Omega turned to the submarines used during WWII for inspiration and included a resilient rubber gasket in the Seamaster’s final design. Previously water-resistant watches relied on lead or shellac gaskets which were easily affected by temperature changes like those a diver would experience at various depths. What distinguished the Seamaster from its diving watch predecessors was its O-ring gasket which improved its water-resistance. The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War II.
So by 1948, Omega was a brand well-respected for its robust divers’ watches, and it further bolstered that reputation with the introduction of the Omega Seamaster.
Later, in 1936, explorer Charles William Beebe wore the Omega Marine watch while riding in a bathysphere (which was an unpowered sea submersible that was lowered into the ocean via a cable) to a depth of 14 meters off the coast of Bermuda. Jumping back a little bit: in 1932, Omega debuted its Marine watch which was worn by the “father of modern diving” Yves Le Prieur, a French navy officer and inventor of the modern scuba mask and tank. We look back at the long history of this fan-favorite Omega watch. Today it remains the oldest model in Omega’s current collection. The model was an immediate hit and became the brand’s best seller. The Omega Seamaster may be most quickly recognized as the “James Bond watch,” but the watch’s history dates back to 1948 when it debuted in celebration of Omega’s 100th anniversary.