Bill
32073
Was price really the issue???
"waterproofness" - The race was on to conquer the deep between Rolex, Omega and even Doxa in late 1968 - 1969 period. While it is true that the Omega Seamaster 600 "Ploprof" was the technology leader it was rumored that their price point was double that of Rolex at the time which proved to be an insurmountable marketing challenge.
I can't find evidence of that as we can see from the Rolex price list and the Omega price list. I would love to here what others think about why the Ploprof fell behind.
The price below from Rolex set at 80-100 pounds sterling in 1968 and the Omega brochure with a price of 104 Pounds sterling in 1972.
Omega price list 1972
Rolex price list 1968
Omega Ploprof Seamaster 600 - The Instrument Watch of Professional Divers - Press Release from February 1971 retail Launch.
Issued by Omega, Sales Promotion, Bienne. Omega Master Waterproofness with the SEAMASTER 600 The Instrument Watch of Professional Divers Watchmakers have always been occupied by the problem of water- proofness. Water, vapours, dust and volatile chemical a...
A piece of history ...
Thank you, Bill for sharing this detailed document about the Ploprof. For no personal reason (I don't dive) I admire all dive watches and the brands quest to conquer the deeps. Years back I took pics of this model and it wears very nice, despite the very ...
Was price really the issue???
"waterproofness" - The race was on to conquer the deep between Rolex, Omega and even Doxa in late 1968 - 1969 period. While it is true that the Omega Seamaster 600 "Ploprof" was the technology leader it was rumored that their price point was double that o...
So what do you think about the lack of early success
Was it price in the market. Or was the design too avant garde. Bill
I reproduced it faithfully
All the pictures and text are as they were in the original press release. Best Bill
Very informative!
Thanks, Bill, for posting this. I must admit not really being a Ploprof fan, mainly because of the size and thickness. Not to mention the fact that I am not a professional diver. However, when I read the article you post, it gives a new perspective. I rec...
That is the beauty of collecting
Our tastes change and evolve over time and we start to get different pleasure that we otherwise did not get in the past like fine wines. The Ploprof is a great example of technology that was mastered but due to reasons unknown (design / style) it was left...
Glad to see this thread resurrected! Two comments to add . . .
. . . to the discussion: first, your observation regarding the Ploprof's suitability for smaller wrists is on the money. It's a wide and thick design, which normally doesn't bode well for the wrist-challenged. The asymmetrical case and sloping bezel are t...
Interesting perspective on this subject Art ...
Especially the issue of left-handed versions.
King
An orange Ploprof. For me a king. Holy moly, it is a watch i wil catch if it cross my path. How it wil be fit on my wrist? It’s a gamble. 🎲
The quartz crisis/Omega Planet Ocean/Doxa etc.
You say it right. When Doxa put quartz calibers in it’s cases to fight against quartz opponents. It hurts Omega. The ploprof has become a cult classic, while the quartz equipped dive watches are not wanted. The space race and the depth race. I think the d...
Hi Bill ..
I think the answer is down to design. Back in the day the Ploprof 600 had the technical edge for professional divers. This was a a huge watch in the 70s and regarded as more of a technical instrument than purely a wrist watch. Thanks for posting this fasc...
" . . . more of a technical instrument . . .
. . . than purely a wrist watch" - truer words never said. Same goes for its contemporary, the Flightmaster . . .
I completely agree Art ...
The two manufacturers had different views of what constituted technical ability and the Flightmaster is part of this history.
Better times? . . .
. . . I'll say. Try doing this . . . . . . today. This clip is well worth watching . . . . . . if you can remember the old days, and essential if you can't. Art
Late to the party, but a big fan. Thanks so much for all this digging. So interesting to read this history. Brings back a sweet memory of my first visit to a major, big-city AD, in
San Francisco. Had a long list of pieces I was interested in seeing—Omegas notably absent from the list. But my flight was cancelled next morning, so back I went, for another afternoon of ogling. Of course there was a large Omega section—the largest in th...
Highly beloved Omega
Never to late at the party. Discovering Omega is like walking into space. I enjoy the F.P. Journe journey, and Omega is running up to become a next beloved subject for many here. What Omega makes so special, it put all boundaries to next levels.
For Seamaster fans
For sure, i become a Seamaster fan. The ploprof is an interesting Omega. The first 600. The picture in the advert have that Jaques Cousteau era style. I watched many documentaries about Jaques Cousteau ocean discoveries. I like scuba diving, and i must in...
