Seiko Marinemaster 300
Let’s start by giving you some background information on this model. I am pretty sure that if you searched for the Seiko Marinemaster 300, you’ve probably already read your share about this timepiece. This watch is a mighty interesting timepiece but isn’t exactly new to the game. The Seiko Marinemaster 300 was already introduced in the early 2000s. However, the very first Seiko divers watch was already introduced in 1965 (the Seiko reference 62MAS-010).
Although Seiko decided to introduce a 50th anniversary version of the Seiko Marinemaster 300 I am reviewing here, the real ancestor of the Marinemaster 300 was not produced until 1967 (reference 6215) and perhaps the reference 6159 from 1968 looks even more similar to the current Seiko Marinemaster 300 SBDX001.
50 years or a bit less, it is more history some of its Swiss or German counterparts have with their diving watches. Approximately 50 years of developing diving watches means that you can be sure that Seiko knows how to deal with serious diving and create watches that are able to withstand the pressure divers (and their watches) experience at great depth. Not only that, but they also know the necessary requirements on usability and readability.
I am no diver myself, I hardly even swim, but I do love the look and feel of diving watches and have (had) my share of them from various brands. This Seiko Marinemaster 300 is part of the ‘Prospex’ range of Seiko, which means ‘Professional Specifications’ or ‘Serious watches for serious sports’ as Seiko puts it on their own website.
Omega Speedmaster In 1968 Omega decided to update the Speedmaster a bit. The dial doesn’t feature the applied Omega logo anymore (although you will find the occasional ‘transitional’ model where Omega probably grabbed parts that were still on the shelves in Biel) and the movement has been changed to the Lemania based Omega caliber 861. This movement does not have a column wheel mechanism but a cam lever. The 145.022 has been in the collection until the 1990s. Actually, at some point it was only the reference coding that changed. In 1997, the movement was upgraded the Omega caliber 1861 (small modification in construction) and the dial and hands were applied with Luminova instead of Tritium. The current reference number of the original Moonwatch is 311.30.42.30.01.005 (was 3570.50 until recently). Below, a vintage Speedmaster 145.022 and a new Speedmaster Professional (3570.70).