Omega introduces new quick change straps with the Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph
Zach BlassOmega is famous for being the official timekeeper of the Olympics and many other sporting events around the world. Their latest release, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph, is a fitting tribute to the 36th America’s Cup. To celebrate this intense sailing event, Omega decided to do more than dress up an existing reference in new colours. Instead, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph introduces a slew of new upgrades we can only hope make their way onto more models in the catalogue – including new rubber chronograph pushers, chronograph-lock system, and, notably, a quick-release strap system.
The 44mm stainless-steel case isn’t the most slim or compact – assuming it shares the same thickness and lug-to-lug measurements of previously released models (17.5mm thick and 52.5mm lug-to-lug). But the action-packed nature of sailing demands a large and highly legible watch – especially when every second counts in a race. While clearly a utility-driven sports watch, this chronograph has a majority satin finish with polished bevels that introduce a hint of elegance to the design. The bezel is made of dial-matching blue ceramic with white enamel inlays for its timing scale.
The 300 metre water-resistant case has a familiar helium escape valve at the 9′ position, but the pushers at 2′ and 4′ and Chrono-Lock slide at 8′ are all brand new features. The rubber pushers are fashioned in red and blue to pay tribute to the emblematic colors of the America’s Cup, but their real purpose is to create more grippable pushers for the user when the watch is wet. The new Chrono-Lock feature, when engaged, locks the chronograph complication – meaning the pushers cannot be accidentally activated to prevent any unintentional deviation from the timekeeping of the complication when in use.
The dial also blends familiar and fresh elements. It shares the same blue wave design etched into the ceramic of the dial, but the central seconds hand and chronograph registers have received new updates. The hands found on the sub dials of the chronograph feature a new shape meant to evoke the hulls of a boat. At 9′ the running seconds hand is rhodium-plated, but the new regatta countdown indicator register at 3′ is fashioned in anodized red aluminum like the central seconds hand of the chronograph – which features an America’s Cup emblem as its counterweight. To increase legibility, instead of having two hands on the register at 3 o’clock, Omega has incorporated a rotating disc beneath it that displays the elapsed hours through a window at its base.
One feature that fans of the brand will want to see extended across the Omega catalogue is the all new quick-release strap system. The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph includes two straps: a stainless-steel bracelet and blue rubber strap. Both are outfitted with a quick-release button on the under side of the strap. By simply pressing the button/tab, the bars/pins will retract from the lug holes making it a breeze to switch between the two options – all without tools.
As with many of their commemorative watches, the event and year are clearly marked and highlighted in bold. Engravings on the caseback filled with blue lacquer spell out “36th America’s Cup” and “Auckland 2021”. Inside is a highly robust and well decorated in-house caliber 9900. It is a co-axial master chronometer movement that features a vertical clutch column wheel architecture, anti-magnetism up to 15,000 gauss, and twin barrels that result in 60 hours of power reserve.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph pricing and availability:
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph is a special edition (not limited) available in March 2021. Price: $15,675