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. Offered here we have a gold-capped Seamaster variant from the 1970s that was ordered on behalf of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad as indicated by its champagne dial with the President’s depiction at 12 o’clock.

The watch is in overall very good condition. The gold-plated case shows some wear, with surface scratches and a few nicks visible throughout. The stainless steel case back has light scratches but retains a very well-defined Omega hippocampus logo. The Omega-signed crown is present, with some wear visible. The dial is in excellent condition overall, featuring a printed image of Hafez al-Assad, the Omega logo, and Arabic text, with light signs of aging. The watch is fitted with a brown leather strap and Omega gold-plated buckle, showing some scratches and wear. It comes with an Omega box featuring the Syrian presidential coat of arms.

A dressy watch that boasts an elegant gold-capped construction along with an exceptionally rare portrait of Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, this timepiece is a prize example of vintage Omega's craftsmanship and the quirky timepieces that make collecting from the iconic brand so fun and interesting.