage if it didn’t have an HEV. A large display window is located on the caseback that allows you to view the meticulously finished rotor of the mechanical movement.
This movement is Omega’s Calibre-8800 self-winding auto with Omega’s Coaxial escapement. The escapement controls the power from the spring in mechanical watches. There are currently two types of escapement used in movement movements: the Swiss lever or Omega’s Co Axial. George Daniels, a British watchmaker, invented the Co-Axial escapement 50 years ago. Daniels presented his escapement to all luxury watch manufacturers, but Omega was the only one interested. The escapement has been used in all Omega watches since then. The Calibre 8800 is made from antimagnetic materials and can withstand magnetic fields of up to 15,000 Gauss. The 8800 operates at 3.5 hz with 55 hours of battery life.
The case’s top is covered with a stainless steel unidirectional bezel and ceramic insert. The insert of green ceramic has a diving scale embedded into it and a dot of luminescent martal at 12 o’clock. The dial is made of matching green ceramic and has “waves” laser-engraved into it. Super-LumiNova luminescent material is used to fill large hour markers and hands. This allows for easy reading even in low light conditions. The date window is located at 6 o’clock. The entire assembly is protected by a sapphire crystal that resists scratches. The Seamaster is held on the wrist by a matching rubber strap and a stainless pin buckle.
Omega has been producing some great watches in recent months and collectors have noticed. This piece is listed as being unavailable by Omega on their website for several months. It is not clear if this was a limited edition or if the demand for this color was too high. If you are lucky enough to find one in an Omega boutique, the retail price is $5,000. However, you can also get one on secondary market for around $100.
