A Seamaster Made To Master The Ocean
Here at thewatchadviser.com, I don’t often get into the esoteric details of dive watches. Yeah, they’re cool, but they’re honestly just not my thing. Here and there I’ll write about a cool vintage sub or a Baselworld novelty that you can wear in the shower without worry, but nothing else other than that.
Today, I have finally made the decision to end my new-watch writing streak and go back to classics: the tool watches and the watches that are the basis of today’s modern designs. If you have been a reader of mine for the past five minutes or for the past five months, you may know that my first ever wristwatch was a vintage Omega Seamaster 30. To say the least, Omega is a spectacular brand. While Omega can boast many significant horological space and land achievements, let’s face it, water covers more than seventy percent of the earth’s surface, so let’s go for a dive.
Imagine Jacques Cousteau, Omega, and COMEX collaborating on the creation of a wristwatch. Inevitably, that would be one heck of watch; that watch is the Seamaster 600 Plongeur Professional, a.k.a. the PloProf. This watch is one underwater beast. The PloProf was intended to be for the professional diver, as the name suggests. For a divers’ watch it’s quite handsome and features many multi-colored instrumentations, which give the watch a tropical look.
At fifty-five millimeters, with a steel monobloc case, and fitted on either a heavy-duty Milanese (mesh) bracelet or a hefty isofrane (rubber) strap, the PloProf is practically burst-proof, or something awfully close. Not too long ago Omega released the PloProf 1200, a wristwatch nearly identical to the original PloProf 600, but twice as water resistant. The 1200 is definitely a great upgrade for a frequent diver, but otherwise I don’t see the point in purchasing. Assuming the vast majority of you would not consider yourselves to be the “frequent diver” type, I advise the purchase of the PloProf 600. Also, expect to pay anything from $7,000 to $10,000 for one of these watches, as a PloProf has a multi-facet value.
Luke Rottman (Executive Editor: thewatchadviser.com)