Review: Omega’s Ploprof 1200M is a Horological Feat of Engineering for Your Wrist

In the horological world, there are high-end divers with impressive water resistance ratings, and then there are watches like the Omega Ploprof. First debuting in 1969 as a concept before officially debuting two years later in production form in 1971, this idiosyncratic-looking watch is a true professional-grade dive watch — in fact, it’s name is even derived from a shortened version of the words “Plongeur Professionnel,” which translate from French to “professional diver.”

Heavily inspired by the ‘70s era original, the latest Ploprof “Summer Blue” iteration was released as part of the Seamaster’s 75th anniversary. This extreme dive watch is capable of reaching depths of up to 1,200 meters, and while the vast majority of individuals that own one of these timepieces will probably never even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to fully exploiting its dive rating, it nonetheless provides its wearer with an incredibly unique experience that we were eager to experience first-hand. So, after tracking down one of these highly-sought-after items, we’ve spent the last few weeks getting acquainted with the watch for this hands-on review of the Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200M Co-Axial Master Chronometer Watch. 

The Omega Ploprof 1200M is a strange watch. There’s no getting around that. Its more unique features, however, are a major part of what make it so special. Rather than just being an odd-looking timepiece, the Omega Ploprof 1200M sports a wildly-purpose-built design where every element has been engineered in the manner that it has for an extremely specific reason or to serve a vital function — a fact that makes the Ploprof 1200M a true blend of form and function. Despite its large size and thickness, the watch isn’t as uncomfortable as we’d suspected, though the rubber strap no doubt helped in this regard. 

Sporting a 24mm lug width, a 45mm lug-to-lug, and a thickness of 15.5mm,  the Omega Ploprof 1200M is constructed around a 55mm x 45mm mono-bloc that’s capable of diving down to depths of 1,200 meters — or 4,000 feet. This incredible feat is made possible thanks to several features including the fact the entire case is constructed from O‑MEGASTEEL — a new high-purity alloy that maintains 40-50% more strength and hardness than conventional marine grade stainless, while also being completely devoid of any nickel and bolstered with extra nitrogen and manganese. Sporting a setup with a screw-down crown located on its left — classifying it as a Destro Diver — the watch has also been outfitted with a helium escape valve on the right side of the case between 4 and 5 o’clock. In a bid to make sure the case’s sapphire doesn’t pop out of the watch while at depth, the team at Omega opted to cap it off with a special synthetic lab-grown lens that’s made using an innovative flame fusion process.

The back of this asymmetrical case has been decorated via a special engraving that features an illustration of Poseidon and the text “SEAMASTER SINCE 1948.” It’s also crucial to note that, being a mono-bloc case, this watch has been crafted from a single piece of O‑MEGASTEEL and has had its movement dropped in through the front of the dial — rather than through the caseback. This unique type of case construction ultimately plays a monumental role in the watch being able to reach such incredible depths.

Not straying too far from traditional Seamaster dial layouts, the face of the Omega Ploprof 1200M sports a brilliant sun-brushed with a gradient finish — a clear nod to where the watch is intended to be used. Completely devoid of numerals, the dial features blue hour markers and a matching  Plongeur style handset. The entire dial is fortified beneath a flat scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal with anti‑reflective treatment on both sides. Encompasing the dial is also a rotating  transparent sapphire crystal bezel that’s had its back adorned in blue varnish to reveal an underlying blue diving scale. Complementing the dial’s baby and royal blue color scheme is bright-blue-glowing Super-LumiNova that’s been generously allied to the dial’s indices and hands. As previously mentioned, this particular all-blue multi-shade colorway first debuted back in June as one of the brand’s “Summer Blue” edition releases — all of which celebrate the 75th anniversary since the debut of the very first Omega Seamaster dive watch in 1948.

With the Ploprof 1200M’s O-MEGASTEE case being an undeniable feat of engineering, Omega wanted to make sure it selected an equally-special movement to shoehorn into the mono-bloc housing, leading the Swiss brand to opt for its very own calibre 8912. Certified as a master chronometer and approved by METAS, this self-winding mechanical movement features a co-axial escapement and a free-sprung balance with silicon balance spring, two barrels mounted in series, and automatic winding in both directions. Decorated in a special luxury finish with Geneva waves in arabesque, this movement manages to deliver a 60-hour power reserve. Capable of withstanding up to up to 15,000 gauss, this Co-Axial Master Chronometer also features 38 jewels and a beat rate of  25,200bph.

Unlike the 2017 iteration of the Ploprof that came paired with a  titanium mesh bracelet, the latest batch  of these watches come outfitted with an ocean-ready 24mm ISOfrane-style rubber strap. In some ways, this feels like a downgrade, though the rubber item is admittedly the truer of the two when it comes to actual hardcore diving use — plus when you’re dropping over $14K on a watch like this, the bracelet or band just aren’t all that important. In typical Omega fashion, this rubber strap does sport a few high-end touches including a custom-branded strap loop with PLOPROF text and a steel pin buckle adorned in classic Omega branding. The strap also features an interesting cutout design, with larger more ornamental openings near the case before feeding into a series of smaller holes that actual secure the pin buckle. It’s also worth pointing out that this blue rubber strap is markedly more true to the unit found on the original 1971 watch. 

It can be difficult to fully wrap your head around who exactly this watch is for. Sure, it’s obviously marketed at professional divers, but the company is also targeting a group of horological enthusiasts who thoroughly appreciate the brilliance of the engineering that went into this watch. In fact, this is arguably the watch’s main appeal, as the vast majority of its users will never put its extreme dive rating to the test. Not unlike a 200-MPH hypercar, it’s simply about appreciating the work and engineering brilliance that went into the creation of this truly world-class machine. Add in its top-notch fit and finish, premium material selection, and the company’s usual eye for design, and it’s not hard to see why this Omega is one of the most interesting dive watches currently on the market.