Elizabeth Berrett
OMEGA doesn’t need another excuse to make a handsome dive watch, but it’s found a rather decent one anyway: ocean protection. The brand is backing Nekton, the not-for-profit research foundation focused on safeguarding the seas, and it’s doing it with a special Seamaster Diver 300M that tries to be more than jewellery with delusions of heroism.
At the centre of this partnership is Nekton’s ‘First Descent’ programme—missions exploring and conserving the Indian Ocean, begun in 2019 and set to resume next year, with OMEGA in a supporting role. It’s science plus public engagement, a blend of hard tech and human storytelling that suits a company built on precision and mythology.
“Our friends at Nekton are protecting the ocean with the global goal of 30% protection by 2030. As a pioneering brand with a long history of pushing at the boundaries of what is possible, we have the utmost respect for this bold, confident vision and we’re thrilled to help make the goal a reality“.
Why this partnership feels like more than a logo swap
Plenty of brand collaborations smell like a committee meeting and a lanyard. This one has actual narrative bones: Nekton’s field work, a clear conservation target, and a watch line—Seamaster—that has spent decades positioning itself as the ocean-facing wing of OMEGA’s universe.
There’s also a neat, meaningful circle in the details. Nekton’s team dubbed their research submersible Seamaster 2, a nod to the boat skippered by the late Sir Peter Blake—round-the-world yachtsman, ocean advocate, and a close friend of OMEGA. That’s not marketing fog; that’s heritage with a pulse.
The watch: Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition, in the flesh
This is, fundamentally, a Diver 300M—the most appropriate canvas OMEGA has for an ocean partnership, and a model that’s become a modern uniform for people who like their wristwear to look capable even when it’s only diving into an inbox.
The Nekton Edition leans into stealth and texture rather than loud colour. You get a laser ablated black ceramic [ZrO2] dial, matt finished, with polished waves raised in positive relief. In plain terms: it catches light with restraint, the sort of detail you notice twice—once when you glance, and again when you realise you’re still looking.
Then there’s the unidirectional rotating bezel in grade 5 titanium, also laser ablated, with the diving scale in positive relief. Titanium here isn’t about shouting “space metal”; it’s about reducing visual heaviness while keeping the watch’s tool character intact.
What the tech actually means when you’re wearing it
Under the hood sits the Master Chronometer Calibre 8806, with Geneva waves in arabesque and rhodium-plated rotor and bridges, and it’s certified by METAS. That certification matters because it’s designed to speak to real-world reliability rather than just lab romance.
OMEGA also calls out magnetic resistance: 15,000 gauss. You don’t need to be living next to an MRI for that to be useful. Modern life is full of magnets—clasps, cases, speakers, devices—and a watch built to shrug them off is a watch built for reality, not just a brochure.
Flip it over and the caseback goes full tribute: an embossed Nekton submarine medallion, engraved with NAIADLOCK, DIVER 300M and the watch’s water resistance. It’s a nice move—purpose placed where the owner actually sees it, rather than a token gesture lost on the dial.
Strap or bracelet: two personalities, same intent
OMEGA is offering two versions:
- Integrated black rubber strap with a polished-brushed buckle, matching the black ceramic dial for a properly modern, sporty feel.
- Stainless steel bracelet if you want the Diver to edge closer to “smart casual” without losing its backbone.
If you’re the sort who transitions from gym bag to dinner reservation without changing shoes (we all know someone), the bracelet version is the safer all-rounder. If you want the watch to look like it means business—quietly—the rubber strap does the job.
Practical pros and cons
Pros
- Purpose with credibility: Nekton’s work and the ‘First Descent’ missions give the partnership substance.
- Material choices that make sense: ceramic dial, titanium bezel—tool-watch decisions, not costume jewellery.
- Serious movement credentials: METAS Master Chronometer certification and high magnetic resistance.
- Design restraint: textured wave dial and subdued palette—distinctive without being shouty.
Cons
- Understated to a fault for some: if you want your special edition to announce itself from across the room, this isn’t that watch.
- It’s still a premium dive watch: the “cause” is meaningful, but it won’t magically make the buy decision simple for every budget.
Who is this best for?
- Divers who live in tech: phones, earbuds, chargers, bags—if your day is a magnet festival, the anti-magnetic credentials are appealing.
- One-watch people who still want personality: sporty enough for everyday wear, polished enough to pass in civilised company.
- Collectors who like narrative, not noise: a special edition that doesn’t rely on gimmicks.
- Anyone who wants their luxury to have a point: ocean conservation isn’t a trend; it’s a deadline.
Is it worth it?
Value is always personal in luxury, but here’s the honest read: you’re buying a modern, technically serious Seamaster Diver 300M that happens to carry a partnership with a foundation doing tangible work. If you already like the Diver 300M silhouette, the Nekton Edition is a tasteful, purpose-driven variant that doesn’t compromise the core strengths of the line.
And if you’re the type who prefers their status symbols to do something other than signal status, this is at least a step in the right direction. OMEGA’s Master Chronometer certified Nekton Edition is a stylish way to support a very worthwhile cause. To purchase the watch is to play a part in the protection of the world’s oceans.
