Omega May Kill Off a Beloved Seamaster Diver. Blame James Bond

The evidence is mounting that the current generation of the iconic dive watch is on its way out.

a closeup of an omega seamaster dive watch dial

Published December 5, 2024

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Is the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M we know and love dead?

After the Speedmaster Moonwatch, Omega’s most recognizable model — by far — is the Seamaster Diver 300M. First launched in 1993, the watch rocketed to fame on the wrist of Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond in the 1995 film Goldeneye, and it’s been associated with the character ever since.

The current generation of the watch debuted in 2018, introducing a bolder new aesthetic with a polished ceramic bezel with more symmetrical markings, a larger 42mm case size, a display caseback, a Master Chronometer movement, and a polished ceramic dial with laser-engraved waves. This ultramodern version has become a beloved icon itself and has consistently ranked among the best — if not the best — luxury dive watches on the market since its debut.

But it’s looking more and more like we’ve seen the last of this beloved generation of the Seamaster, as Omega keeps releasing new divers that leave the ceramic wave dial in the past.

a closeup of an omega seamaster dive watch — Omega’s newest Seamaster Diver continues to follow the recent 007-inspired trend.

It’s James Bond’s Fault

Omega launched another new Seamaster Diver 300M today, this time with a two-tone case made of titanium and the brand’s proprietary Bronze Gold alloy. The dial is colored green and made of sandblasted aluminum with no waves, while the bezel insert is also green aluminum. The dial has no date, the bracelet is titanium mesh and the crystal is a bulbous domed sapphire.

It’s largely the same design language we saw on the two new Seamaster Divers the brand released earlier this month, one of which featured a brushed steel dial and steel relief bezel while the other was in stainless steel with a black aluminum bezel and dial featuring smaller, ’90s-style waves. Both of those watches have no-date dials, mesh bracelets and domed crystals.

an omega seamaster dive watch — The newly released black no-date Seamaster debuted just a couple of weeks ago after first appearing on the wrist of Daniel Craig at the Paris Olympics over the summer.

Most aspects of this design language — the no-date dial, the mesh bracelet in place of the classic “tank tread” style, the domed crystal, and the aluminum dial and bezel insert in place of ceramic — all debuted on the popular “No Time to Die” Seamaster that was first unveiled back in 2019.

Initially created as a movie tie-in watch with input from Daniel Craig himself for the James Bond film of the same name — which didn’t hit theaters until 2021 after several Covid-related delays — the “NTTD” has shown itself to have a lot more staying power than your average movie watch.

A non-limited edition, the watch is still available to buy from Omega, and it’s become something of a modern classic in the brand’s catalog. So much so that it now appears Omega is using the watch as its blueprint for the next generation of Seamaster Diver 300M.

omega watch on a mans wrist — The ‘No Time to Die’ Seamaster aesthetic has effectively taken over the entire line of Omega’s iconic diver.

The Next Generation of the Seamaster

The first time the NTTD’s design language was repeated was in 2022 when Omega released the James Bond 60th Anniversary Edition of the diver.

A special edition, this model utilized most of the NTTD blueprint — no date, mesh bracelet, aluminum bezel, domed crystal — which made sense since it was connected to 007. It had some key differences, though, in that it was made from stainless steel instead of titanium and also introduced a new version of the smaller wave dial seen on ’90s Seamasters.

It looked for a while like those two Bond watches would stand alone with their vintage-inspired design language, but lo and behold, Omega is now adopting the style across the Seamaster Diver line.

an omega seamster james bond watch — The James Bond 60th-Anniversary Seamaster showed how the ‘No Time to Die’ design language could be adapted to other watches.

Although the brand hasn’t come out and declared the ceramic wave dial is dead, the writing is on the wall. This month alone, Omega has already released three Seamasters that ape the NTTD’s design language, while also teasing a fourth version on Craig’s wrist at a Hollywood event.

Even the language used by Omega in the press release for the new titanium and Bronze Gold version today makes it sound like the Seamaster Diver 300M we’ve loved since 2018 — a watch I personally own and adore — won’t be produced again:

“In keeping with the latest Diver 300M update (emphasis mine), the new watch moves away from the familiar ceramic style of recent years — and instead — takes inspiration from the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition, which was worn in the James Bond film, No Time To Die.”
Omega press release

The End of an Era?

All of the ceramic wave-dial Seamaster Divers are still available from Omega — they haven’t been discontinued, at least not yet. But it certainly seems like the brand is pushing the iconic model into a new direction, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

On the one hand, I really love the ceramic bezel and wave dial of the older model. It feels very modern and luxurious, and matches up better against the Seamaster’s eternal rival, the Rolex Submariner.

omega seamaster diver 300m watch review — If the ceramic Seamaster is truly going away, I’m really going to miss it.

The use of aluminum on the newer Seamasters, and especially the domed crystal, give more of a vintage feel to the watch that I feel isn’t really necessary. For one, the model’s familiar design language debuted in the ’90s, so it was never as old as the mid-century styles these features are emulating. And two, if I want a new Seamaster that feels like a vintage watch, I’ll just buy a Seamaster 300.

But there are also aspects of these new Seamasters that I really like. Their bezels are fully lumed, which is a huge bonus, and while I don’t think the no-date dial should be standard, I do think it should be an option.

a closeup of an omega seamaster dive watch seen from the side — Does a domed crystal belong on the Seamaster Diver 300M? I would argue it does not.

I also really like the mesh bracelet, so much so that I bought one for my ceramic Seamaster. People have complained about the outgoing Seamaster generation’s “tank tread” bracelet forever due to its bulkiness, its dated design and lack of a taper.

The mesh offers a distinct look and I find it very comfortable, but it has its detractors, too. Many find the clasp too bulky, and lament that it’s not a true, fitted bracelet. It also lacks any micro-adjust mechanism, and Omega doesn’t advertise that alternate lengths of the bracelet are available. The standard length is too long for me, so I had to order my short-length mesh strap by phone with Omega’s parts department like a caveman.

For now, both new and old versions of the Seamaster Diver 300M live side by side in Omega’s catalog. But I suspect that won’t be the case for long, so if it’s the ceramic version you prefer, start saying your goodbyes now.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Titanium & Bronze Gold

This version of Omega’s iconic dive watch draws inspiration with James Bond’s ‘No Time to Die’ model with its titanium mesh bracelet and aged lume, but adds a touch of elegance with its Bronze Gold accents and deep green color.