The fact that Omega can alter so many aspects of the 300M?s iconic design while keeping the beloved aesthetic totally intact is testament to the brand?s design prowess. When your watches are masterful culminations of decades of innovation, it makes sense to slow down and refine a good thing. That combination of innovation and reverence is exemplified in the new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Co-Axial Master Chronometer lineup for 2018.Thank goodness Omega has the sense to leave the case (largely) alone. The lugs are gorgeous enough to lock in that design for decades, which they?ve done, and the incredible scalloped-edge bezel also remains unchanged. Phew! Generally, the proportions are just about the same, though the new Diver 300 picks up 1mm in diameter, bringing the watch up to 42mm across. The big changes for the 300M come in materials and subtle design nudges?all in the right direction, leaving the new diver looking fresh but not overly reworked.
Always a delightfully asymmetrical watch due to the helium escape valve at 10 o?clock, Omega has moved the date window from three o?clock down to six. While this date window relocation doesn?t make the watch more symmetrical, exactly, it does draw the eye down the center of the watch, elongating it visually. This move also quiets down the horizontal axis, where we see the return of the lovely wave dial, this time with a more swoopy and spacious pattern that?s laser-etched into the face. This larger wave pattern is both m...