By Peter Vossner

OMEGA celebrates its 168th anniversary this year, and the watch manufacture has unveiled one of its strongest and most compelling line-ups of timepieces.

What we loved most - and believe will be a hit amongst both OMEGA fans and new converts - is the new Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection with four new models at 45.5mm.

Each combines a GMT model with a diving watch.

Why the four colours of red, blue, deep black and 18K Sedna^TM Gold? Imagine you are descending below the waves of the ocean. At 5 m, the first colour that is no longer visible is red. That means that this "military" divers' watch will gain a camouflage advantage by gradually matching your wetsuit.

Go deeper to 275 m and the last colour you'll see, based on light penetration, is the exact shade of blue found on the blue Deep Black model. Finally, at a depth of 300 m, the ocean will turn black. Deep black.

Lastly, the 18K Sedna^TM Gold model is a clearly non-tactical, and is suited for those who prefer a luxurious time on the deck!

Ceramic Case Body & Bezel

From the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon that was first released in 2013, OMEGA has evolved its ceramic expertise to craft the case body for each "Deep Black" model from a single block of ceramic.

The same material is also used for the unidirectional bezels as well as the dials that feature new Arabic numerals. A new GMT ring has been fixed on the dial while the diving scale sits on the ceramic bezel using Liquidmetal® or OMEGA Ceragold^TM.

For the first time, rubber has been blended with ceramic to create a unique bezel, seen on the blue on the red models, where the first fifteen minute zone is coloured with this innovation.

And thus the true technical challenge was to then produce a diving watch made entirely from ceramic while ensuring that it could withstand the pressures of the ocean at a depth of 600 meters.

OMEGA has achieved that, and more.

Master Chronometer Certification

Deep Black is driven by the OMEGA Master Chronometer calibre 8906.

To earn the name Master Chronometer, the finished watch, whose movement is a COSC chronometer, has to pass 8 tests approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) that replicate real-life wearing conditions and demonstrate resistance to water and magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss.;

This higher standard of precision and performance from OMEGA also comes with a four year warranty.

The Finer Aesthetic Details

On the Black and 18K Sedna^TM gold models, the ceramic cases and dials have been polished for a glossy effect. The blue and red versions are brushed for a matt effect that offers better visibility underwater.

For the Black model, Liquidmetal® is also used to create the He symbol on the Helium valve and OMEGA symbol on the crown. On the blue and red models, these two features are coloured using a rubber injection.

The hands and indexes of the watches are created from 18K Sedna^TM gold or 18K white gold. They are coated in white Super-LumiNova that emits green and blue colours.

The Finishing Touch — the Strap & Foldover Clasp

The black rubber straps have been designed to give the appearance of being fabric. They feature contrasting stitching and have also been treated with an antibacterial coating. A wave pattern can be found on the underside. On the SednaTM gold model, the strap is water resistant leather, with the same anti-bacterial rubber underside.

The foldover clasp is made from ceramised titanium, while the clasp cover has been produced in ceramic with two types of finishing.

OMEGA at the Forefront of Technology and Craftsmanship

With the new Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection, OMEGA has proven that it isn't resting on its laurels, and continues with its 168 year history of pushing the boundaries of technical innovation and robustness in its products, as well as making aesthetic refinements that make its timepieces stand out from its competitors.

And oh, we'll take one of those Sedna Gold Seamasters, please.