Omega Merry Christmas.

Special Boat Service (SBS) Omega Seamaster GMT Limited Edition

Back in spring 2007 rumors began circulating of a supposed edition of the blue-dialed Omega Seamaster GMT 300 Co-Axial (ref. 2535.80.00) specially made for members of Britain's elite Special Boat Service (SBS), a specialized contingent of the UK’s Royal Marine Commandos and a rough equivalent of the US Navy’s SeALs. Shortly thereafter an article appeared in the watch-centric British QP Magazine (April 2007, Issue 24) attesting to the same. For more than a year and a half afterward essentially nothing was heard until very recently when some pictures and new information finally emerged.

Images used with permission from WUS member 148mac. Serial numbers blurred for security/privacy/anti-counterfeiting reasons.

The SBS Special Edition Seamaster GMT is in essence almost identical to the regular production model with a few minor variances. In the same fashion as many modern Speedmaster limited edition commemorative models, the inner side of the sapphire display back is emblazoned with the SBS unit logo. According to early sources the watches were also to be engraved with the "zap number" of the owner, presumably the unique number to identify the individual should he become a casualty without identifying name for morale and security purposes, much like the the "roster number" system adopted as a matter of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by most US Army and US Marine Corps units. However, current descriptions seem to indicate the watch numbers are issued on a serial basis with no connection to the owner.

Some initial accusations complained that the idea was a transparent Omega publicity stunt intended to capitalize on the publicity afforded by the James Bond connection and the DVD release of "Casino Royale" but following reports seem to discredit the notion. In fact, according to some sources that owing to the model's existing popularity among SBS and military members it was actually SBS members who approached Omega about the idea and not vice versa. There were also unconfirmed rumors that both the SBS and SAS had previously approached Rolex about making a special edition in the spirit of the earlier vintage "Milsub" 5517 and others but Rolex declined. (Photo courtesy James Dowling) The SAS later had a special edition watch produced by Breitling.

Other complainers and detractors pointed to the idea that the elite commando unit by reputation does not advertise membership openly; others have pointed out that unlike the SAS Breitling, when worn the SBS Seamaster GMT is indistinguishable from a regular production model.

Reportedly quantity will be limited to 500 with most (or all) of the series already spoken for but delivery as yet not 100% complete. Sale is restricted to "badged" SBS-qualified members alone, and not even affiliated suport personnel are eligible. It was also reported that the "Bond"-style skeleton hands were so strongly disliked by SBS members that after many requests a local AD was converting the hands to match the highly luminous sword-type hands used on the Seamaster 2254.50.00 diver and similar models for a minimal fee.

Only a single example has been offered by Omega for public sale, the watch featuring serial number — you guessed it — # 007. It sold at a charity auction for a tidy sum reportedly north of £19,000, approximately US$37,430 at the time! Like the X-33s sold to military aviators under the Military Purchase Program, the SBS Seamaster is shipped in regular retail boxes and packaging indistinguishable from civilian models. My original personal speculation at the time was that these were likely keepsakes intended for garrison and off-duty wear, but several other sources have pointed to the longstanding popularity of the blue Seamaster models within the British military. In fact, the Seamaster is so effectively omnipresent that it’s been frequently said that they might as well be issued.

There's no definitive answer yet as to value of the unique edition. At present these are mostly still held by the original owners with but a bare few having reached the collector market so far. It is probably unlikely that these will reach the value of the vaunted vintage military SBS-issue 5517 Rolex Submariners, but of course it's to be expected that they will fetch a considerable premium over regular production models in years to come.

Incidentally, I do know of at least one example that is presently for sale though at a hefty figure; interested parties are invited to contact me for more info.

UPDATE: Since posting this entry I've been in contact with someone with direct knowledge of the watches' use within the unit who was able to clarify some details:

• My earlier suspicion seems to have been correct that these are mostly for off-duty and garrison wear and are not worn during operations or training exercises
  
• Members were indeed able to select the s/n# matching their zap number when ordering
• Total production quantity was actually 501: serial numbers range from 000-500, with s/n# 000 reportedly kept in a museum (perhaps the Omega Museum in Bienne?)
• The rumors that the SBS had been previously rebuffed by Rolex have been called into question
  

Jürgen's Custom Vintage Leather Straps

I wanted to take a moment to give a mention to something that I think hasn’t been getting the discussion and airplay it deserves lately: Jürgen's Custom Vintage Leather Straps.

For those who might not already know, Jürgen Hauff is a Germany-based strap maker, watch designer, and vintage watch restorer located in the traditional watchmaking region of Pforzheim who makes his high-quality watch straps in a variety of styles, especially well known for his vintage and military-style straps.

Custom-made straps from brick-and-mortar retailers typically cost hundreds of dollars; for what you actually get from Jürgen these are a complete steal. Not only are they made exactly according to the customer's specification with a variety of options not offered by other makers, but they offer an aspect which is to my knowledge wholly and completely unique in the field: they are be made from actual vintage leather!

The best parts of the vintage leather skin are carefully scraped and conditioned and used for the outer layer. An anti-stretch inner liner sheet and new leather or rubber for the inside complete the construction according to EU and German specifications for watch straps. For instance, the strap shown above on one of my Omega "US Army" watches from the WWII-era used to be part of one of these in its previous life, a 1940s vintage US pilot's jacket:

The appearance of the leather is striking - well-weathered and worn-in, soft and supple. A benefit of the vintage leather is that it's already broken in, as it's one of very few straps I've owned that is very comfortable right off the line.

Jürgen offers an almost dizzying variety of custom options to the customer including the material, lug and taper dimensions, length, padding, stitching color, buckle material and style, liner material and even underside material.

Another Jürgen-unique option is the now-iconic "tropic" design, in which the underside is lined with rubber and a Gore-Tex-like inner liner material is used to guard the upper from moisture. This configuration addresses the primary threats to the longevity of any strap: skin oil and perspiration. With this setup it is impossible to "sweat through" the strap and endanger the leather, leading to better appearance in daily wear and overall longevity.

Jürgen offers a variety of vintage leather material for conversion into straps, including leather jackets, flight suits, belts, and even holsters of countries like the US, UK, Sweden, the DDR (East Germany), Czechoslovakia, and even the USSR:

Of additional note is that Jürgen includes a signed, stamped and dated warranty card for the 1-year warranty for the strap. I was just floored. So far as I'm aware this is the only strap I've ever bought that includes any warranty at all. Most watch manufacturers regard leather straps as "wear parts" designed, well, to wear out eventualy not unlike tires or wiper blades on cars. As such strict interpretations of most current manufacturer warranties (including Omega's) don't even cover the straps or bracelets on even new watches!

On occasion Jürgen can even take on custom projects. One of the most despicably cool projects I've seen was a set of straps made from the leather of an old vintage baseball mitt sent to Jürgen for dissection. Another well-known project made straps from a vintage US Navy goatskin aviator jacket.

For ordering information, contact info@s-parts.de.

Gen 1 X-33 too "Blingy?" PVD It!

In addition to some of the initial "teething pain" technical problems that sadly continue to dog the first edition Gen 1 X-33, a common refrain among detractors of the X-33 is that the polished bezel and pushers on the Gen 1 give it an aesthete that is far too "blingy." In addition to aesthetic problems, the glare caused by the shiny polished surfaces can become a distraction on what was ostensibly supposed to be a focused and purpose-driven "instrument watch."

An easy solution? Well, PVD it:


PVD refers to Physical Vapor Deposition, a process that applies a finish in such a way that it bonds with the surface at the molecular level, yielding a finish that is very hard and durable. The resulting finish is non-reflective and increases not only the tactical fitness of the watch but functionality as well as glare and reflections are minimized.

The PVD finish on this Gen 1 X-33 was performed under the oversight of Jack Alexyon of International Watch Works, who is of course well known in the military, dive, and sport watch communities for his exotic custom modifications and vintage-friendly "sympathetic" restorations of rare military watches.

Ordinarily I'm not a fan of "modding" of watches like this, but I have to admit that in this case the aesthete, functionality, and even durability of this X-33 have doubtlessly been increased. A lingering complaint is that the bezel markers are now more difficult to read especially in low-light situations, but at the same time the Gen 1's lack of a luminous pearl on the bezel gave it minimal low-light functionality anyway.