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Omega Ultra Deep, a record-breaking expedition to the seafloor

The Omega Seamaster Ultra Deep Professional’s dive to 10,928 metres has made 2019  a historic year for the Bienne maison. The deep point was reached by American retired naval officer Victor Vescovo, in his submarine.

To achieve this results, Omega realized an extraordinary bespoke watch capable of withstanding the crushing pressure of up to 15,000 metres beneath the sea. That timepiece is the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional.

Omega Seamaster Ultra Deep Professional
The Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional. Made in just three examples for non-commercial purposes. it has Master Chronometer certification and was tested to prove it could withstand 1,500 atmospheres of pressure.

The three examples made were tested at a depth of 10,928 metres in the Challenger Deep last May and passed with flying colours. Omega attached two to the robotic arms of Vescovo’s Limiting Factor while the third was located on one of three Landers designed to collect samples for analysis and on which it remained 48 hours, before returning safely to the surface in perfect working order. The Ultra Deep won’t be a once-off phenomenon. The technology used in it will be adapted for other professional watches”.

Omega Ultra Deep
The lugs of the Ultra Deep are manta ray-inspired with a central gap to give them flex in the incredible pressure at great depths. The maison manage to keep the watch’s thickness under 28 mm. Omega used Liquidmetal® to ensure a firm yet flexible sapphire-to-casebody assembly. The bezel is rotating.

The case, bezel, caseback and crown are all made from the same Grade 5 titanium sourced from the same alloy as the hull of the Limiting Factor. No welds at all were used so that the thickness could be kept under 28 mm. That might seem a lot but, at 11,000 metres, the glass would be enduring 16 tonnes of pressure.  For the gasket, molten LiquidMetal was poured into a machined channel and then the sapphire crystal compressed into it until the LiquidMetal cooled to form a very powerful yet flexible seal. The crown and caseback are both screwed down and the caseback has a laser-etch expedition logo at its centre. The manta ray-inspired continuous lugs are integrated into the case but have a gap in the middle for flex.

Omega used the same in-house automatic Co-Axial 8912 calibre as in the Ploprof 1,200M which has a 60-hour power reserve and is Master Chronometer-certified to stringent METAS standards.

Seamaster Diver 300M: a sea of novelties

Omega Seamaster Diver

From the left:

– Master Chronometer 8806, Case 43.5 mm, Titanium and black ceramic, Dial black, Water Resistant 300 metres, Price 7,800 euro*

– Master Chronometer 8800, Case 42 mm, Steel, Dial white, Water Resistant 300 metres, Price 5,000 euro*

– Master Chronometer 8801, Case 42 mm, 18K Sedna™ gold, Dial blue, Water Resistant 300 metres, Price 20,200 euro*

– Master Chronometer 9900, Case 44 mm, 18K Sedna™ gold and steel, Dial black, Water Resistant 300 metres, Price 8.900 euro*.

*Official price 09/2109

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