Brand/Model:
Omega Seamaster Pro Ceramic
Movement:
Swiss automatic
Material:
stainless steel case and bracelet, ceramic bezel insert
Complications:
date display
Price:
MSRP $4,400 USD
Plenty
of photos follow the review. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
I’ve been looking forward to writing this review for
quite some time. The Omega Seamaster Pro is one of those truly iconic watches that
every serious watch collector should have in their collection. About two
years ago, Omega upgraded the Seamaster with several new features and
practically every one of the upgrades made the watch better.
I have owned both the ‘standard’ and ceramic bezel
versions of this watch, and I am firmly in the new ceramic bezel camp.
Don’t get me wrong, the older version is still a great watch and can be
had used at very good prices, while the newest version is now becoming more
available on the used market, selling for roughly 30-percent less than the MSRP
listed above. A clean, used Omega
Seamaster is an excellent value.
First off, I wanted to run down the changes Omega made
between the old and new version. The biggest change is the bezel, going
from metal (I believe aluminum insert or steel insert, not exactly sure, so
don’t quote me) to a ceramic insert, which is all the rage these days (Rolex,
Tudor, ORIS, Audemars Piguet and many others are all using ceramic bezel
inserts on various models).
The dial on the new version drops the ‘wave’ pattern dial
(probably the one feature most people decry losing) and moves to a solid, gloss
finish. The updates also include applied
markers, applied logos, a white on black date wheel instead of a black on white
wheel, blue lume on the markers and green lume on the minute hand and bezel pip
only instead of all green lume, an improved bracelet with screws that neatly
secure the link pins instead of those dreaded pins and collars (big improvement
here!) and a slightly different clasp and pushbutton assembly.
Many of the most liked features (the skeleton hands, the
case size, the style of the bracelet links, the chronometer rated Co-Axial
escapement movement, 300 meter water resistance, HEV) remain the same. As
I said earlier, Omega did a bang up job renewing the Seamaster without changing
its most iconic elements. It’s just a better watch now and still a
stone-cold classic.
The ceramic Seamaster starts with a beautifully brushed
and polished stainless steel case (with those sensual Omega curved lugs) that
measures 41.1mm without the signed screwdown crown, 45.5mm with the crown
included. A signed helium escape valve (HEV) is located at the 10
position on the left side of the case. Case thickness is 12.8mm, lug
width is 20mm.
The caseback is heavily embossed with the Seamaster
seahorse logo and screws down. Omega does a wonderful job with the
embossing of their casebacks...they often remind me of a proof coin, they are
so smooth, shiny and finely detailed. Job well done!
The dial on the ceramic Seamaster, while not the famous
wave design, has such a deep gloss finish, it looks like a freshly waxed car in
certain light. It’s a true stunner! The shade of blue is just
about perfect and will change a bit depending on the lighting conditions, but
most of the time it’s a pure, pleasant shade of medium blue.
The round markers are applied, with a double rectangular
marker at the 12 position and single rectangular markers at the 3, 6 and 9
positions (abbreviated at the 3 due to the date window). The Omega logo is applied and looks great,
the right touch of class on an overall clean dial. Below the Omega logo is the wording
‘Seamaster’ (in red) and ‘Professional’ below that. Above the six position, are the words ‘Co-Axial’,
‘Chronometer’ and ‘300m /1000ft’. It might sound like a lot of text, but
it’s not intrusive and doesn’t detract from the functionality of the dial.
While I’ve never been a big fan of skeleton hands, and to
be honest, they were pretty much the only feature that kept me from purchasing
a Seamaster for a long time, I have come to really like the hands on the
Seamaster. They are crafted in such a way as to look expensive yet
purposeful at the same time and they are easy to read, thanks to the luminous
material at their ends and along their sides. The seconds hand is a
simple stick style with a ball end and a red tip, just like the older version.
The date window has radiused edges and is outlined in
white for easier viewing. The white on black date wheel is a big
improvement and is easy to see. The quickset function works fine and
wheel alignment inside the window is perfect.
Compared to the torch-like green lume of my first
Seamaster, the new blue lume on the ceramic Seamaster is a bit of a let-down to
me. It’s also a bit odd that they made the ends and edges of the minute
hand in green lume and the rest of the dial in blue lume. The bezel pip is also in green lume. The
blue lume doesn’t glow as brightly as the green used to. The lume quality
is still good, but it doesn’t scream Omega! like it used to. I’ll let you
be the judge.
The dial is capped by a slightly domed sapphire crystal.
The much talked about ceramic bezel looks good surrounding the dial.
The ceramic is finished in the same blue color as the dial, is glossy and
smooth and has matte silver arabics and markers. A lume pip inside an
inverted triangle is located at the 12 position on the bezel. The bezel
is a 120-click unidirectional type. Bezel
action is smooth and precise and this bezel is much easier to turn (but not too
easy) than my first Seamaster, which is a welcome change for me.
The Seamaster is a true dive watch and many owners use
theirs for actual diving and wear them in wet conditions. The Seamaster
is factory rated at 300 meters of water resistance. Needless to say,
overall fit and finish is first rate.
Inside the ceramic Seamaster beats the venerable and
well-regarded Omega Co-Axial automatic movement. Caliber 2500D is based
on an ETA 2892 movement with 27 jewels and beating at a somewhat odd 25,200 vibes per hour.
The Seamaster is chronometer certified and both Seamasters I have owned (standard
and Co-Axial movements) have kept outstanding time. The new ceramic
Seamaster in my possession runs about +1 second over 24 hours and has an
excellent 54 hour power reserve. The movement winds butter smooth, sets
and runs precisely and is just a joy to operate and wear. Kudos to Omega
for continuing to make this exceptionally accurate and reliable movement.
It just makes the Seamaster than much better.
The bracelet is a solid link multi-piece design crafted
in stainless steel with brushed and polished pieces that look and feel great.
I’m so glad Omega ditched the annoying pin and collar link pins and
replaced them with what I feel is the most elegant, simple and well-designed
link pin system around. All they did was design two easily removable
screws (one on each side of the link). You
remove the screws, the pin comes out and then you replace the screws. What
could be easier? Why more watch companies don’t use a system this simple
and elegant is beyond me.
The bracelet measures 20mm both at the lugs and the
clasp. The clasp is signed and has larger pushbuttons to open the clasp,
revealing the machined deployant. The operation of the clasp is first
rate. A machined dive extension pops out from the rear of the clasp.
Since the lugs on the Seamaster are the popular 20mm size, you can put on
a variety of stock or aftermarket straps or bracelets, making the versatility
of the Seamaster one of its best features.
Presentation is standard Omega: a heavy gauge white
cardboard outer box and a big padded red inner box with a vinyl ‘wallet’
containing the warranty card, chronometer card, pictograms, etc. Perfectly fitting for a watch in this price
range.
Obviously, I think the Seamaster ceramic is a great
watch. It’s one of those pieces that could suffice if you had to choose
just one watch to own, it’s simply that versatile, rugged, dependable,
good-looking and iconic. Do yourself a favor and buy a Seamaster Pro,
preferably the new ceramic bezel model. You will not be disappointed!
Pros: useful
and well-thought out upgrades to an already iconic watch, great movement, great
accuracy, ceramic bezel, lovely dial, great build quality, easy to use link pin
system
Cons: new blue
lume disappoints to a degree, crown could be a tad larger
Verdict: one of
the all-time greats! The Omega Seamaster Pro ceramic is a winner through and
through. Just a superb overall watch that continues to shine in most all
regards.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.
Excelsior!
-Marc
