Hot Take: Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite

Desiring an ornate, yet incredibly capable diver?  Look no further than the new Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite on strap.

Malachite and Azurite… My Grandfather and Father enjoyed a fair bit of lapidary work as a hobby and I still recall being quizzed about different gemstones.  When it came to that unfinished stone in blue and green, there was only one answer: malachite and azurite.  And so it was with great pleasure when I flipped through Omega’s 2019 novelties and came across one gorgeously audacious watch, the yellow gold Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite that’s now available on strap.  It’s so wild that it almost makes the new 300M in Sedna Gold seem a touch normal.

Yellow Gold Seamasters – Our Soft Spot

You just might recall an article I penned a little over two years ago on a full yellow gold Seamaster 300.  The article came about after RJ, Balazs and I decided to test the patience of some admittedly good-natured staffers at one of the Omega Boutiques in London.  We tried on some serious hardware that day and during our ridiculousness, I obtained a crush on that all-gold 300.  I then decided to review it.  It’s funny, I still recall the feeling of receiving something in the mail on loan that retailed for nearly 30,000 Euros. So, along with my history with a certain green gemstone, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite is of interest.

Audacious…

The Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite, to borrow a phrase from the BBC’s Kermode & Mayo film review, is the gold Seamaster 300 turned up to “eleventy stupid”.   And let’s be honest, the normal gold 300 isn’t short on decadence.  The use of stone as a dial medium on the 300 isn’t new to Omega; in fact, a similar piece was introduced last year, but with a full gold bracelet.  Platinum variants with either malachite or lapis lazuli dials were also introduced.  So the only real change here is the introduction of a strap on deployant buckle, but this change is for the better as the strap allows the dial to take center stage more so than when coupled with the bracelet.  With its smooth green South African malachite dial showing those lovely concentric striations, each one is guaranteed to be a unique piece.  To keep the green theme, Omega paired the stunning dial with an equally attractive green ZrO2 ceramic bezel with Ceragold numerals.  Within the bezel and on the dial we have the use of “vintage” SuperLuminova and it works beautifully with the gold case..

But Still Highly Capable…

Where the Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite bows to its luxurious intentions is through the accompaniment of a matching green leather strap with deployant buckle.  Everything else on the Malachite stays the same as the yeoman’s gold 300 and that means a highly wearable 41mm case with a practical 20mm lug width (Isofrane anyone?).  The dateless Omega 8913 Co-Axial automatic with Master Chronometer certification toils away admirably and is viewable through a display case back.

Final Thoughts and Pricing

I used to despise watches like the Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite as I thought they were guilty of and punishable for taking a sports watch and turning it into the equivalent of a lap dog.  Those days are over, though, as I often appreciate the creativity when it’s done well (hey, Rolex – those ghastly Daytonas being pushed by certain “influencers” are no more than toy poodles in my book) and that Malachite looks damn good.  I have no idea who would buy or wear this watch, but I like to be surprised.  Oh, and the price?  Try $26,500 on for size (apologies for the non-Euro pricing).  Maybe if the Hulk would stop ripping shirts long enough to save some cash, this would be his choice.

For further information on the new Omega Seamaster 300 Malachite, visit Omega’s official website.