Original vintage 1950s Omega advertisement for the Omega Seamaster automatic watch, "For those who are really time conscious...During the war, official experts in aircraft production chose Omega for this was the watch giving the greatest security to the Armed Forces of Great Britain"
 
Dimensions: Roughly 10 inches wide by 14 inches high.
 
Before we get into the Omega Seamaster, a moment should be spent on the article to the left of this 1950s Omega advert.  The article features British General Sir Bernard Montgomery grinning alongside two Americans he often didn't get along with during the course of WWII - USMIL Generals Omar Bradley and George Patton (the latter, replete with one of his iconic pearl-handled revolver clearly present in a holster). 
 
Montgomery and Patton's contrasting military styles - Patton's aggressive, speed-focused tactics versus Montgomery's cautious, methodical approach - often led to friction between the two.  Understanding this, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe Dwight Eisenhower often placed General Omar Bradley - another key Allied general who worked alongside both - sometimes positioned Bradley in between them to defuse tension.  The article goes on to discuss the rising threat of the Communist Soviet Union during the closing days of the war.  Pure Cold War magic.
 
Cold War article aside, Omega’s design of the first Seamaster, the 300, drew influence from older waterproof watches worn on the wrists of the British military during WWII.  However, what would initially distinguish the first Seamaster from its other predecessor watches from Omega competitors was its rubber O-ring gasket, which separated the dive watch from other lead or shellac gaskets which were more susceptible to temperature changes.  Instead, Omega’s rubber gasket prevented any water infiltration in severe temperature changes ranging between -40° C to 50° C.
 
In the 1950s, Omega engineers were so confident of the Seamaster’s durability, they attached one to the outside of an aircraft and flew it over the North Pole in 1956.  The Seamaster 300 performed so well, in fact, that Jacques Cousteau’s team used it during experimental dives in 1963 and beyond.
 
First making an appearance in 1963 as part of the Seamaster lineup, the De Ville became its own collection in 1967, occupying the dress watch position within the Omega catalog aimed at a younger clientele.  The De Ville clearly draws inspiration from the Seamaster, but once it became its own line, it developed a unique personality all its own.

Omega was officially founded in 1903, and its watches were the choice of NASA and the first watch on the Moon in 1969.  James Bond has worn it in films since 1995; other famous Omega wearers, past and present, including John F. Kennedy, the UK’s Prince William, George Clooney, and Astronaut Buzz Aldrin – and do we really need to note where Buzz wore his?
 
For the past 70+ years, Omega has produced a staggering array of Seamasters to suit a variety of needs; from solid gold dress watches to solid blocks of stainless steel used for dive watches, from soccer timers to world timers, the Seamaster has seen them all.  While other watch companies have various families to cater to various customers, Omega’s Seamaster is unique in its versatility: at one point or another there has been a Seamaster for just about everyone.