In mid-2023, Omega gave an unveiling of a Seamaster Planet Ocean variant made in partnership with Emirates Team New Zealand for the 37th America’s Cup. The watch was a black and turquoise regatta timer, meaning it’s a chronograph with a running seconds subdial and another with a unique countdown timer in increments of five minutes to aid with the peculiarities of competitive sailing.
Seeing that the watch’s announcement came before a preliminary round — a year before the actual 2024 yacht race was even underway, which it will in October — the timepiece felt like it was jumping the gun, so to speak. With Omega announcing it will return as the Official Timekeeper of the yacht race, they’re now showcasing a new watch to honor the 37th America’s Cup as a whole. Conflict of interest aside, this is a pretty cool watch and may surprise most people to find out that it’s not actually a chronograph at all.
The America’s Cup
Competitive sailing in its own right dates back to the 17th century and requires a specific type of timer, called a regatta. For the uninitiated, the America’s Cup is one of the most prestigious trophy events in the world, offering the coveted Auld Cup to the winner. The longest-running sporting competition to date, it comprises two yachts, one of which is the Defender from the previous event and another of which is the Challenger, decided by several rounds of preliminaries.
Held this year in Barcelona this October, the 37th America’s Cup will feature a Defender yacht from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, defending its title from the 2021 race. The Challenger yacht this year will be from the U.K.’s Royal Yacht Squadron.
Omega Seamaster 300M Diver America’s Cup
As we said, the special-edition Seamaster 300m diver won’t be a chronograph of any sort but will have some design cues inspired by the yacht race. Housed in the standard 42mm stainless steel case boasting 300m of water resistance, the timepiece has a matte white ceramic dial with the classic wave pattern, surrounded by a pretty cool blue ceramic bezel with a regatta scale of sorts.
With no standing start grid or quick accelerations, yachts must get as close to the starting line prior to race time without crossing it. Since starting is a little tricky in yacht racing, regattas usually feature a pair of pre-start sections separated by five-minute intervals before the start marker. And you’ll see those notches are implemented on the unidirectional bezel on this dive watch.
You’ll also notice the hands, which are “skeletonized” and have a unique gradient color scheme. As for the second hand, its counterweight is in the shape of the America’s Cup trophy. Like other Seamasters, the watch ticks by with the Master Chronometer-certified in-house Caliber 8806 automatic movement with 55 hours of power reserve. It’s visible (sort of) through the exhibition caseback. However, the crystal on the back is largely covered by a blue “B” for “Barcelona, as well as another silhouette of the trophy. It’s paired with either a stainless steel link bracelet or a blue rubber strap.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 42mm
Lug-to-Lug: 49.9mm
Case Thickness: 13.8mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Water Resistance: 300m
Movement: In-house Caliber 8806 automatic
Band: Stainless steel bracelet or blue rubber strap
Limited Edition?: No
Pricing & Availability
Surprisingly not limited in edition size, the Seamaster 300m America’s Cup is priced at $6,500 and available soon from Omega’s website and boutiques.
Recap
Omega Seamaster 300m Americas Cup
Omega unveils its special-edition Seamaster 300m diver for the 37th America’s Cup, featuring some design cues inspired by the yacht race and a regatta bezel.
