Initially released in 1948 and based on watches used by airmen in WWII, the Omega Seamaster has become one of Omega’s best-known collections. Initially, a dress-style watch with thick lugs, the Seamaster was designed to promote daily wear while remaining functional for use in water with 62.5 meters of water resistance. However, the modern Seamaster that we know and love today was born nine years later, in 1957. This was when the Seamaster 300 was released after Omega was inspired to upgrade the Seamaster after they had 50 Seamaster cases with rubber O-ring gaskets tested in 1955, which led them to work with new materials and push their boundaries. As a result, they created the Seamaster 300, which featured a heavily luminescent dial and handset, a rotating bezel, a thick domed hesalite crystal, and double crown seals. Interestingly, while named the Seamaster 300, the watch was originally only rated for 200m of water resistance, with Omega insisting the watch could outperform the testing equipment. Either way, the Seamaster lives on as James Bond's watch of choice and now enjoys the privileged position in today’s market as one of the most iconic dive watches ever released. Launched in 1962, the exact reference that we have here is the ref. 166.024 with a 42mm stainless steel case that boasts lyre lugs and a thick black rotating bezel. Perhaps the optimal tool watch, this model was a popular choice with its luminous acrylic bezel, large hands and tremendously legible black dial with date aperture at 3 o’clock which all combined to make the ref. 166.024 everything a serious diver needed at the time.

Watch is in overall very good condition. The steel case shows numerous surface scratches and nicks, while the case back displays scratches and retains legible hippocampus and text engravings. The bezel and insert show a couple of more noticeable nicks along with surface scratches. The dial remains excellent, with the lume having discoloured, while the hands remain reasonably clean and appear to have been relumed at some point. It is fitted with a brown leather strap and a pin buckle.

An iconic watch that has had a large impact on pop culture even outside of watchmaking, the Seamaster 300 spanned the gap between casual everyday timepieces and sports-focused tool watches long before it became standard practice.