Beneath the Surface

Twenty years ago, Omega debuted a diver’s watch that cemented its reputation as a maker of tech-heavy, function-forward watches for professionals. The Seamaster Planet Ocean, introduced in both 42mm and 44.5mm sizes, had an increased water resistance rating of 600m and used the caliber 2500, an ETA 2892-A2 upgraded with Omega’s Co-Axial escapement, designed by George Daniels. With a helium escape valve and a steel multi-link bracelet or a rubber or leather strap, this chunky diver would evolve over the years to take advantage of cutting-edge technologies.  

The lineage of the Planet Ocean is found within the parent Seamaster collection – having debuted in 1948 as a slim everyday watch, the Seamaster changed form completely in 1957 when the brand introduced its famous trifecta of Speedmaster, Railmaster, and Seamaster 300. This latter watch, reference CK2913, featured the now-familiar features of a typical midcentury SCUBA diver’s companion: round steel case, rotating bezel with timing insert, luminous dial and hands, automatic movement, and screw-down crown. This watch — as well as late-sixties updates in the form of the references 165.024 and 166.024 — are the aesthetic blueprint for the original Planet Ocean, which can be seen in the first-generation reference’s arrow-tipped handset and unique bi-metal bezel design.  

The Planet Ocean’s evolution would continue throughout the late 2000s and 2010s: In 2009, Omega added a Liquidmetal bezel with flush markings obtained via the pressing of a unique titanium alloy into cavities within the ceramic insert. This bezel was matched by an equally impressive fully ceramic dial whose deep black coloration and combination of applied and painted elements offered significant visual depth. In 2011, Omega replaced its ETA base movement with the caliber 8500, an in-house automatic with Co-Axial escapement, dual barrels, silicon balance spring, and excellent finishing. This generation would also see the introduction of a smaller 37.5mm size, opening up the collection to a wider range of potential buyers. In 2016, the size options were once again rejiggered, with 39.5mm and 43.5mm executions now forming the collection’s basis and a new micro-adjustment feature added to the bracelet clasp. Omega also introduced the Calibre 8800 and 8900 movements, both of which featured METAS certification for increased accuracy, magnetic resistance, and performance. 

The use of high-tech metals also began to figure more heavily in the collection, with an all-titanium version released in 2016 and an all-ceramic Si3N4 version with a titanium dial introduced in 2023. But perhaps the biggest technical coup came in the form of the 2019 Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, a watch that survived a descent to the Challenger Deep, located at 10,935m below sea level. This special prototype model was turned into a series of regular-production watches in 2022 with the release of the Omega Planet Ocean Ultra Deep 6000M. Produced from Grade 5 titanium and Omega’s proprietary O-MEGASTEEL, this impressive diver is rated to a stunning 6,000m.  

Today, 20 years after its debut, Planet Ocean is filled with compelling, deep-diving references in a wide variety of complications, materials, strap and bracelet choices, and more. The Planet Ocean Worldtimer, introduced in March of this year in black ceramic, represents the first appearance of this utilitarian traveler’s complication within the collection. Tough, technical, time tested: it’s why everyone from fictional spy James Bond to real-life explorer Victor Vescovo trusts the Planet Ocean to deliver in harshest environments on Earth.