TO THE OCEAN DEPTHS

With the help of technology, the limits are constantly being pushed back. Thanks to this expertise, Omega has produced a watch that is capable of reaching a record-breaking depth of 10,928 m.

The oceans cover 70% of our planet. However, it is estimated that over 75% of the deep seabed still remains to be explored. Every voyage to the Mariana Trench is an event in itself. Until now, its explored depth was 10,908 meters. This year, with the help of his high-tech submarine, Limiting Factor, Victor Vescovo descended to a record-breaking depth of 10,928 meters. During this dizzy descent into the cold, dark realm, Omega provided three Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep watches. Two of them were fastened to the articulated arms, the third was attached to a probe sent to collect data. All of them were subject to a pressure of 1500 bar.

After this historic dive, the Seamasters and their 8912 automatic calibers underwent ten days of strict testing within the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) and all three passed the Master Chronometer tests.

All the technical innovations developed for the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep will be used in future developments of the brand.

Price: Not for sale omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

HARNESS THE MOON

While its profile draws inspiration from its predecessor which reached the moon 50 years ago, the dial now has the shimmering silver of the night sky. In such a special year for Omega and also for mankind, the Speedmaster Moonphase is made of platinum and precious stones.

Although the moon stopped being the target of space exploration on July 21, 1969 when the Apollo 11 mission module landed on the moon and Man took the first steps on its gray surface, its poetic symbolism and temporal reference still remain. In addition to the influence it has on our planet, its multitude of faces in particular make it possible to set our calendars. In such a special year for the collection which is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Omega is offering a precious version of its Speedmaster Moonphase.

The Speedmaster Moonphase is available in a red version (with ruby index markers and an aluminum bezel) or green (with emerald index markers and a ceramic bezel).

Price: 53,900 CHF (with diamonds or rubies) – 61,400 CHF (with emeralds) omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

THE OBJECT OF EVERYONE’S DESIRE

If you haven’t experienced raptures of the deep, opt for a less perilous intoxication with this limited edition which has a unique composition: three rare and sophisticated materials.

Unveiled in 1993, the Seamaster Diver 300M stands out through its ability to explore the underwater depths. Its helium valve, easy-to-read luminescent hands and index markers, 300-meter water-resistant case, unidirectional bezel and screw-in crown make this a true divers’ watch. During its launch, Omega used a material with a blue-gray tone rarer than gold: tantalum. Harder than steel and extremely resistant to corrosion, it is however difficult to work, and can be a true ordeal for some! Cast aside despite its attributes, this metal was reintroduced into production in this 2500-piece limited edition Seamaster Diver 300M Titanium Tantalum. The bezel is therefore in tantalum and tops a case back made this time of titanium. Sedna^TM gold, an alloy combining gold, copper, and palladium, has also been added to reinforce this pleasing aesthetic identity.

The Seamaster Diver 300M Titanium Tantalum comes with a strap combining the three materials.

Price: 12,200 EUR omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

A GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space mission, which saw man walk on the Moon for the first time, the Biel/Bienne watchmaker has taken inspiration from an older model to create a truly dazzling limited edition!

On 21 July 1969, the whole world was riveted to the television to witness a historic event: the American astronaut Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) became the first man to walk on the Moon’s surface. He was joined 19 minutes later by his fellow crew member Edwin “Buzz“ Aldrin (1930). NASA had given official approval to the Speedmaster by Omega four years earlier, and the watch was a part of the extraordinary adventure. A few months later, at a gala dinner, the astronauts in the NASA space programme were given a yellow-gold Speedmaster encircled by a burgundy bezel. This was the reference BA145.022, with 1,014 watches made between 1969 and 1973. Now, half a century after the first steps taken by Armstrong and Aldrin on the Moon, Omega has unveiled the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50^th Anniversary Limited Edition.

On the dial are black onyx facetted indices. The same colour is used on the lacquered watch hands. Powered by the hand-wound calibre Master Chronometer 3861, providing a power reserve of 50 hours, the hours and minutes are displayed in the centre, while the seconds can be seen in a sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The chronograph features are on display in two totalisers at 3 and 6 o’clock.

Price: 32,000 CHF omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

A CELEBRATION IN OMEGA COLOURS

For the 125^th anniversary of the famous Omega calibre, the Biel/Bienne-based brand has unveiled a new watch with a yellow-gold case enhanced by an Omega-red enamel dial!

125 years ago, in 1894, Louis-Paul and César, the two sons of the watchmaker Louis Brandt, launched a new calibre that was so revolutionary that they called it Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet and the symbol of accomplishment. For the occasion, they also renamed the watchmaking firm their father had founded in 1848. To celebrate this important step in its history, Omega has unveiled a new timepiece showing off the brand’s signature colour and capacity for innovation, both inside and out: the De Ville Trésor 125^th Anniversary Edition.

The time information is managed by the calibre Omega Master Chronometer 8929, the brand’s first hand-wound movement to be given the METAS certification. This highly accurate mechanism is resistant to magnetic fields and provides a power reserve of 72 hours. It is housed in an elegant, 40mm-wide yellow-gold case, with the right size and finesse to be worn by either men or women. On the back of this precious timepiece is a special medallion made of red enamel and surrounded by a form of engraving called damaskeeing, with curls and curves that were once all the rage in the US.

The De Ville Trésor 125^th Anniversary Edition is worn with an alligator-leather strap matching the dial and tone-on-tone stitching, along with a yellow-gold tang buckle.

Price: 17,800 CHF omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

TRAVELLING FIRST CLASS

For the 15th anniversary of the Aqua Terra collection, Omega has launched a luxury watch for demanding travellers, including a world-time complication.

The first watch by Omega with a world-time complication has taken shape in a limited edition of just 87 pieces. The Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Chronometer shows the time in major international cities in the 24 time zones using a specific colour code. London, in red, represents GMT. Cities that change to daylight saving time are in red and those using standard time all the year round are shown in blue. Around a hand-enamelled, coloured globe over a sapphire crystal, a two-colour revolving ring shows the time in the different cities. The time is set very easy using the crown.

The Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer Chronometer comes with a brown leather strap and a platinum folding clasp. Like all recent Omega watches, it has a 5-year guarantee.

Price: 48,800 CHF omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

A STAR IS BORN

The 50 or so watches in the new Constellation Manhattan collection by the Biel/Bienne brand are available in three different sizes, three types and colours of metal and six dial colours. You are sure to find something to suit you in this very wide range!

The Constellation collection is probably the most traditional range in the Omega watch catalogue Although it was launched back in 1952, it took 30 years before it became an easily identifiable icon on the wrist. It was only in 1982 that the Biel/Bienne brand added two pairs of “claws” at 3 and 6 o’clock to keep the crystal and the gasket nicely sealed to the case. They became the emblem of the Constellation family. The watch was modernised and modified to keep pace with the times. In 1995, the claws lost their technical purpose but were still present on the case. The stick-shaped hour markers on the bezel were replaced by Roman numerals and the hands adopted the dauphine design. Other versions, in 2003 and 2009, preceded the model that Omega recently introduced at an event in Shanghai: the Constellation Manhattan.

This new timepiece comes in three widths (25, 28 and 29mm), three types and colours of metal (steel, yellow gold, Sedna^TM gold), as well as two-colour versions, with six dial colours (dark grey, white, silvered opaline, blue, brown and champagne) and two hour-marker formats (facetted triangles or brilliant-cut diamonds). The smaller models house a quartz movement, while the 29mm-wide watch features the automatic Master Chronometer Omega 8700 calibre, providing a power reserve of 50 hours.

Prices range from 2,800 CHF (25mm, steel on steel, quartz movement) to 24,800 CHF (29mm, Sedna^TM gold with jewels, automatic movement) omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

WINNING SHOT

Omega has a watch for all fans of the high-precision sport with models featuring a calibre as strong as a golf club and as accurate as a champion’s swing.

Although Omega is at home in many different domains, its attraction for the world of golf is rightly a focus of special attention. The Ryder Cup took place in France in October and showed the growing interest in the little white ball. The brand is now committed to the development of a sport that is gaining in popularity. The Seamaster Aqua Terra 150 M Edition Golf watches worn by Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy, two well-known professional golfers, gives the brand’s interest a material form. Both timepieces, like all the 22 versions of the model available, play on the surfaces and colours. On the dial, the lume-coated hands move above a horizontal “teak” pattern, coloured black or white, depending on the version, with hour markers that can be seen as clearly as the flags in the holes on a golf course. The central second hand is either green or orange. The same colours can be found on the numerals and the minute track, on the Seamaster logo and on the two-colour striped NATO strap.

Inside the 41mm-wide steel case (watertight down to 150m), the Co-Axial Master Chronometer 8900 calibre provides precise display of the time data and the date, to be seen in a counter at 6 o’clock. This highly accurate hand-wound movement is very robust and supplies 60 hours of power reserve. It can also resist magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. The sapphire crystal on the caseback reveals the bidirectional rotor adorned with Geneva waves in arabesques.

With assets like these, the Seamaster Aqua Terra is now at home both in the sea and on the greens.

Price: 5,400 CHF omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

BLUE JEANS

Denim is our favourite fabric of them all! This Omega watch in casual chic style has all the aesthetic and technical assets you could wish for.

From David Bowie to Lana Del Rey, the famous blue material has inspired large numbers of artists. Once it was a robust fabric loved by workers and farmers, and now it is a vital element in male and female wardrobes, available in all shapes and sizes and to be combined with a range of styles for all occasions. From the casual garment to the chic accessory there was only a small step, and now that step has been taken with the new blue denim Railmaster. The dial recalls the colour and texture of the famous material, resulting from a vertically brushed effect. And to add to the model’s casual chic look, the 40mm-wide case is combined with a NATO strap made of real blue denim with brown leather loops matching the lining.

It’s worth noting that Omega has also made a version with a steel strap.

Price: 4,500 EUR omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

HEROES NEVER DIE

The new Speedmaster Ultraman, the second collaboration between the “#SpeedyTuesday” movement launched by the Fratello Watches blog founder and Omega, is a nod to the famous kaiju of the same name from the late 1960s.

If there’s one hashtag that stands out in the Instagram watch community (professionals and amateurs), particularly among Omega aficionados, it’s the famous #SpeedyTuesday. It started by chance on a Tuesday in 2012 when Robert-Jan Broer, the founder of the Fratello Watches blog, published a photo of a Speedmaster with the words “speedy” and “Tuesday”. It sparked an entire movement that, over the years, grew to such an extent that it grabbed the Bienne brand’s attention and turned into a real object in 2017: the limited edition Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday. This year saw the 2^nd limited edition (2012 available) piece launch in July called Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 Ultraman or ST2 Ultraman to its friends.

The famous mechanical self-winding 1861 calibre provides a 48-hour power reserve from inside the 42mm steel case. The watch wraps around the wrist on a black NATO strap with a single orange stripe in the middle or a black leather strap with bright stitching on the lugs.

Price: 6,350 CHF omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin