Omega ‘Pre Bond’ Seamaster 200m - 396.1042 - Rare Mercedes Hand

The Omega Seamaster Professional 200m 396.1042 is a "Pre-Bond" quartz diver from the late 1980s to mid-1990s, so nicknamed because it directly preceded the Seamaster line that became famous on James Bond's wrist in 1995. This "-1042" is the mid-size version, a 36.5mm steel case with a unidirectional dive bezel, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, integral steel bracelet, and the engraved Seahorse case back, water resistant to 200m. Depending on variant it came in steel, or steel with a gold bezel and black or champagne dial, running a quartz calibre (1438/1441, based on the ETA 255 series), the 1441 being a sought-after thermo-compensated movement made only briefly around 1987–88.

The "rare Mercedes hand" is the collector's detail: early Pre-Bonds were fitted with a Rolex-style Mercedes hour hand, which Omega later dropped for the more familiar straight/arrow set, so an original Mercedes-hand example is the scarcer first-generation configuration and the one enthusiasts hunt for.

Specifications

Year: 1988
Contents: Watch only 
Reference: 396.1042
Case size: 36mm
With crown: 39mm
Movement: 1441
Crystal: Sapphire
Wrist circumference: 17.5cm

Condition

Dial

 The dial is in a perfect condition

Bezel 

The bezel is in a very good condition

Case

The case is in  a very good condition 

Case back 

The case back is in a very good condition 

Movement

The movement keeps time perfectly

Crystal

The crystal is in a perfect condition

Bracelet 

The bracelet is in a very good condition