Captain William McKenzie's Omega Seamaster Album 2
McKenzie's Omega Seamaster is one with perfect provenance. Since 1948, how many were actually sold to a submarine officer -- and engraved with both their name and the ship?
Omega Seamaster Watch History
When the Swiss watchmaker Omega debuted its Seamaster diving watch in 1948, the house proved that functionality and style could coexist. Inspired by the waterproof wristwatches of World War II, the Seamaster appealed to active individuals desiring a watch for “town, sea, and country”. The model was an immediate hit and became the brand’s best seller. Today it remains the oldest model in Omega’s current collection
The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War II. What distinguished the Seamaster from its diving watch predecessors was its O-ring gasket which improved its water-resistance. 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.
Omega turned to the submarines used during WWII for inspiration and included a resilient rubber gasket in the Seamaster’s final design. This new case remained intact at depths up to 60 meters and temperature ranges between -40 degrees and 50 degrees Celsius.
The second generation of the vintage Omega Seamasters (beginning in 1956) combine the very attractive wide lugged case style of the 1948 model with a rotor driven movement, as opposed to the “bumper” mechanisms that powered the 1948-1955 watches.