Swiss luxury watch brand Omega unveils for the first time in Asia the brand's special collection, Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean "Deep Black", the first diving watch made entirely from ceramic, a harder, lighter and much more scratch resistant material. The launch marks a truly special occasion for Asia as the timepiece wasn't revealed at Baselworld 2016, the world's biggest watch fair held earlier this year in Switzerland.
Led by Tipanat Lenbury, country manager of the Swatch Group Trading (Thailand), and Omega brand manager, together with Gregory Kissling, head of Product Management from Omega Switzerland, the launch party was held in Bangkok at the stylish Yenakart Villa, off Sathon Road. The exciting event saw the whole art gallery villa creatively wrapped with beautiful waves of sparkling rays of light -- making it look like a floating ocean, ready to take watch aficionados, distinguished guests and the media diving down the deep ocean.
The dancing light waves continued inside where guests had a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the diving test and magnetic demonstration to show the effect of magnetism on timepiece precision, from the Watch Test Bars specially imported from Switzerland to display at this event.
Tipanat Lenbury, left, country manager of the Swatch Group Trading (Thailand) and brand manager of Omega, and Gregory Kissling, head of Product Management, Omega Switzerland.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black is inspired by the natural link of the Earth's oceans to the Moon which has created magnificent natural phenomena. This inspirational connection was also found in the previous ceramic collection including the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon that was first released in 2013. For Deep Black, Omega has taken its ceramic expertise, bold style, forward-thinking innovation and adventurous spirit to another level by producing the first ceramic diving timepiece that could withstand the pressures of the ocean up to a depth of 600m.
The Deep Black is the combination of a GMT model and a diving watch. The case is 45.5mm x 17.8mm and crafted from a single block of ceramic. The new GMT ring is fixed on the dial which also features the new Arabic numerals, while the diving scale sits on the unidirectional ceramic bezel. Inside, it houses the Omega's Master Chronometer Calibre 8906, with a 60-hour power reserve, two barrels, and a silicon balance spring.
The Deep Black series is comprised of a black, blue, red and 18k Sedna gold-accented versions. The red and blue models come with ceramic cases and dials that are brushed for a matte effect, while the all-black model is polished for a glossy effect. Included on the case are a helium release valve and a sapphire exhibition case back with a patented "Naiad Lock" system designed to keep the text on the case back perfectly lined up with the rest of the watch -- with "Deep Black" at the top of the case back and "Planet Ocean" below. These three models come on a black rubber strap that looks like fabric and is treated with an antibacterial coating. The price is 391,000 baht.
The handsome 18k Sedna gold model features bezel, helium valve and crown made from long-lasting Ceragold, while the case is polished for a glossy effect. The strap is water-resistant leather with the same antibacterial rubber underside. The fold-over clasp is made from ceramised titanium, while the clasp cover is made in ceramic with two types of finishing. The price is 522,000 baht.
As the watch is a Master Chronometer, the Deep Black series carries a METAS (a new standard and certification established by Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology) certification of magnetic resistance to 15,000 gauss, and also an Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) certification for accuracy.
These four remarkable timepieces represent the next step in the evolution of ceramic watchmaking which began with the Dark Side of the Moon. By combining a GMT model with a diving watch, Omega has created a stand-alone collection of Deep Black watches that are truly state-of-the-art.
Omega boutiques are at Central Embassy (tel 02-160-5959), Siam Paragon (tel 02-129-4878) and The Emporium (tel 02-664-9550).
The special Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black collection.
