Omega are embarking on their next iteration of ceramic watchmaking with the attractive new Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection.
The sleek diving watches continue the Swiss brand’s ceramic endeavours which debuted with the Dark Side of the Moon timepiece of 2013.
Employing the same manufacturing methods, Omega takes a single block of black ceramic for each watch before machining them to form the case.
Watch fans will have the option of a glossy finish on both the Black and 18K Sedna gold models where the ceramic case and dials have been polished. The blue and red versions retain a matte brushed finish for optimal visibility under water. All four models will receive a unidirectional bezel crafted from black ceramic.
Darkness aside, Omega have intuitively designed these new watches so that visibility is maintained throughout a diving session. The red and blue watches feature a ceramic bezel with a rubber coating which marks out the first 15 minutes in the corresponding red or blue. At 5 metres of water, red begins to fade away whilst blue remains visible to the human eye at 275 metres. At 300 metres all colours fade to black and the watch relies on the Planet Ocean’s Super-Luminova. to indicate the time on the black ceramic dial.
Looking inside will reveal Omega’s Master Chronometer calibre 8906 which has been designed to resist magnetic fields of up 15,000 gauss. The movement has also been given the tick of approval by the watch industry’s highest governing body, passing all eight tests set by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). Power reserve for the watch clocks in at 60-hours whilst the movement affords extra functions such as a date window at 3 o’clock and a 24-hour GMT counter for those wishing to track timezones.
Housing this movement is a hefty 45.5mm ceramic case with all models including references 215.92.46.22.01.001 (black monochrome), 215.92.46.22.01.002 (blue), 215.92.46.22.01.003 (red), and the 215.63.46.22.01.001 (gold and ceramic) boasting a water resistance rating of 600 metres. When the textured rubber straps (gold and ceramic receives the alligator leather strap) are unfastened, a sapphire caseback shows off this fine movement in all of its glory.
To align the watches with a true diving pedigree, Omega have added a helium escape valve which allows helium to exit the body when exposed to pressure chambers often found on crude oil sites or underwater work areas.
The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean ‘Deep Black’ Collection will be available from October 2016.
1/4
2/4
3/4
4/4