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Seamaster Planet
Ocean Ultra Deep
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep
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OMEGA conquers incredible depths to deliver the new Seamaster Ultra Deep 2019
In an ironic though humourous turn of events, one of OMEGA’s most laudable achievements has taken the prestigious watch brand to one of the lowest depths
on earth. The OMEGA Seamaster has officially made it to one of the deepest trenches in our oceans—the Challenger Deep. Imagine 36 Eiffel Towers or 29 Empire State Buildings stacked upon one another, and you can very well imagine the troubling abyss that it has conquered. With a pressure of 16,000 pounds per square inch, survival seems almost unimaginable. But for the Seamaster, which carries a DNA born from adversity, it was merely another challenge to overcome.
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“How does OMEGA think? Well, we want the best for our customers,” says Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO of OMEGA. “We want a breakthrough, a milestone. We want it to reach 5,000, 6,000 metres. That’s the beauty of this brand. Since 1948, we have a Seamaster that means something to us. But we have also the ability within the group to create what is right for each and every model.”
With a legacy that spans close to a hundred years, the OMEGA Seamaster can boast numerous accomplishments. A few years ago, a cousin from the same family, the Seamaster “Ultra Deep” 2019, accompanied explorer Victor Vescovo to the deepest point on earth. Though it was developed within only six months, the timepiece remains as one of the few that can lay a claim unto the storied events from our past. “You have on your wrist a movement that made history,” stresses Aeschlimann.
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CEO Raynald
Aeschlimann
Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann
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Today, it carries breakthrough models such as the Seamaster PloProf, known for its monocoque case that prevents the entry of helium atoms. There is also Seamaster Professional Diver 300M; introduced in 1993, it was worn by Agent 007 himself and features a waved dial. Lastly, is the Seamaster Planet Ocean, which took inspiration from the 1957 model but modernised with a bold orange colour and a co-axial calibre 2500.
The Seamaster was first introduced after the onslaught of World War II, after the Marine timepiece, which came out in the early 1930s. At the time, the Marine was the first diving watch that was made commercially available to civilians. It offered an impressive water resistance depth of up to 135 metres—a blueprint for the future design of the Seamaster. The Marine was also among the first few watches to utilise artificial sapphire crystal, which is much more durable than ordinary glass.
Then came the first official Seamaster in 1948. A few years before, during the height of the war, OMEGA was tasked to support the Allies in timekeeping. As such,
the watchmaker supplied over 110,000 timepieces to the British Ministry of Defence. The watches they provided were both anti-magnetic and water-resistant to aid divers, pilots and navigators. Taking this innovation from their wartime experience, OMEGA released the Seamaster. Characterised by its thick lugs and leaf-shaped hands, the first Seamaster was known for durability and reliability.
The decades that followed marked a time of adventure and optimism—not just for OMEGA but for the world as well. Wanting to make up for lost time, watch collectors and hedonists alike yearned for adventure, and they needed a reliable companion. Pivoting to answer their call, OMEGA transformed the Seamaster into something more casual, perfect for every day. Although it refused to compromise on the elegance and strong spirit of its original namesake, the Seamaster took on a much more inviting persona, making it a perfect option for “town, sea and country”.
Continuing this evolution, OMEGA tirelessly works with designers and engineers to create timepieces for athletes and explorers. They were among the first to use submarine technology on watches, using rubber gaskets for sealing that aided in enhancing water resistance. In 1957, the Seamaster 300 was introduced, paralleling the world’s growing interest in scuba diving.
As the demand for dependable diving watches increased, OMEGA took it upon themselves to safeguard their legacy and the lives of underwater explorers with an ever-impressive progression towards creating timepieces as versatile and reliable as it ever was.
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