8 of the Best Omega Watches
8 of the Best Omega Watches
Known for their sporty chronographs, professional dive watches, and co-axial movements, Omega is one of the leading Swiss watch brands, and it boasts an impressive history. In 1969, the Omega Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the moon, and since then a Speedmaster has been part of all six lunar missions. In 1932, Omega became the official timekeeper of the Olympic games, and they continue to be the official timekeeper today. In 1995, James Bond switched his allegiance from Rolex to Omega, and agent 007 continues to wear an Omega watch in the most recent Bond movies.
Omega features five watch collections: Constellation, Seamaster, Speedmaster, De Ville, and Specialties. Although the most popular Omega watches come from Omega's Seamaster and Speedmaster collections, the other collections have also produced some rather remarkable watches.
If you’re looking for a sporty watch, turn to the Seamasters or Speedmasters. If you want a classic dress watch, then the Constellation or De Ville collections would better suit your tastes. The Specialty collection is filled with Omega's limited edition watches. To help you find the perfect Omega watch, we’ve created a list of the best Omega watches.
Here are 8 of the best Omega watches:
- Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch
- Omega Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean
- Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Co-Axial
- Omega Seamaster Diver 300m
- Omega Constellation Co-Axial
- Omega De Ville Prestige
- Omega Seamaster Bullhead
- Omega Seamaster PloProf
1. Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch
The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch earned its name when Buzz Aldrin wore a Speedmaster Professional Chronograph on the first lunar landing in 1969. Since then, an Omega Speedmaster has been worn for every one of NASA’s piloted missions. The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch is characterized by its precision, readability, and robustness.
Although the watch was nicknamed the Moonwatch, it wasn’t until recently that Omega offered a Speedmaster with a moonphase complication. Now, buyers can honor the history of the Omega Speedmaster with a hyper-realistic moonphase complication at 6 o’clock. On stainless steel models, this complication is as detailed as a NASA photograph, and buyers can even see Neil Armstrong’s iconic footprint (albeit the footprint is out of proportion).
This is by-far one of the most popular Omega watches.
2. Omega Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean
Although the first Omega Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean launched in 2005, Omega’s history with creating dive watches spans a much longer time period. These dive watches are characterized by their water resistance, helium-escape valve, and alveol screw-in caseback.
To help divers keep track of time underwater, the applied indexes, minute hand, and 12 o’clock dot on this Omega Seamaster Professional Planet Ocean are coated in Super-LumiNova. While the Super-LumiNova appears white in an everyday setting, the indexes, hour hand, and seconds hand glow a blight blue in dim or dark lighting. In contrast, the minute hand and 12 o’clock dot glow green.
3. Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Co-Axial
The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Master Co-Axial watches are sporty watches with an understated style, and the watches are immediately recognizable with their “Teak Concept” dials. These decorated dials feature vertical lines inspired by the wooden decks on luxury sailboats.
These Omega Seamasters are powered by the Omega Master Co-Axial Caliber 8500 COSC-Certified Chronometer movements which are specially manufactured to resist magnetic fields greater than 15,000 gauss. Unlike most anti-magnetic watches, the Aqua Terra’s movement can be viewed through a transparent caseback.
4. Omega Seamaster Diver 300m
A timeless and sporty watch, the Omega Seamaster Diver 300m is one of Omega’s most popular watches. It’s also popular because of its association with James Bond. In 1995, James Bond traded in his Rolex watches for Omega watches, and he began wearing an Omega Seamaster Diver in the 2006 Casino Royale.
Want to know why this is one of the best Omega watches? The Omega Seamaster Diver is known for its water resistance, helium escape valve, screw-down crown, and uni-directional rotating bezel. On the dial, buyers will notice the white skeletonized central hand and minute hands. Omega also offers a variety of colors for the central chronograph hand as well as the hands on the 30-minute and 12-hour recorders.
5. Omega Constellation Co-Axial
Omega launched the Constellation family in 1952, and in 1982 Omega launched the Constellation “Manhatten” which introduced the four now-signature “griffes” (also known as claws) at 3 and 9 o’clock. These griffes originally held the sapphire crystal in place and helped ensure the watch remained waterproof. This Constellation Manhatten collection received a complete redesign in 2009; however, the watch design was still inspired by the vintage watches from its past. The design still includes the signature star at 6 o’clock and the classic claws.
This model is characterized by its classic look and wide variety of dials, colors, and case materials. It is popular for both men and women.
Fun Fact: In the United States, this collection was originally known as the Globemaster due to a trademark conflict. This conflict was resolved in 1956.
6. Omega De Ville Prestige
A dress watch that is popular for both men and women, the Omega De Ville Prestige offers a clean dial, classic watch design, and reliable mechanical movement. This watch is ideal for watch connoisseurs that are looking for a dress watch that can be worn to both informal and formal events.
Every watch in the Omega De Ville Prestige collection features a date window at 3 o’clock. To give more variety, Omega has crafted some Prestige watches with a power reserve indicator and others with a chronograph complication.
7. Omega Seamaster Bullhead
The Omega Seamaster Bullhead was launched in 1969, and it offers Omega fans a unique case shape and dial configuration. The most popular Omega Seamaster Bullheads are the highly collectable vintage watches; however, the newer models are also popular because they’ve kept the signature symmetrical shape and distinctive inner bezel. The newer models now feature flat pushers instead of the rounded ones and an all-new movement. The new Omega Seamaster Bullhead model is powered by the automatic Co-Axial caliber 3113 which replaces the manually-wound caliber 930 that is found in the vintage model.
8. Omega Seamaster PloProf
The first Omega Seamaster PloProf launched in 1970 as a dive watch that could withstand the extreme pressure endured below the ocean’s surface. The name PloProf was not coined by Omega, instead this watch was originally known as the Seamaster Professional 600. PloProf came from the phrase plongeur professionnel which is French for professional diver.
The Omega PloProf is easily recognizable with its screwed-in crown with protective buffer at 9 o’clock. By moving the crown from 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock, Omega allowed for freer wrist movement. The watch also includes a bi-directional diving bezel which is locked by the characteristic security pusher at 2 o’clock and a helium escape valve at 4 o’clock. The new Omega Seamaster PloProf models now feature titanium cases, ceramic bezels (on some models), and Omega Co-Axial and Master Chronometer calibers.