Keeping pace with the vintage-look revival sweeping the watch world in recent years, Omega unveiled a retro-inspired version of its popular Seamaster model in 2018. Dubbed the Seamaster 1948, for the year in which the original model made its debut, the watch channeled the simple, dressy look of the Seamaster in the years before it was reimagined as sporty divers’ watch in 1957. Omega followed up the successful launch of the first two steel-cased models with the release of platinum-cased versions later in the year. Now the Swiss brand is offering a limited edition exclusive to its New York City boutiques, with a gray lacquered dial and a specially engraved steel case.
The Omega Seamaster Exclusive Boutique New York Limited Edition is housed in a 39.5-mm-diameter case in stainless steel. Under its domed sapphire crystal lay a lacquered, fumé-colored dial with a gradient effect. The leaf-shaped hands, wedge indices, and applied Omega logo on the dial are crafted from 18k white gold. A date window — a feature not found on previous Seamaster 1948 versions — occupies the spot at 6 o’clock. What makes this model so distinctive, however, are the engravings found on the periphery of the caseback, depicting iconic New York city landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan Bridge, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Along with this intricately rendered cityscape is the watch’s engraved limited-edition number (out of 399 total pieces).
The caseback also offers a view of the watch’s movement through a domed sapphire window. Omega’s Master Chronometer Caliber 8800, which debuted in 2016 and was recently used to power 2018’s Seamaster Olympic Games Limited Editions, is a self-winding mechanical movement with a co-axial escapement, a 55-hour power reserve, and a free-sprung balance with silicon hairspring. Like all Master Chronometer calibers, this one has passed eight rigorous tests to achieve the prestigious METAS certification from the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology for exceptional accuracy, endurance, and resistance to magnetic fields. From an aesthetic standpoint, the movement catches the eye, with Omega’s now familiar “Arabesque” guilloché pattern adorning the bidirectional rotor, plates, and bridges.
The new Seamaster comes on a black leather strap and, as its name suggests, will be available for purchase only in Omega’s New York City boutiques. The price is $7,600.
