The New Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Watch Gets a Silicon Nitride Ceramic Case

The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean is indeed a remarkable collection that showcases the brand’s commitment to innovation and precision. One of the key features of the Planet Ocean series is its impressive water resistance, which makes it suitable for professional divers. The watches are equipped with helium escape valves, a feature essential for saturation diving, whereby helium particles can penetrate the timepieces during deep-sea dives. The Planet Ocean collection now moves ahead with a silicon nitride ceramic (Si3N4) case for its latest variant, OMEGA CoAxial Master Chronometer GMT (Ref. 215.92.46.22.99.002). The watch with a gorgeous monochromatic look weighs only 107 gms.

The Planet Ocean watches often incorporate Omega's co-axial escapement technology. This innovative escapement system, invented by master watchmaker George Daniels in the 1970s and industrialised by Omega in the 1990s, reduces friction in the movement, enhancing a watch's accuracy and longevity between services. In other words, the co-axial escapement is known for its efficiency in conserving energy, resulting in a more stable and reliable timekeeping performance. The Planet Ocean watches also feature durable and high-quality materials, such as stainless steel, ceramic, and sapphire crystal, ensuring longevity and resistance to wear and tear.

While looking at the new Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean watch, wearers may be reminded of the Planet Ocean Deep Black version that came in a black ceramic case. The new model’s silicon nitride ceramic or Si3N4 case has definitely become the talking point. This is the first time Omega has used this specific kind of ceramic on such a large scale; it’s seen on the 45.5 mm case, the NAIAD LOCK caseback and the 60-minute bezel insert of the new watch. The bezel body, the crown, and the helium valve at 10 o'clock are crafted from grey ceramic mixed with grade 5 titanium.

The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean timepiece gets a grey sandblasted dial. It has anthracite-coated, trapezoidal hour markers, hour, minute, and central second hands with orange accents and white SLN coating for better reading of time even in low-light conditions. Orange accents can also be found on the Seamaster, GMT, and 600m/2000ft embossing, describing the variant’s water resistance. The GMT watch also features a 24-hour inner bezel on a grey chapter ring to keep track of an additional time zone. GMT time can be tracked via an arrow-shaped, orange-tipped hand that seems to touch the minute track on the outer periphery of the dial.

The dial also includes Arabic numerals for 12 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock in dark grey colour against a white background; there’s a black numeral date window at 3 o’clock. Powering the watch is the in-house Calibre OMEGA 8906 Ti, based on calibre 8900, which was the first of Omega's movements to receive the new METAS certification. This self-winding movement offers 60 hours of power reserve and comes with bridges and plates made from black ceramic  grade 5 titanium.

Apart from this dark aesthetic, the movement may seem identical to its previous editions, with its Master Chronometer certification, antimagnetic properties, co-axial escapement, and dual-barrel architecture. Turning the watch over showcases the sapphire caseback with the “Dark Grey, Planet Ocean” engraving and a matte black oscillating weight. There are also special decorations created by laser ablation. The watch is finished on a grey rubber strap with a titanium foldover clasp.