To celebrate its role as Official Timekeeper for the 36th America’s Cup this weekend in New Zealand, Omega launches a race-ready Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph. Here are the release details with pricing information.
Press release info with commentary in italics.
This is the fourth Omega tribute timepiece since its debut as the Official Timekeeper.
The first was in 2000 to mark the 30th America’s Cup. The 2000 watch was developed with Kiwi sailing legend Sir Peter Blake, and is a numbered edition of 9999 pieces, featuring the distinctive “Auld Mug” logo on a wave pattern dial.
Then in 2003, Omega released the Seamaster Professional America’s cup, an automatic diver’s chronograph with the event name on the dial, in two versions, one in titanium and tantalum with a red gold bezel and an all titanium model. Followed in 2020 with the Seamaster Planet Ocean for the 36th America’s Cup.
This new release is also for the 36th America’s Cup, to be held from 6 and 21 March 2021. The Defender is Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron who won the cup in the 35th outing in 2017. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s boat is Te Rehutai, owned and sailed by the Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate. Challenger Circolo della Vela Sicilia’s boat is Luna Rossa, owned and sailed by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate. Both boats are AC75 class high-performance foiling monohulls, a class designed specifically for this competition.
The Race Course on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour is around 1.7 nautical miles long (roughly 3km). It’s also between 0.5nm and 0.8nm wide (0.9km to 1.5km), and boats must remain precisely within the set boundaries throughout the race. The first team to score seven points will lift the “Auld Mug”, and also become the Defender of the 37th America’s Cup.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300m America’s Cup Chronograph
The Omega Seamaster Diver 300m America’s Cup Chronograph 210.30.44.51.03.002 will retail for SGD$15,050 / CHF 9’500.
Built from stainless steel, the 44 mm chronograph has a blue ceramic dial and bezel ring, which features a white enamel diving scale. To get a better handle on the watch in high swells, OMEGA has included soft-touch rubber pushers, ergonomically designed to work efficiently in the wet and stylishly picked out in red and blue.
Its laser-engraved wave-pattern dial includes a ‘regatta countdown indicator ring’ in red anodized aluminium, which features an hour disc underneath the subdial, and a red anodized aluminium minute and rhodium-plated small seconds hand inspired by the shape of a boat hull. The central seconds chronograph hand, also in red anodized aluminium, carries an America’s Cup on the counterweight.
OMEGA’s exclusive CHRONO LOCK system is included to secure the chronograph functions when needed. A must when marking time on the water, as sailing at high speeds leaves no room for error.
As with all great commemorative watches, the event and year is clearly marked and highlighted in bold. On the Alveol shaped caseback, engravings filled with blue lacquer spell out “36th America’s Cup” and “Auckland 2021”.
OMEGA’s Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup Chronograph has a metal bracelet and additional rubber strap, both equipped with OMEGA’s new Quick Change system. One press of a button releases the pins from the watch-head, enabling the wearer to switch easily between the bracelet and the strap without having to use tools.
Unlike the boats, the America’s Cup chronograph requires no winds to push it forward. OMEGA’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9900 is more than up to the task.
A special presentation box in the colours of the America’s Cup, keeps it safe and secure on land – and adds to its collectable appeal.
