Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean215.92.46.22.03.001

Product Description

The chasm between the original Omega Seamaster ref. CK 2518 and this most current, avant-garde Planet Ocean 600M Master Chronometer GMT Big Blue ref. 215.92.46.22.03.001, is about as far design-wise as you can get. The 2518 was released in 1948 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Omega, and while it was touted for individuals who required "a watch for “town, sea and country,”" it didn't quite telegraph the dominion over the sea and the creatures in it like the name implies. It was in fact a smallish Chronometer certified dress watch with 3, 9 12 Arabic numerals and a sub seconds dial at 6. A beautiful little watch to be sure but not Seamaster-esque by today's standards. This 45.5 mm PO 600M, however, gives you the sense that this is what Omega had in mind all along. It debuted at the 2017 Baselworld Fair but was overshadowed by Omega's release of the limited edition Speedmaster, Railmaster and Seamaster 300 pieces in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Professional line - all three are exact copies of the originals from 1957 (each is an edition of 3,557 pieces with an additional 557 trilogy sets). Just the same, in a blue ceramic case with a blue ceramic dial and a bezel in "blue ceramic...with orange rubber and Liquidmetal," the technology behind this watch is far and away some of the best value for the money currently available. Add to that the dynamite in-house Omega automatic caliber 8906 with the GMT complication and ounce for ounce this watch is an absolute killer. As a comparison, Richard Mille timepieces are without question loaded with technological sensibilities and whether you like the designs or hate them there's no denying Mille's forward thinking in the use of aerospace materials for his cases and the sophistication and out-of-bounds conception of his movements, they're superb - technology employed unabashedly at the highest level. That said, only a small handful of enthusiasts will ever add a six or seven figure Mille to their collection, which is why this PO 600M in blue ceramic is so brilliant as a counterpoint - it gives the functionality, colorful aesthetic and forward thinking of the Mille at a price that welcomes people to use it and enjoy it. The case is lightweight, almost completely scratch proof and resistant to corrosion, beautifully shaped and eye-catchingly blue. The only weakness is that while ceramic is three or four times harder than steel it's not as tough (if that makes sense) so it can break if hit hard enough or dropped from a high position, but then again you wouldn't do that. The movement employs an Omega proprietary co-Axial escapement, a free-sprung balance wheel, a silicon balance spring and twin barrels to deliver better rate stability over time and on the whole it delivers magnetic resistant to 15,000 gauss. The Omega Globemaster was the world's first Master Chronometer as certified by METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology, and that movement technology and certification has now been employed in this PO 600M. These watches undergoes eight tests over ten days including rate stability under magnetic fields, high temperature, wearing position, varying power reserve, waterproofness and more. All of which is to simply say that this is all the watch you'll ever need, which is a shame and perhaps a bad bit of business on Omega's part. The Seamaster is the oldest line in the current collection but its never had a single defining watch. Mention Speedmaster Professional and most folks imagine the Moonwatch ref ST105.012 from 1969 that accompanied Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the lunar landing. Mention a Seamaster and thoughts run the gamut. Over the last sixty-nine years the Seamaster has been presented in an almost endless array of dress and dive watches with all manner of complications, case shapes, metals, dial configurations, colors, straps, depth ratings, etc. A person could make a career out of trying to collect every variant and they'd never succeed. The Seamaster is just one of those rare watch collections that continues to surprise from the vintage market to the current offerings, and this PO 600M shows without a doubt Omega's commitment to it. This is the watch you buy because you're sartorially daring and technically captivated - James Bond wears a Seamaster for God's sake.