The Underwater Giant: A look at the legendary Omega Seamaster Ploprof
LOFTThere was once a time when wristwatches were an essential part of a professional diver's toolkit. The ability to measure dive intervals and monitor these times at great depths gave rise to a whole new world: the diving watch.
As popular as the pilot's watch that was born after World War II, the diving watch transformed into a tool capable of taking us on underwater adventures, both real and imaginary, at a time when pioneers like Jacques Cousteau began to show us for the first time the wonders hidden beneath our oceans. It was precisely Cousteau, together with Comex , the pioneer company in the development of commercial and industrial diving at great depths, who, after working for a decade alongside Omega and its Seamaster 300 , helped develop what would undoubtedly be the Swiss brand's most recognizable design: The Ploprof .
Its real name is Seamaster 600 , but its nickname comes from the combination of the words Plongeur Professionel (Professional Diver in French). It achieved a water resistance of 600 meters thanks to its monobloc case construction, with a crown system that prevented accidental unscrewing, and an extra-wide mineral crystal treated with anti-reflective material. Its unusual safety mechanism for rotating the bezel is unique to this day, and is a large part of the reason why it has become such an easily recognizable design. Its construction was so perfect that it was even tested to depths of 1,300 meters before suffering damage, which was twice its promised water resistance.
While it was a 100% professional watch, of a size that was completely unsuitable for normal use, figures like Gianni Agnelli or Cousteau himself transformed it into a style icon, proving that a machine well designed for its specific purpose is usually also something attractive to look at. Over the years after its launch in 1971 , Omega added new strap options, a Milanese bracelet, and new color options to give it greater commercial appeal, but its price, which was twice that of a Rolex Submariner, always prevented it from becoming a best seller. This has meant that today, those examples from the 70s fetch stratospheric prices on the secondary market, as young people of the time can afford to buy the toys they didn't have in their childhood.
For those unwilling to pay secondary market prices, Omega made a new version of the legendary watch available in 2009, now called the Omega Seamaster 1200. A very well-executed homage to the original spirit, this time featuring a modern coaxial movement, high-end materials, and an additional 600 meters of water resistance. New titanium versions were introduced years later to lighten the already heavy 50mm case. For us, the ideal compromise between history and usability is the 2009 version in a steel case, still with its "shark-resistant" bracelet. It's not the prettiest watch in the world, but it's certainly the coolest of all.
Gianni knew it.
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