Watch Review Episode 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to Kairos Curated's new website watch review series!

General:

In this episode, we will be talking about the 2296.80.00 Omega Seamaster Diver 300m Chronograph from 1996. This beautiful piece has been mine since late 2023. It is primarily made out of grade 1 titanium, with centre links and bezel made out of tantalum. The Bezel inlay, crown, helium release valve, chronograph pushers, and outer centre links are crafted out of 18k rose gold. The watch features a helium valve (mentioned earlier) and a screw down crown. The movement inside the watch is Valjoux 7750-based. This is the Omega calibre 1164, which was also used in other Omega Seamaster models, such as the 2297.80.00 and 2298.80.00, which are part of the Holy Trinity of Seamasters. This watch measures 42.5mm in case size and 16.5mm in thickness.

My Personal Experience with the Watch:

As a very big Seamaster fan myself, the purchase of this watch was like a dream. To have the best watch out of the Holy Trinity, in my opinion, was a dream come true. The watch was first quite large for my liking, to be honest, as before I always wore vintage watches that had a case size of 39mm at the maximum, the case size of 42.5mm was quite overwhelming, but as I wore the watch day to day, I just fell in love with the way it encased most of my wrist. Keep in mind my wrist is quite large at around 7 inches. To put it simply, the watch turns a lot of heads because of its looks and size, so keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing one. I also adore the combination of the three metals and how the wave dial glistens under the sun.

Overall:

Overall, I love this piece, as it can be worn to the beach, it can be dressed up, or even worn every day, as I did. This timepiece is truly an amazing part of history, as it was one of the first timepieces utilizing tantalum, and it was also worn by Sir Peter Blake, a legendary sailor, on some occasions. This watch is also a great investment, as it has gone up by almost 30 percent in value over the 2 years I have had it! (not financial advice)