As previously blogged, earlier this year I had the opportunity to view the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Orange Ceramic. At the same time I also got to see its sibling, the Seamaster Planet Ocean Platinum with diamond-set ceramic and sapphire.
Made in a limited edition of eight pieces, the achievement highlighted by Omega with this replica watch is that of the development of technology that allows for the setting of diamonds into hard bodies such as ceramic and sapphire.
The patent is for the method of setting of the stones into the ceramic thanks to the use of Liquidmetal®. The process begins with the engraving, using a 5-axis laser. A 850-platinum Liquidmetal® alloy is then injected into the bezel/ caseback and the excess is removed, after which the case is polished. Diamonds are then set into the Platinum Liquidmetal® alloy using traditional diamond-setting technique. The result is an unlikely pairing of a hard body and diamonds.
This Seamaster Planet Ocean has a polished and brushed 43.50 mm case. Its brushed and polished rotating black ceramic bezel is bi-directional, and with twelve baguette diamonds to mark the 24-hour GMT. The case edges of the case are set with 69 trapezoidal baguette-cut diamonds.
If that’s not enough diamonds for you, there are a further 31 full-cut-diamonds set in the Omega logo on the sapphire caseback, for a total of 2.69 carats. Through this open caseback can be seen the Omega Co-Axial Calibre 8615 with an Si14 silicon balance spring and wit a power reserve of sixty hours.
The dial is polished black ceramic dial with 18K white gold indices, numerals and hands. There is a date window, and the GMT/ second time zone indicator is via a centre hand.
The Seamaster Planet Ocean Platinum is water resistant to 60 bar (600m) and comes on a black leather strap with platinum stitching and a 950-grade platinum clasp. It’s not as though any of the eight owners are likely to go diving with it, but there is also a that comes with a replica watch, as well as a strap changing tool.
As a ‘partner’ to the orange ceramic replica watch it more than pulls its weight, physically and otherwise. This is a beast of a replica watch to hold/ wear, but the diamonds and platinum pretty much reiterate that it is a replica watch created to show off innovation, not to wear as per any other Planet Ocean. Whether you like it or not is a matter of personal taste, but what they have done is fascinating.
My thanks to Mr. Gregory Kissling, Omega’s Head of Product Management, for showing me this replica watch and being a wrist model.