Bronze dive watches are already a well established fad, and a little passé. Omega has sidestepped that by going one step further, putting its own twist on the idea with an interesting proprietary alloy that combines copper and gold. This unprecedented material makes its debut in the Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold, the flagship model in its new line of retro dive watches.

Notably, because Bronze Gold is an alloy with low gold content – its proportion of the precious metal is less than 40% in contrast to 75% in ordinary 18k gold – the Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold is more affordable than the typical gold dive watch.

Initial thoughts

The new Seamaster 300 is the perfect watch to introduce the new alloy, since bronze is very much a material for maritime adventures, while its gold content creates a warm, slightly aged look befitting for the vintage-inspired design. The result is a watch that’s seemingly aged yet resplendent.

And it’s worth pointing out the faux-vintage Super-Luminova on the dial and hands work better with the warm colours of the Seamaster Bronze Gold than on the steel version that’s evidently a modern watch in colours and style.

Even though Bronze Gold is one of the most intriguing new alloys of late, Omega already has numerous gold alloys to its name – from white Canopus gold to red Sedna Gold – which makes the new alloy seem less exciting than it deserves.

Still, its retail price of a bit over US$11,000 makes the Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold one of the most affordable gold dive watches on the market, even if the case has less gold content than 18k gold. By that measure, it’s something of a value proposition.

Bronze Gold

With a composition that’s 50% copper and 37.5% gold, along with a mixture of silver and palladium, Bronze Gold has a pinkish tone that lies in between Omega’s two other proprietary gold alloys, yellow Moonshine Gold and red Sedna Gold.

Even though it’s not conventional bronze, the case will develop a patina over time, but it will not develop verdigris – the green coating that’s actually oxidisation of bronze. Evoking sunken treasure, verdigris can stain clothing, and also cause skin irritation or allergies – an eminently practical advantage of Bronze Gold.

Because Bronze Gold is hypoallergenic, both the case back and buckle of the new Seamaster 300 are also in Bronze Gold, as opposed to being bronze-coloured steel or titanium as is the norm for bronze watches, in order to avoid direct contact with the skin.

As with the steel Seamaster 300, the Bronze Gold variant features a sandwich dial that’s made up of an upper and lower dial plate. Intriguingly, the upper plate is actually conventional bronze, which has been treated to create surface oxidisation, essentially brown patina. In contrast to the standard Seamaster 300 that has a “lollipop” seconds, the Bronze Gold model has a conventional arrowhead seconds hand.

In addition, the bezel insert is brown ceramic – its resistance to scratches and corrosion provides an interesting juxtaposition against the Bronze Gold. Because of the ceramic-insert bezel, the Bronze Gold model is slightly thicker (14.4 mm against 13.85 mm) than its steel counterpart that has an aluminium bezel insert.

Beating inside is the Master Co-Axial cal. 8912, a thoroughly modern movement that features a silicon balance spring and non-magnetic escapement, giving it substantial resistance to magnetism.

Key facts and price

Omega Seamaster 300 Bronze Gold
Ref. 234.92.41.21.10.001

Diameter: 41 mm
Height: 14.4 mm
Material: Bronze gold
Water resistance: 300 metres

Movement: Cal. 8912
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Self-winding
Frequency: 25,200 beats per hour (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 60 hours

Strap: Leather strap

Availability: At Omega boutiques and retailers
Price: US$11,200, or 16,550 Singapore dollars

For more information, visit Omegawatches.com.