Bill Sohne provides an exclusive first look and detailed comparison of the new Omega Seamaster Ploprof 1200m against the classic Ploprof 600m. His comprehensive photo essay and initial observations highlight key design and functional advancements, offering invaluable insights for enthusiasts and divers. This post serves as a critical reference for understanding the evolution of Omega's iconic dive watch.
Hi all
Well I got a fedex box from Omega today , but I did not get home until very late and my late night photo outing ended on a sour note....But we will get to that later....
Drum roll....
First time on the net , at least to the best of my knowledge... A first look at the new 1200m Omega dive watch and a look back at the classic 600m from my collection....
I took some quick measurements of the case size...
One of the things I noticed is on the 600m the crystal is just under the level of the bezel. This was a way of shrouding ( protecting the crystal ) from objects. In comparison the crystal on the 1200 M is flush to the bezel.
The 1200 m is thicker and larger from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock in comparison to the 600M. It has slightly more heft then the 600 m.
I went ahead and tried taking multiple case angle shots of the new and old for your comparison...
Crown open....
The mesh band on the new 1200 m is quite nice....
As opposed to the traditional two piece spring loaded clasp of the 600m. The 1200M has a double push button locking clasp with folding blades . So you can actually close this bracelet with one hand and not balance the watch on the wrist as you would the 600m. This is a big improvement in and of itself. I have heard many a story of a diver dropping his watch on the deck of a boat, or worse, the watch falling over board not to be seen again..
The bracelet also sports an integrated diver extension and micro push adjustment.. The main extension simply unfolds from the clasp.
In conjunction to that there is a micro adjustment mechanism that ratchets like a hand cuff to tighten it up against a wetsuit, much like a policeman's hand cuff. You deploy it simply by pushing on the bar that is marked "PUSH".
For your info, I have just over an 8 inch wrist, and with the micro adjustment in its tightest setting the watch is still a little loose. If you have a 8.5 inch wrist the micro adjustment can be slightly extended. Ok so where does that leave people with a wrist size of less then 8 inches ? Once again unlike the 600 m mesh if you needed a shorter bracelet you would have to get a jeweler to CUT the bracelet ! This time around Omega has included removable links , 4 on either side of the clasp. Please keep in mind I don't have a retail package watch, so no manuals. The links look like the pins are friction fit and I do not know if a removal tool is part of the retail package.
The 1200M does not have spring bar holes ... but has a slight gap for access to remove the bracelet see yellow arrow...
A back shot of both watches and bracelets...
1200m with the wider ribbed bezel in comparison to the 600m
600m
1200m anodized orange button. On my night time photos it hard to see but the minute hand is also anodized orange.
600m "Old Red" ...
1200m sporting the he release valve
600m sporting the old school thru and thru spring bar holes.
1200m crown shot... notice that crown guard is not as sculpted as the 600 m below...
600m You'll also notice that the crystal on the 600m is slightly recessed below the level of the bezel.
and a last few more parting shots...
Now back to the bad news... When I took this shot I noticed that the seconds were slightly off.
So I wanted to hack the two watches.. When I went ahead and unscrewed my 600m the entire crown and stem popped out of my watch . I tried to put it back in, but unfortunately the "two part stem " is now in two parts and I can not get it back together. So from this point on I went solo with just the 1200m.
On a side note the screwdown crown on the 600m was counter intuitive you had to get used to its left hand thread. The 1200m lives up to to it heritage of a unique screwdown system that incorporates part of the crown guards. It is a two handed operation just like the bezel.
and a parting wrist shot...
Ok the time is now 4:13 am, the watch arrived at my door at 4 pm yesterday and I did not get home from the office till 9 pm last night...
Also don't forget it has cool blue luminous material and an 8500 coaxial movement under the hood !!
Good Hunting
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2009-06-02 09:29:08 This message has been edited by Dr No on 2009-06-09 10:55:29 
