The Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Green Is A Perfect Modern Dive Watch

How does a vintage-watch lover end up loving the green-dialed Omega Seamaster Diver 300M? Before I answer that, let's get a little philosophical. The deeper you get into this watch hobby, the more you start to understand what a “you watch" is. You build a collection, no matter how big or small, that either jibes with your style, your wrist size, or your general vibe. For example, I tend to gravitate towards old things or things tied to some sort of meaningful historical context. I also tend to like things that everyone else doesn’t. This tracks almost identically with my music taste (a lot of Beatles, Beach Boys, and Velvet Underground mixed with an intense love for ‘90s and 2000s indie rock). This is why the two-tone Rolex Datejust holds a special place in my heart, along with vintage Submariners, classic gold dress watches, and basically anything in the 36mm size arena.

Finding a niche like this, however, does not mean that you don’t daydream of cosplaying as someone else — someone who could effortlessly pull off a 46mm diver, or an IWC Big Pilot, or even an Urwerk. It’s like those moments when a Gracie Abrams song appears in your music shuffle and you hesitate to change the song but you’re also afraid to maybe admit, “This is actually good?”

Now, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300M has been around since 1993 (or, if you want a full history of the Seamaster, you can read it here), and the contemporary iteration was initially released in 2018. This update made for the best version of the SMP 300 yet due to the then-new, METAS-certified Master Co-Axial movement, ceramic bezel and dial, and design refreshes like the date window being moved from 3 to 6 o’clock. All this is well and good, but…how does any of it appeal to a vintage lover like myself?

Well, this is how I came to own the green Omega Seamaster Diver 300M  – perhaps the least vintage-leaning, most unabashedly modern, large(ish) diver in my collection. It’s the anti-“me watch," and yet it has been the most worn watch in my collection since I bought it exactly a year ago. It might even be my favorite watch?

Let’s review everything about it that shouldn’t appeal to the vintage lover in me. This watch has a hefty, non-tapering bracelet in a very specific (and not romantically vintage) ‘90s styling, the size is 42mm going on 43, the bezel is a very shiny ceramic, and the dial is also ceramic with modern laser ablation (more on that soon). The clasp gives the one on the modern Rolex Submariner a run for its money in terms of size, too. But I am here to tell you that not one of these things is a negative in my book. I love them all.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Case

In theory, there is so much going on here that shouldn’t appeal to the vintage lover in me. The case size is 42mm wide, though it wears a little bit bigger, in my opinion. That said, considering the 300 meters of water resistance, the thickness is actually pretty good at 13.6mm (honestly, it feels a little thinner on the wrist) and the lug-to-lug measurement of 49.9mm just comes in under that 50mm mark. Sure, there is the helium escape valve, which isn’t for everyone, but that’s baked into the cake of this watch.

In basically every review I have ever read about this watch, folks have bemoaned the toothless bezel and cried audibly about the difficulty in getting a good grip on it and thereby turning it. I have no idea what their issue is. I am a historically uncoordinated person, and not once has this presented an issue for me. I can also attest to the bezel action itself being very good. The bezel insert is ceramic, as I previously noted, and while it does have that sheen to it, it doesn’t stand out too much because it matches that smooth ceramic dial, with its precise, laser-ablated wave pattern.

The case finishing is top-tier, which shouldn’t come as a surprise because Omega has gotten very, very good at this. The case alternates between brushed and polished finishes, which is perhaps best demonstrated on the twisted lyre lugs. Frankly, it’s a level of refinement and thoughtfulness in finishing that you don’t often see in dive or tool watches. Omega really did raise the standards here.

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Bracelet

The SMP 300 bracelet is substantial in weight and heft, something underscored by the fact that it does not taper down from its 20mm lug width. And there’s that undeniably ‘90s style that is more neo-vintage than actual vintage. Still, it is very well-built and I appreciate the cohesiveness of the finishing that extends from the case into the bracelet. But I am here to tell you that not one of these things is a negative in my book. I love it all. That said, I do understand why so many people opt for the strap option.

Today, every watch brand is either riffing off of the Oyster or Jubilee-style bracelet. Call me crazy, but I love that the brushed and polished styling of the SMP 300 bracelet is wholly unique to Omega and to this watch. OK, there is a little bit of the whole James Bond nostalgia creeping in here, but not a whole lot because I honestly don’t really like the Brosnan Bond films… like, at all. And I was a Playstation kid, so I didn’t even play Goldeneye. Sorry if that triggers anyone.

The clasp might be thick, but it’s also useful. I constantly find myself utilizing the quick-push-down sizing system, which offers similar utility to the Rolex Glidelock system. It also allows you to spread the gospel of a watch you love by making it adjustable for all your friends and family to try on. Okay, maybe that’s weird. I definitely don’t do that. I totally do that.

Omega Seamaster Green Dial

I’m not going to dance around it: this Omega Seamaster's green ceramic dial is a looker, and meticulously finished, to boot. But beyond aesthetics, it is highly legible, even when you factor in the skeletonized (and instantly recognizable) hands. There is a lot of polishing going on here, which could have been a nightmare with the luster of the ceramic dial, but Omega wisely ensured these lumed surfaces on the hands and indices stand out and contrast.

The dial finishing here is so rich and well done, with the glossy green ceramic adorned with laser-ablated waves that have become a signature of the collection. There are other neat flourishes here, such as the wave-less portions of the dial where the text sits, or the almost hidden zirconium oxide (ZrO2) printing. This is like the modern equivalent of old T-Swiss tritium indications. The dial also has a tidy 6 o’clock date window with a very modern typographical style for the date numerals. Yes, it is color-matched.

I chose the green version because, at the time, it was the only available modern SMP 300 with no red flourishes on the dial. To me, those were always kid-coded. I’m not a kid (or a Brosnan guy), and I wanted a serious everyday watch. The stark white text and the white seconds tip just make this watch feel grown-up in a way that appeals to me.

Caliber 8800 Movement

The in-house Caliber 8800 movement is METAS certified, which means it also has, and exceeds, COSC certification. It also boasts a Co-Axial escapement and a silicon balance spring, and is highly anti-magnetic (15,000 gauss) with a quirky operating rate of 3.5 Hz and a 55-hour power reserve. Omega’s contemporary movements are some of the best out there in terms of performance and innovation and the Master Co-Axial 8800 is a perfect demonstration of this. One of the major practical benefits of the Co-Axial escapement is the reduced need for lubrication which means it needs servicing less frequently. It’s also finished quite nicely, with those mesmerizing Arabesque Geneva Waves.

Final Thoughts

Now, in the 15 months since I got this watch, Omega has made a lot of changes to the format. It has played off of the success of the No Time To Die Seamaster, with its mesh bracelet, aluminum bezel, and non-ceramic dial. Daniel Craig (a great Bond), debuted a revamped steel Seamaster at the Paris Olympics and it was finally released this fall. With its black aluminum bezel insert and aluminum dial with smaller, vintagey waves, it technically should have appealed to the nostalgist in me. It should have made me want to trade in my green for the new black. And while I love that new watch and may someday own it as well, my most worn watch of 2024 and at least half of 2025 isn’t going anywhere.

There is just something about how "of the moment" this Omega Seamaster green dial iteration is that really does it for me. The design is truly unique and even with its quirks, it just works. The movement can go toe-to-toe with any Rolex movement, in my mind. This watch is also mystifying in all the right ways. It’s a chameleon – a harsh olive green in direct sunlight, and a near grey/black in the shade. It’s near impossible to photograph with an iPhone — which is cool, because it also detaches it from the Instagram-sphere.

Perhaps the fact that the green Omega Seamaster Diver 300M feels exactly like a 2020s watch is the sort of reverse nostalgia that actually makes it a “me watch." The same way I look at my dad’s 1980s Rolex Submariner 5513 and recognize that it oozes the vintage charm of its day, so too might I look at my Seamaster the same way in 2066. I’ll let you know.