75 YEARS AND COUNTING

As the Seamaster celebrates its 75th anniversary, a look-back at its chronological order points to one thing: The collection is an encapsulation of Omega’s relentless pursuit of excellence

- JUSTIN NG

PROGRESS IS OFTEN incremental and improvement is built upon the very foundation laid before it. For Omega, the brand’s Seamaster collection has had 75 years of history and tradition to lean on. Over the course of its numerous aesthetic evolutions and technical advances, the watch is guided by the steadfast precept that gave rise to its creation three quarters of a century ago: to be an enduring symbol of the company’s watchmaking process and constant pursuit of excellence.

The provenance of Omega’s maritime ties can be traced back to 1932, the year the Marine was born. The watch, characterised by an ingenious double-case design to capacitate superb water resistance, marked the first time a diver’s watch was offered to civilian divers. Its burgeoning reputation was put to the test when it was entrusted by American explorer and naturalist Charles William Beebe, who took to the ocean’s depth in the 1930s aboard the storied Bathysphere, a spherical diving vessel, in a historic 14m submergence. He would eventually go on to set new dive records and discover hitherto unknown marine creatures.

As the world descended into chaos, the durability of Omega watches caught the ear of the British Ministry of Defence. Owing to their reliability, Omega watches were supplied as materiels to British combatants during the Second World War, with over 110,000 timepieces delivered between 1940 and 1945.