Hands-On With The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024 Edition
Last July, Omega decided it was time to introduce the watch for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Ben wrote about the new Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024 edition here. The combination of the white dial and Moonshine Gold bezel insert struck a chord with me, but it wasn’t until a few months later when I spent time in Switzerland for a golf tournament that I could try it.
Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024
One of the other guests at the European Masters in Crans Montana — a Fratello reader and guest of one of the Speedy Tuesday events in 2022 — was wearing his new Omega Seamaster 300M Paris 2024 edition.
He was wearing it on this beige NATO strap and handed it over for me to wear for an afternoon. I was smitten by it, but the Swiss sun and mountain air could have boosted my enthusiasm. So I requested an example from Omega HQ for review to make sure that the Swiss setting hadn’t influenced me.
The watch recently arrived on the stainless steel nine-row bracelet, and the first thing I did was swap it for a nice strap and wear it for a couple of days in a row. I fell in love again, just like in Switzerland, even in the rainy weather of The Hague.
Caliber 8800
A certified Master Chronometer
The Paris 2024 edition has very similar specifications to those of the regular Omega Seamaster Diver 300M models introduced in 2018. It has a 42mm diameter, a 13.7mm thickness (the regular model measures 13.6mm thick), and a 49mm lug-to-lug. Inside is Omega’s in-house-developed caliber 8800. After the movement passes the regular COSC chronometer tests and Omega cases it, METAS certifies it as a Master Chronometer. This guarantees an average accuracy of 0/+5 seconds per day, protection against magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss, and water resistance to 300 meters (+10% margin).
Moonshine Gold and white ceramic
What makes this Paris 2024 version so special are the aesthetics, of course. The white ceramic dial with waves in relief, the gold hands, and the gold bezel insert with a laser-structured finish and relief-engraved numerals make this watch look very handsome on the wrist.
Another nice detail is the seconds hand, which has an Olympic Games logo in its luminous “lollipop” portion. The hour markers all have Moonshine Gold frames, and the date aperture sits at 6 o’clock, right above the hour marker. The numerals on the date disc are in the typeface of the Paris 2024 logo, which you find upon flipping the watch over.
A commemorative case back
Instead of a display back, this mode has a commemorative case back. It features an 18K gold medallion and special engraving to celebrate the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The case back also has a Naiad lock system, so the medallion and engraving are always horizontally aligned.
A weird phenomenon
When I wore this new Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024 edition in Switzerland for an afternoon, I received many comments on it. I even got comments from guests who weren’t specifically into watches. It was a very strange phenomenon because, normally, I don’t get that many comments on watches from random people. A golf tournament is perhaps not representative of or comparable to the watch’s destiny on a sunny afternoon in the city center, but I had never witnessed anything like this before.
The glossy white dial, Moonshine Gold bezel insert, and gold hands attract attention. Also, the combination with the sand-color NATO strap I was wearing that day might have made it stand out even more.
Quick-release system
I wore our review sample on one of the Bond-like NATO straps we had in the office. It also has some gold tones, but in the end, I prefer the sand-color NATO for this watch. Of course, you can go any way you want with straps. A nice rubber strap might also do the trick on this one. That said, the stainless steel nine-row bracelet that comes with the watch is an upgrade from previous versions due to the quick-release system.
The bracelet’s clasp is quite large, but it has a dive extension and an easy-extension system to give it a bit more length when needed. The dive extension is useful when wearing the watch over a neoprene suit.
The HEV is still there
The helium escape valve often comes up in discussions about the Seamaster Diver 300M on Fratello (and elsewhere). It’s just a quirky add-on that will probably never be used for its intended purpose, but it has become such an integral part of the design that it belongs there. We photoshopped it off once to see how it looked, and I prefer to have it there.
The unidirectional 120-click bezel has no play and works like a charm on the watch. The screw-down crown ensures proper water resistance and changes the date in the first position and the hour and minute hands in the second position. In that second position, the second hand will also hack (stop).
On the wrist
Due to the combination of white and gold, the watch has a fresh look, but it also reminds me of the 1990s when we saw similar combinations more often. The Seamaster Diver 300M is a typical 1990s design, and what I like about it is that Omega designed it from scratch. It doesn’t rely on a watch from the brand’s heritage but was designed as a modern diver’s watch in 1993. I have the original Seamaster 300M ref. 2531.80 in my collection as well as the 1994 300M Chronograph ref. 2296.80 in gold, titanium, and tantalum.
2296.80
The new 300M gives me the same vibes as the models from roughly 30 years ago but with better build quality. When the current collection debuted in 2018 during Baselworld, I was happy to see that Omega decided to bring the waves back to the dial. The diameter and thickness increased both by a millimeter, but while customers are a bit more sensitive to that in today’s watch world, at the time, it was just fine. It is still fine for me and my 18cm wrist. But if you have a small(er) wrist, you might be among the fans waiting for a new mid-size or smaller-sized edition.
Some thoughts on the Seamaster Diver 300M Paris 2024 edition
Several years ago, I wrote that the black-dial Sedna Gold and steel Diver 300M on a rubber strap was my favorite Seamaster model, but this new Paris 2024 edition has taken that spot. The Moonshine Gold accents and white dial make for a great combination. It’s also a very comfortable watch to wear, and it goes with everything. I like the 300M Paris 2024 edition best on a NATO strap because the stainless steel bracelet makes it a bit too “metallic” for me. The white dial makes combining it with many different colors easy, creating a new look every time.
Price and availability
The regular Seamaster Diver 300M in steel and gold on a rubber strap has a retail price of €9,200 / CHF 7,900 / US$8,300. This two-tone Paris 2024 edition on a stainless steel bracelet costs €9,900 / CHF 8,400 / US$8,900. The watch also comes in a special white commemorative box. To see that and learn more about this model, visit the official Omega website.
