The Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection

Introduction: Omega’s Shotgun Approach and Baselworld 2018

In this article, we are going to be reviewing the Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection but before we start and in the spirit of honesty: I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of Omega. The reason is that while they do have some amazing watches they take the shotgun approach. What I mean by that is that they seem to have such an overwhelming abundance of watches and in a gazillion different variations that it seems impossible to keep track of all of them.

While some of those end up being gems, a lot of them are the metaphorical pile of rubble that makes the gems hard to spot. And so at the 2018 Baselworld, we got a few less-than-interesting fillers, but we also got a diamond which is already polished: The Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection.

The Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection: A Vintage-Inspired Modern Watch

When I first saw the announcement for this watch I was a little confused. Why does it say Omega released a new watch which clearly is a vintage timepiece from the 60s? It felt like clickbait, but I gave in with a healthy dose of scepticism. I was not disappointed. What Omega did here was create a perfectly modern watch, but at the same time showing off that they can still make ’em how they used to.

Key Design Elements: Leaf Hands, Symmetric Case, and Enamel Dial

Design cues that set this watch apart are the leaf hands, the symmetric case, and the dial. The dial deserves some attention of its own because it is the true highlight here. With an enamel dial, an old school font with a red Omega logo and hour-markers out of gold it just is an incredibly smooth sight for the eyes. It is difficult to explain exactly just why this watch works on so many levels, but Omega shows that you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel to create an evergreen.

Comparing Vintage Omega Watches with the New Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection

Now you might be asking yourself, why would I pay full retail for this watch if I could instead just buy an actual vintage Omega. Well, this is where things get really interesting. What sets this watch so very decisively apart from any old watch is that it is packed to the brim with all the technology you could ask for. Turn the 39.5 mm case around and you will find a case back held in place with 4 screws and giving a window on to the Omega Master Co-Axial 8807 movement.

The movement is mechanically as good as it gets, being certified by METAS, resistant to magnetic fields of 15,000 Gauss, and with a cool automatic winding system which works in both directions. The finishing is in Geneva Waves, and while maybe not for the most impressive technique it looks great together with a rotor.

Criticisms and Room for Improvement

Now there are some little things I could criticise. I don’t mind so much that the watch is only available in precious metals, but it could be a little smaller in diameter like 38 mm. I also think it is a shame that the platinum edition will be a limited edition, but I guess that is mainly due to me not owning one of them. All these are however trifled attempts to distract anyone out there from the fact that this just is a great watch all around.

Available Variants and Pricing

The Omega Seamaster Olympic Games Gold collection will be available in white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold with a white enamel dial, as well as in a special edition made out of platinum and a black enamel dial limited to a run of 100 pieces. Pricing at the time of writing started at CHF 16,000 for the gold versions, and tops of at CHF 37,000 for the platinum version.

If you are looking for an alternative to the Omega Seamaster on a more budget-friendly basis I highly recommend you check out our article titled: Omega Seamaster Alternatives: 5 Affordable Recommendations.

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