I’m a bad watch reviewer. Not only am I not updating this site often enough, I’ve been hiding my gems under a bushel, offering up junk like crapola GMTs and monkey-brained divers. Why? Because the watches I love I can’t really review and the watches I review I can’t really love. So I’m torn, WWR fans. Torn.
I present for your inspection the Omega Seamaster Professional 300M 2225.80.00 2599.80.00 Chrono Diver. Every collector chases a dream early on in his career – and often that dream doesn’t jibe with what he or she really wants. You could dig Seikos and then see an Ebel that knocks your socks off. You could love Rolex and then see an Omega that you must have. This watch is my early collector’s grail watch and I am happy to report that it is getting so much wrist time that I think I need to brush it down with rubbing alcohol because it is getting wrist stink.
But first things first. What’s it like? The 2599.80.00 runs an Omega 1164 self-winding date chrono caliber. I’ve opened the case once, like a fool, and it is quite striking. It’s is rhodium plated and sparkles in the light. I quickly closed her up, but it was the stuff dreams are made on. It has a 44 hour power reserve, which is about right in real terms, and offers a 30 minute register at 12, a 12 hour register at 6, and small sweep seconds at 9. There is a date window at 3 and a sweep seconds hand. There is also a chronograph bezel with a glowing pip at noon. Finally, there is a helium release valve at 10 and the well protected pushers are at 2 and 4 while the screw down crown is at 3.
The watch is quite heavy with a metal bracelet – about 5 ounces. Most of that is in the case, so even with a rubber strap it’s a heavy watch. It wears beautifully. The spinning counterweight winds up an down when you move your hand, reminding you you’re wearing an automatic, but otherwise it fits like a glove.
The color scheme is quite understated with red minor hands (seconds hand, face registers) and “ball triangle” major hands in the style of the James Bond models. Each hour is indicated by a glowing pip and there is a demarcated scale of seconds all around the inner bezel. There are seconds markers around the outer bezel and a “triangle” at the chronograph bezel’s set point. The bezel itself turns quite nicely but is a bit hard to grab hold of with wet hands.
Setting the watch is fairly standard – unscrew the crown, pull out once to set the date and pull out twice to set the time. Unfortunately, you have to take the watch off to do this with any accuracy as the crown guard keeps things pretty close and you really need all the room you can get.
The bracelet I have is made of interlocking pieces of steel and the buckle, with an expansion catch that opens to reveal another 3/4 inch for wrapping around a wet-suit, is quite understated. It is easily scratched, but that just adds character.
The bracelet has all sorts of nooks and crannies and, as a result, will often get filled up with sweat and gunk. Frequent light cleanings are necessary to make sure the watch doesn’t stink. A looser bracelet will do the same thing, but this watch begs to be snug to the wrist.
I have no complaints about this watch. From it’s wavy face to it’s seahorsey back, I’m enthralled. I wore this for two months straight and rarely put on any of my other pieces until they wrote a petition for my untoward attention. The Seamaster Chrono Diver is one of my favorites and, without a doubt, can be anyone’s favorite. It is timeless and beautiful and wears well with almost anything except true formal wear. It is an all-day watch and an real keeper.
Quality: 5/5
Style: 5/5
Overall: 4.5/5 – Not perfect, but almost there.
-John Biggs
