Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition Review

It's almost impossible for me to imagine my life if it was not for watches. Over the past twenty five years watches have been so intertwined with my life both personally and professionally. Even when I completely lost interest in them, being involved in the watch industry still provided my employment. It was one of those love hate relationships I could never fully remove myself from.

The dark days of my indifference towards watches are years behind me now and I now have a stronger than ever interest in both timepieces and the industry surrounding them. Previously my involvement in the watch industry had been with the aftermarket sales side of the business, and even then more on the technology side. Starting Hourstriker has allowed me to meet countless people in the industry and be exposed to brands I would have never noticed prior to the site.



Today I'm going to focus on a brand that isn't one of the brands I hadn't previously had experience with, but rather the brand that started this whole crazy journey for me. Although I had a few watches before I purchased my first "nice" watch, I wouldn't have considered myself a watch collector. I can really only think of some plated two tone department store watch I wore in high-school and a fake TAG Heuer I somehow became in possession of as being watches that wore before becoming a collector.

In the early 2000s I was just bouncing around majors at the University of Texas and through cars I had met a friend who was very into watches. My friend came from a family with money who supported his passion for watches. I on the other hand didn't come from money and had to rely on working part time for any extra money, I was still living at home and my parents took care of my housing and food costs. Before getting into watches, I spent most of my extra money of modifying cars, which I was sort of growing tired of.



My friend's favorite brand was IWC, but IWC was way out of what I could afford on very limited funds. We would go to book stores and read magazines about watches for hours and also participate on online forums talking about watches. My friend even wanted to start a website to sell some of his watches on, so with my limited HTML knowledge I made one for him. Funny thing that a few years later I would end up building what would become one of the largest aftermarket watch sites out there.

Either way, in those early days I had around $2,500 that I could spend on a watch. With IWC out of reach I knew the brand I would focus on, which was Omega. To early watch collector me, Omega and especially the Seamaster was the watch you bought that showed you were into watches and not just buying the nice watch everyone else had. Maybe it's a Texas thing, but if you went to a high school football game, it seemed that every dad in the stands was a wearing a Rolex Submariner. There's a reason it's called a Texas Timex and status was probably the driving factor most of those Submariner's were purchased. There was no way, even if I could have afforded a $5,000 Submariner (I couldn't), that my first nice watch would be a Submariner.



The watch that ended up being my first nice watch was the somewhat recently released Omega Seamaster 300 GMT. This Seamaster GMT was being heavily advertised at the time in conjunction with the James Bond films and I think I really liked the idea of having an additional compilation in the GMT function. The two tone black and silver bezel also sold the watch to me. I don't remember how long I had the watch for, but I know when the new Planet Ocean series was launched, that I had a new watch grail.

When Omega released the Planet Ocean, they did a few things that made me have to sell my Seamaster GMT and "upgrade" to the Planet Ocean. Besides being the newest and "best" watch in the Seamaster line, the planet ocean also came in a larger 45.5 mm case. I don't think I ever felt the 41 mm of the Seamaster GMT was small, but rather the 45.5 mm of the Planet Ocean was just cooler. The Planet Ocean also bumped up the water resistance from 300 meters to 600 meters. In my mind that was a huge selling feature, even though I had never even snorkeled with a watch on before. To be honest, the biggest selling feature for the Planet Ocean was the orange bezel. Having gone to UT and living in Austin, orange is THE color.



I kept the Planet Ocean for a decent amount of time and there are numerous pictures of me wearing the watch. I did finally trade it on an IWC right as I was starting my career in the watch industry though, which turned out to be the last watch I bought for 15 years. Basically there was no need to own a watch since I had access to an endless catalog of pre-owned watches I could wear. Needless to say I didn't keep the IWC very long.

Sorry for the super long intro, but I just wanted to give a bit of my back story with Omega and the Seamaster collection. Even though it has been nearly two decades since I owned a Seamaster, I can still remember the watches well. As Hourstriker grows, we are forming more and more relationships with brands and recently I was introduced to Omega. Omega is actually one of the brands I was really excited to see new models from since I used to own watches from the brand and haven't spent any time with their modern pieces.



When Omega offered to send us their newest model in the Seamaster collection, I was beyond excited to see how or if the watch had changed in 20 years. The model Omega sent to us was their newest watch from their partnership in being the official timekeeper for the America's Cup. Omega first timed the America's Cup in 2000 and then 2003, later returning in 2021. In previous years, Omega has also released special edition Seamasters to commemorate the race. For this year's 37th America's Cup, Omega has once again released a special edition Seamaster, and this is the watch we have in for review.

When the watch first arrived, the thing I noticed first was how familiar it felt. Although there are over 25 years separating the release of my old Seamaster 300 GMT and this modern Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition, you can tell the watches are from the same lineage. It is instantly obvious that the America's Cup Seamaster is much evolved from my old GMT though. The fit and finish of this watch is just top notch. I would liken it to the evolution of the Porsche 911. When you compare models from generation to generation, there are subtle updates with each generation which just lead to a more refined and polished modern version.



The second thing I noticed about the watch was its white dial. The dial on the America's Cup edition is done in matte white ceramic with a laser engraved wave patterns on it. I have seen these wave dials before in pictures and videos, but never in hand. The wave pattern is rather subtle until the watch catches a bit of light and you see how reflective the pattern actually is. It's a unique pattern and not something that I initially thought would make as much of an impression as it did on me in person.

The final thing that I noticed about the America's Cup edition on my initial time with the watch was how solid it felt. The watch on the rubber strap weighs in at 124 grams, by no means heavy, but there is some weight there. Having spent time with tons of watches recently, I've come across many watches that are a bit temperamental in operation. The Seamaster on the other hand just works… The main area I encounter issues with a watch is with the crown. Lots of times it takes a few attempts to get the screw down crown to catch, not so on the Seamaster, which screwed in every time with no extra force or care needed. Also when a date is not found on a watch, often times there is a first phantom crown position that does nothing, on the America's Cup edition the action of pulling out the crown from the winding position to the time setting position is fluid and you never feel like the date position is just being skipped over. Overall, the watch just feels like it would operate as well today as it would 20 years down the line.



Now that's we've gone over my history with Omega and the Seamaster as well as my initial thoughts on the America's Cup edition, let's take a look at the technical specs of the watch. The Seamaster 300M America's Cup edition is crafted out of stainless steel and has a case diameter of 42 mm. On our calipers the lug to lug was 49.9 mm and the case thickness was 13.9 mm. As already mentioned, the watch weighs in at 124 grams on our scale.

The watch has a slightly domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on both sides. Under the crystal you see the amazing matte white ceramic dial. The chemical formula of the zirconium oxide used for the dial is also shown with ZrO2 displayed in the center of the dial. The dial appears more of an off-white or flat white when compared to the laser etched waves that decorate the dial since they are so shiny and brilliant white.



The Seamaster America's Cup edition also uses raised stick indices at 12, 3, 6 and 9, with 12 being a double index. The rest of the hour markers are raised round indices. All the indices are framed in blue and covered with Super-LumiNova that glows a brilliant bluish green in low light situations. There is no date function of the America's Cup edition, meaning every hour has its own marker. This is something I wish more dive watches would go to, I feel the date function is really not needed on dive watches. For example the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms 500 Fathoms I just picked up has the date shoehorned in at 4:30 and it breaks up the flow of the dial.

The hands of the Seamaster America's Cup edition are super interesting as well. The seconds hand is done in brilliant blue and has a counterbalance in the shape of the trophy from the America's Cup. The hour and minute hands are both skeletonized and feature a healthy amount of lume on them, as does the ball at the end of the seconds hand. While the hour hand is blued like the seconds hand, the minute hand features an amazing gradient effect from blue at its start to brilliant red at its tip. The effect is pretty subtle and I didn't notice it at first, but once I saw it, it's the standout feature on the dial.



The dial is finished off with a blue minute track that goes around the outside of the dial that compliments the hour markers nicely. At 12 o'clock you have the Omega logo and Seamaster Professional text. At 6 o'clock you have the Co-Axial Master Chronometer, 300m / 1000ft and Swiss Made text.

The bezel of the Seamaster America's Cup edition is twelve sided and has a gentle scallop to it. The bezel has a blue ceramic insert with divers 60 minute scale on it with a lumed point at 12 o'clock. Being a watch developed for the America's Cup, the dial also has a regatta scale with two 5 minute pre-start sections as well as a start section complete with regatta flag. The bezel take 120 clicks to complete a full rotation and the clicks are nice and sure. There is the tiniest bit of play in the bezel back and forth, but far less than found in my Fifty Fathoms 500 Fathoms. The bezel isn't the grippiest design when compared to some extreme divers and worked best when I positioned my fingers at 2 and 8 to turn it.

The case of the America's Cup edition is a nice mix of polished and brushed finishes. The brushed pieces give the watch a tool watch look, while the polished areas give off the look of luxury. The left hand side of the watch features a manual screw in helium escape value which is nicely scalloped and grippy. The right hand side has organic looking crown guards that flow naturally from the lugs. The screw down crown features an Omega logo on top and is also nicely scalloped like the helium relief value.



Unscrewing the crown allows for manual winding in the crown's resting position. Pulling the crown out allows you to set the time. As mentioned earlier, there is not date function on the America's Cup edition and we're happy to report there is no phantom date position on the crown. Winding from the crown has a nice feel to it and pushing the crown in from setting the time caused no jump in the minutes hand. The seconds hand also stops when the crown is fully pulled out. Finally screwing the crown in works every time and requires no extra effort getting the crown into the correct position to screw in.

Flipping the watch over shows off the screw in case back with sapphire crystal. The "bezel" for the case back has 16 sides and says "37th America's Cup" and "Barcelona 2024", where the race takes place. Printed on the sapphire crystal is the Auld Mug America's Cup trophy logo and "B" for Barcelona in blue. Underneath lies the in-house Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 8806.

The Caliber 8806 is an automatic movement with 55 hours of power reserve that beats at 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz). The movement features a sold rhodium-plated winding rotor with Geneva waves finishing. The movement also features matching Geneva waves finishing. The movement winds in both directions and is resistant to magnetic fields reaching up to 15,000 gauss. On our timegrapher the Caliber 8806 showed an accuracy of +2 seconds per day, well within Master Chronometer specs.



With the Caliber 8806 Omega uses their Co-Axial escapement which was created by British watchmaker George Daniels. This escapement uses a series of pivoting motions which reduces friction and wear. This allows for longer service intervals while also improving accuracy. The Caliber 8806 is certified by METAS as a Master Chronometer, meaning the movement meets the strongest guidelines for accuracy set by the Swiss.

The lug width of the Seamaster America's Cup edition is 20 mm and the watch comes on a blue rubber strap. A stainless steel bracelet is also available, but personally I prefer a dive watch on a rubber or sailcloth strap. The blue rubber strap tapers down to 18 mm and is paired with a stainless steel deployant clasp. The clasp has the Omega logo on the buckle and uses two buttons to release the strap. Like I've said a million times, on more expensive watches deployant clasps are the way to go. The rubber is incredibly supple and required no break in to be comfortable. The back of the strap also features grooves to keep the watch in place as well as black buttons on each end to quickly release the strap from the watch for quick strap changes requiring no tools. I have to also mention that Omega's quick strap change system is by far the easiest to use and probably my favorite of similar systems I've used.

During my time with the Seamaster America's Cup I tried to wear it exclusively since being a new and very popular watch I only had a limited time with it. Being crafted out of stainless steel the watch has a nice weight to it, normally I wear ceramic, carbon or titanium watches so the weight was noticeable. Not so much in a negative way, more so the watch felt like a quality timepiece. A lot of people complain that watches made out of lightweight materials feel cheap to them, but I guess I'm just used to lighter pieces.



The weather in Austin has been pretty hot and humid and the Seamaster was more than pleasant on wrist. The watch is just under my preferred lug to lug length of 50 mm, but wore squarely on my wrist and never favored either side. The watch does appear a little larger on wrist than it actually is, but that is due to the white dial, which will make a watch dial look larger. My white dialed Royal Oak Offshore Montoya looks bigger on wrist that my 48 mm Big Pilot Perpetual and 500 Fathoms with black dials, even though it's actually 4 mm smaller.

With the high contrast between the white dial and blue hands telling the time at a glance was super easy on the America's Cup. In lower light conditions the watch had way more than enough lume to see the time as well. The power reserve was more than ample to keep the watch running the entire time I had it, even if I skipped a day of wearing it. Personally blue watches aren't my favorite, but the watch with its predominant color being the white from the bezel didn't clash with what I wore while wearing it.



Having just worn the Ulysse Nardin Freak ONE OPS around for a few weeks, I was used to getting non-stop comments about the watch I was wearing. That was kind of unique since the Freak is just such an out there watch. The Seamaster America's Cup is more of your standard dive watch design, so naturally I wasn't approached as much wearing it. Most people I spoke to about the watch were wearing Rolex sports models or Omega Speedmasters and Seamasters. I'd say most people really liked the wave dial pattern that is etched into the ceramic dial along with the blue and red hands. The blue strap did attract a lot of attention, but I feel the watch would just look crazy on a white rubber strap. Probably the option I'd go with if Omega offered one.

Now let's take a look at some of the competitors to the Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition. Since the Seamaster is a blueblood of dive watches, let's stick with some of the watches it has competed with over the decades. Some of these watches have changed drastically over time, while others have just evolved.



Naturally we have to start with the Rolex Submariner No Date. The Submariner was the second commercially available dive watch debuting in 1954 and over the years has moved up market from being a tool watch to being more of a luxury watch. The No Date Submariner now retails for $9,100, which is a good deal more than the $6,200 of the Seamaster. The Submariner is also rather hard to come by and commands a little bit of a premium on the secondhand market. Like the Seamaster, the Submariner has also grown a little larger now up to 41 mm versus 42 mm on the Seamaster. Rolex also uses an in-house chronometer certified movement which has 70 hours of power reserve to the 55 hours on the Seamaster. Both watches are also certified chronometers offering 300 meters of water resistance.

Next up you have the Fifty Fathoms from Blancpain, which was the first commercially released dive watch coming out in 1953. Over the years, the Fifty Fathoms has really grown in both size and price. The cheapest steel Fifty Fathoms now retails for $15,700 and is 45 mm in case diameter. The Fifty Fathoms while a capable 300 meter water resistant dive watch is really more about being a luxury timepiece, even more so than the Submariner. The watch is powered by an in-house Blancpain movement with 120 hours of power reserve and some hand finishing on the movement.



Moving on, another watch heavily associated with sailing is the Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing. This watch came from Tudor sponsoring the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team which races in the America's Cup. The watch is crafted out of black carbon and measures 42 mm. The Pelagos FXD is only rated to 200 meters of water resistance, 100 meters less than the Omega, Rolex and Blancpain. Like the Submariner, the Tudor offers 70 hours of power reserve from their in-house caliber. The Pelagos FXD only retails for $3,850, but its styling might put some people off when compared to the classic dive watch design of the Seamaster.

Finally we have the Breitling Superocean Heritage B20, which is also crafted out of stainless steel and has a 42 mm case diameter. The Superocean was another dive watch that debuted in the 1950s like the Seamaster (1957 – In dive watch form), Submariner (1954) and Fifty Fathoms (1953). The Superocean only offers 200 meters of water resistance like the Tudor and has a power reserve of 70 hours like the Tudor and Rolex. With a retail price of $5,700, the Superocean Heritage comes in just below the Seamaster America's Cup Edition.



As you can see, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition slots right in the middle of some of the biggest names in dive watches price wise. With the Tudor Pelagos FXD being a tool watch and the Rolex Submariner and Blancpain Fifty Fathoms being more luxury timepieces, the Seamaster competes nearest to the Breitling Superocean Heritage. When comparing the two watches, I do prefer the styling and heritage of the Seamaster more and would pick it over the Breitling. I think the Seamaster competes very well with the Submariner, but has a slight edge due to availability and price.

So is the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition for me? Well if you read my reviews, you probably know how picky I am when it comes to personal watches. Due to a few reasons the watch isn't for me. First I'm not the biggest fan of blue, if the watch was on a white rubber strap that would help. Second I'm just not a fan of stainless steel. Between my wife and I, we have a fairly large collection of personal watches. Out of all of those watches, only my wife's Rolex Yacht-Master 16622 is stainless steel, but even then has a platinum dial and bezel. All of our other watches are carbon, ceramic or titanium. Finally with the lug to lug of the America's Cup falling under 50 mm, the watch is just a bit too small for me.



There are a few Seamasters I have almost added to my personal collection that suit my weird personal tastes better though. The Seamaster Diver 300M No Time to Die in titanium is just a stunning watch. It really is one of the best modern Omegas out there, the look is classic and being crafted out of titanium is a huge bonus to me. If it wasn't for the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep in titanium, it would be my favorite modern Omega. The Ultra Deep is just a beast of a watch, but it is manageable being crafted out of titanium. The Ultra Deep just looks like the most hardcore tool watch of all time as well, which it backs up with its 6,000 meter water resistance. The Ultra Deep took the deepest diving crown away from the Hublot King Power Oceanographic and was only bested by the Rolex Deep Sea Challenge, which is so large it's pretty much un-wearable.

Would I recommend the Seamaster America's Cup for somebody looking for a quality up-market dive watch? Yes based off the specs and time I have spent with the watch, the America's Cup is a stunning and extremely well made dive watch. The watch just has a feeling of quality to it and the matte white ceramic dial along with its laser etched wave pattern is just stunning. I'd say if you're a fan of sailing, this edition is just icing on the cake, especially with the added regatta functions on the bezel. If you're not that into sailing and aren't crazy about the blue coloration, there are similar Seamasters in more neutral colors. For $6,200, the watch is good value for the money. While you can get a much cheaper dive watch with similar stats, you won't get the heritage and quality of Omega, especially in the Master Chronometer Co-Axial movement. Also wearing a Seamaster shows that you have a bit more interest in the hobby than something like a Submariner, which could be worn by a true collector or just somebody wanting to show off.



I'm really happy to say that while the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America's Cup Edition still reminded me of my old Seamasters, it has come a long way in terms of refinement. I'd be hard pressed to name many watches that I've been around recently that are such a complete package. I'd really like to thank Omega for sending us this Seamaster to review and re-introduce me to modern Omega. I really can't wait to see what they will send us next!

For more information about the Seamaster America's Cup Edition please visit : Omega

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: 210.32.42.20.04.002

Retail Price: $6,200

Case Size: 42 mm

Lug to Lug: 49.9 mm

Thickness: 13.9 mm

Weight: 124 Grams

Case Material: Stainless Steel

Bezel: Ceramic

Strap: Blue Rubber Strap with Stainless Steel Deployant Clasp

Movement: Omega Caliber 8806 Co-Axial Automatic Movement

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds

Power Reserve: 55 Hours

Water Resistance: 300 Meters