There are diver’s watches, and there serious diver’s watches. Especially in the case of a manufacture as accomplished as Omega, both will be more than good enough for recreational diving. The Seamaster Diver 300M is the lighter-duty one, but, as implied by its name, is already rated to a depth of 300m. The Seamaster Planet Ocean is the more serious one, which is rated to 600m—and the exceptional Ultra Deep models will even go to 10 times that.
Although performance is crucial, it is less about the actual usage at those depths than the flex it provides—it is a statement of technical capability and accomplishment, and the resulting aura that it brings to the wrist. But performance tends to bring an inevitable compromise in terms of size and thickness—the Planet Ocean certainly has more issues sliding beneath a shirt cuff than the Diver 300M, for instance. This is one of the factors that has changed with the all-new Planet Ocean collection, which Omega has unveiled just in time for year-end festivities. This marks the fourth generation of the Planet Ocean, which was introduced in 2005.
Core visual identities, such as the arrowhead hands, have been carried over; the most distinctive aesthetic change is that the lugs and case ends are more sharply truncated in an angular fashion, giving it a touch of 1970s vintage. The diameter has gone back to 42mm, as it originally appeared in 2005; the last generation’s standard offering was 43.5mm. Thickness has been reduced to about 13.8mm from 16.1mm. A few fundamental changes contribute to this reduction: the date window has been dropped, giving the watch a cleaner look that will delight purists; the helium escape valve is also gone, a testament to Omega’s confidence in its manufacturing tolerances that are precise enough to ensure helium will not be able to seep into the case in the first place; and the caseback has gone from transparent sapphire to solid titanium, which also lends a bit of weight reduction.
The Planet Ocean has thus lost a couple of features that many would deem unnecessary, as well as some excess flab—now, it is something a little cleaner, a little more vintage, and a whole lot more wearable. In other words, it’s much more suited to the modern watch collector. And, no, the performance has not been compromised one bit—the 600m rating is fully intact, and it is powered by Omega’s tried-and-tested Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8912, which carries the brand’s typical high precision and magnetic resistance.
The launch offerings are very pared down—only one dial colour (black) and three options of bezel colour (the collection’s signature orange, as well as blue and black). With strap options including rubber and a new flat-link bracelet, the total number of references is just seven—but then again, this is only the beginning for the newest diver’s watch on the block.
