The Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer watch is a much publicised and advertised watch from the Omega company based in Switzerland. As I have the privilege of owning this watch I am sharing some information about it based upon my personal experience.
I purchase this watch from a dealer based in Chennai in the year 2002 for approximately Rs.50000/- along with a bill and guarantee card. Its authenticity has been verified by me from the Omega company itself who have verified the Serial No. of the watch and have sent me the COSC (a certificate issued by the Swiss Chronometer Institute certifying the accuracy of the watch) pertaining to the watch. The Seamaster Professional automatic models have received a Chronometer certificate from COSC. This certifies that the movement measured within -4 to +6 seconds of variation per day.
Firstly I would like to describe the physical characteristics of the watch.
I have an Omega Seamaster Professional Chronometer automatic piece (James Bond version) Model No 2531.80, which has a navy blue dial and a blue rotating bezel for marking seconds and a stainless steel case. It is a simple watch and not a chronograph (stop watch.) The watch is quite heavy with a weight of approximately 150 grams, but one gets used to the weight over time. The steel bracelet is smooth and quite comfortable on the hand.
It has highly visible hands (skeleton hands) and dial markers with large fluorescent marks which are clearly visible in the darkness. The rotating bezel is with fluorescent marker, but a little hard to turn. The case is contoured around the stem to protect it from being hit. With a sapphire crystal, the watch is highly resistant to scratching. The dial has a blue waves pattern on it and a date box is also there for showing the date. The watch is rated for use at depths of up to 300 meters (1000 feet) and is quite rugged and sporty. The best part of this watch is that it can be worn on formal occasions as well as in an informal environment and believe me, is sure to get noticed in a crowd.
The models is with a metal bracelet that has a special clasp that opens the bracelet an additional inch or so to fit over the outside of a diving suit (called a diver’s extension.)
The watch also has a ’Helium relief valve’ -- a feature only needed if you are in an extended stay in a helium-rich diving environment under water. This is probably useful to a very small percentage of the owners of this watch.
The benefit of an automatic watch is that it does’t need any battery and is not to be wound daily, but works with the movement of the hand. The company claims that the watch has a 44 hours power reserve (the watch will continue to work during this period even if not worn) however in my case I have noticed that the duration of the power reserve is probably not more than 24 -28 hours. The watch is not very accurate and has the tendency to slow down over a period of time, and therefore it requires time setting every week or so. The water proof rating is good and the watch can be worn while taking bath or swimming without any problems.
Now we may compare the advantages and pitfalls of the Seamaster Professional watch.
The best features of the Seamaster Professional are:
Rugged, reliable, fashionable sports watch. Overall, a good value for the money in its class of watch.
Bezel not easily bumped out of position.
Well designed metal bracelet. It is very comfortable and does not catch arm hair. Has a good number of removable links, so can be sized down to fit the wrist better than many other watches. Clasp mechanism of the bracelet better than many others.
Scratch free and solid.
The possible disadvantages to consider are:
The full size Seamaster Professional is larger, thicker and heavier than typical men’s wristwatch.
For actual diving use, lacks any alarm or other dive timing features other than using the bezel to mark your time.
Bezel is hard to get a firm grip on to turn.
Not very accurate.