While Casio is most frequently associated with its highly durable G-Shock lineup and its various ultra-affordable offerings, the Japanese brand actually produces an incredibly wide assortment of different watches, with the Oceanus collection sitting at the very top of its catalog. Unlike Casio’s entry-level models, the Oceanus is a luxury-oriented lineup of watches that incorporate refined designs, premium materials, and advanced internal movements. Additionally, while the Oceanus series was previously largely confined to the Japanese domestic market, Casio reintroduced this premium collection to the United States in 2021, and as its latest new release for 2023, Casio has expanded its Oceanus lineup with four new watches that feature titanium cases and sapphire crystal bezels.
The first of the four new Casio Oceanus Manta watches is the OCWS6000SW2A, which is hand-made at Casio’s Yamagata factory in Japan and the most premium version from this latest quartet of new releases. Measuring 42.5mm in diameter by 9.2mm-thick, and crafted entirely from titanium with a matching solid-link titanium bracelet, the Casio Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A features a blue sapphire bezel with 48 spiral facets on it that are inspired by the waves of the ocean. The blue color is achieved by a gradation vapor deposition that changes from light to dark blue, while the metallic blue dial also receives a similar treatment in order to provide it with its vibrant and dynamic appearance. Additionally, the pink gold ion-plated crown and dial accents have been chosen to pair with the rich metallic blue colorway of the watch to evoke the image of a sandy beach in the warm sunlight.
Despite having a fully analog display, the Casio Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A comes equipped with an advanced internal movement (Module No. 5665), which is solar powered and offers Casio’s usual premium suite of functions, such as a stopwatch, world timer, automatically adjusting calendar, radio controlled timekeeping, and bluetooth connectivity via the Casio watches smartphone app. A sapphire crystal above the dial combined with a titanium carbide coating on the case and bracelet offers additional protection against scratches and daily wear, while water resistance for the new Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A comes in at 100 meters, meaning that this elevated model is more than capable of accompanying you for a swim.
The other three new Casio Oceanus Manta watches are essentially different variations of the same core model, which are fitted with different dials and have different finishing on their titanium case components. While the overall design and layout of these three watches is similar to the flagship Oceanus Manta OCWS6000SW2A, this trio of models lacks the faceted sapphire bezel of their more-premium sibling, and they instead opt for angular titanium bezels with smooth sapphire inserts that have tachymeter scales printed upon them. Additionally, these three models have cases that are slightly larger than the OCWS6000SW2A, and they measure 42.8mm in diameter by 9.5mm-thick, although they still offer the same 100 meters of water resistance as their more-premium sibling.
Among the trio of new Casio Oceanus Manta models that don’t have faceted sapphire bezels, the OCWS7000A-2A and OCWS7000B-2A are both fitted blue gradient dials, although the OCWS7000A-2A features a silver-colored titanium carbide finish on its case and bracelet components, while the OCWS7000B-2A has a dark gray DLC coating instead. Meanwhile, the OCWS7000-1A also receives a silver-colored titanium carbide coating, although rather than having a blue gradient dial, it receives a solid black dial that has white and blue accents. Aside from their different dials and case finishing, the trio of models with sapphire tachymeter bezels is otherwise identical, and all of them feature a solar-powered movement (Module No. 5701) that offers many the same advanced features as the movement inside the flagship OCWS6000SW2A.
Among the four new Casio Oceanus Manta watches, two will be produced as limited editions, while the other two are joining the collection as standard-production models. The top-of-the-line OCWS6000SW2A that has a faceted sapphire bezel will be produced as an exclusive limited edition of 350 examples, while the OCWS7000A-2A (which is the version that features a blue gradient dial with a silver titanium carbide finish) will be produced as a limited edition of 1,500 pieces. Additionally, since each of the four new Casio Oceanus Manta watches is different, each one is accompanied by a different retail price. The 350-piece flagship OCWS6000SW2A with its faceted sapphire bezel costs $2,400 USD, while the 1,500-example limited edition OCWS7000A-2A has a retail price of $1,400 USD. Meanwhile, the two standard-production models are priced right in line with the brand’s limited-edition counterpart, with the OCWS7000-1A being the least expensive of the quartet with a retail price of $1,300 USD, while the OCWS7000B-2A costs slightly more at $1,550 USD, which is a result of its DLC finish and more intricate dial design. For more information on the Casio Oceanus collection, please visit the brand’s website.
