Exclusive Timepieces & Jewels 17 –⁠ 18 July 2019 | Monaco

Auction Details

A Selection of Pure Vintage/Contemporary Timepieces and Rare Jewels. Our first auction with Davide Parmegiani.

Session 1 starting at 3 p.m.
Session 2 starting at 6 p.m.

1 Omega A beautiful and historically important Omega Seamaster 300 in stainless steel with bakelite bezel

Estimate: € 7,000 –⁠ 15,000

Sold € 13,000

Model: Seamaster
Material: stainless steel
Reference N°: 165.024
Case N°: 23023611
Caliber: 562
Bracelet: Leather Strap
Dimensions: 42
Signed: Dial, Case and movement

This model was an immediate hit becoming the brand’s best-seller and was intended to be an attractive tool watch with optimal versatility. What distinguished the Seamaster from its diving watch predecessors was its O-ring gasket which improved its water resistance and to prove its durability, Omega’s engineers attached one to the outside of an aircraft and flew it over the North Pole in 1956. In 1957, Omega released the Seamaster 300 model, which, together with the Speedmaster and the Railmaster, was dubbed by watch enthusiasts as the “Holy Trinity” of Omega’s professional-grade wristwatches. Unlike its predecessor, the Seamaster 300 (like the present watch) was designed for underwater use. It immediately became a very reliable watch to the point that Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s team used it during its “Precontinent II” experiments in the Red Sea in the summer of 1963 to prove that divers could live in a submerged saturated gas environment for long periods without adverse effects.
The design featured a spring device in the crown assembly that became tighter as pressure built during a dive, creating more waterproof capability and the bakelite bezel. The lot offered here is a really special one for the way it has aged. The bezel is still in great condition with its typical delicate but still evident knurling. The black dial has big indexes and arabic numerals which have acquired a little patina while the tonneau-shaped case is still sharp and crisp with fully readable engravings on the screw back. This Seamaster 300 is preserved in attractive and original condition and is sure to please the discerning collector.