製造商: Omega 年份: 1968 型號: 165.024 機芯編號: 26’288’922 錶殼號碼: 0552/923-7697 and A/461/70 型號名稱: Seamaster 300, “Military” 材料: Stainless steel 機芯: Automatic, cal. 552, 24 jewels 尺寸: 40mm Diameter 簽名: Case, dial and movement signed. 配件: Accompanied by photocopy of Special Boat Service Royal Marines Testimonial and copy Royal Marines Certificate of Qualifications. Further accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the watch on February 14th, 1968.
圖錄文章
Omega introduced the Seamaster 300 in 1957 as part of their “Professional” line of tool watches produced for professional and recreational divers with a very small batch made for military use. Custom designed by Omega to meet the British Ministry of Defense’s specifications, their cases, with distinctive curved and beveled lugs, were delivered with fixed spring bars. The dials featured an encircled ‘T’ designation, signifying the use of tritium for the luminous hour markers and hands with broad, sword-shaped hour and minute hands, and an angular, sweep seconds hand specially designed for military use. The crown was screw down opposed to the snap down design found on standard production models. The case backs were engraved by the Ministry of Defense with the military branch code, issue number, and year of issue. Since most were used in combat and on military deployments, very few have survived with all factory military features intact, and the present “Military” from 1968 is a wonderful example.
The caseback is engraved ‘0552’, indicating delivery to the Royal Navy, and further confirmed by the photocopies of the original owner’s Royal Marines “Special Boat Services Testimonial” and “Certificate of Qualifications”. Warrant Officer Peter James Vallely joined the Royal Marines in 1973, and served for four years with the 40 Commando battalion unit, as well as on-board HMS Diomede. He next volunteered and completed training for the Special Boat Service, a maritime special forces unit of the United Kingdom Special Forces. Through his long and distinguished career, Warrant Officer James saw operational service in the South Atlantic, the Middle East, and Northern Ireland, and was known for his professional and motivated service to the country. He retired after 24 years of service with awards including the Military Medal and Accumulated Campaign Service Medal.
The present example is in excellent original condition. The dial is fitted with what is known as the original “thin” encircled ‘T’. Many Seamaster 300 dials were replaced during use by the British military, and are found with “fat” encircled ‘T’’s that were reprinted by the Military of Defense. The luminous hour markers and hands have faded to a pale yellow, and match in hue with the luminous numerals on the original acrylic bezel. Military watches have remained collectible for their tangible ties to historic moments and rugged good looks, and this Seamaster 300 is a wonderfully preserved example for the elite collector.
Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.