Like so many men’s items from gear to fashion, dive watches come courtesy of the military. In the mid-1930s, Rolex built one for the divers of the Royal Italian Navy. After World War II, scuba became a recreational activity, and the dive watch emerged as a pillar of the burgeoning sport-watch segment.
Omega’s Seamaster Professional Diver 300M, born in 1948, just redesigned the 300 collection, which debuted in 1993. Upsized to 42 millimeters, it includes six stainless steel models and eight two-tone (stainless and gold) models. ($4,750 for steel with rubber strap; $4,850 for steel/steel; $6,500 for gold/rubber; and $9,700 for steel/gold.) A limited edition of 2,500, made mostly of titanium with gold trim, pays tribute to the original with the bezel’s base and some band trim fashioned from tantalum…
