All in ceramic and ready to be assembled: case-back, case band and bezel – with the Omega Master Chronometer calibre 8906 going in the middle.
Note how the solid ceramic case is machined with such precision that it can incorporate threaded components without a steel core – in the majority of ceramic (and, for that matter, carbon) watches there is a steel core onto which the case-back, crown, and bezel are threaded. The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Big Blue has a water resistance of 600 meters, testifying to the precision execution of the ceramic case – genuinely impressive stuff.
Even the two crowns, the buckle, and the dial are in ZrO2 ceramic, which is both unusual and, in fact, quite comfortable when it comes to the external components. Soft to the touch and lacking unpleasant (totally non-luxury) sharp edges, there is something neat about a massive buckle in ceramic – especially since it operates as nicely as it does in any other material, but won’t leave you with ugly desktop hairline scratches all over it in a few days of wear.
The ceramic bezel features Liquidmetal numerals that are as laser-sharp as ever and come in a titanium grey color. The first 15 minutes “diver’s scale” is covered by injected orange rubber, which – if I recall correctly – have their areas laser recessed. Then, the full bezel is covered by orange rubber (as you see above), only to be sanded off with the rubber only remaining inside the recessed areas. Once you know that’s what it is, it actually is fascinating to reach in there and feel the rubber that, once the process is done, appears to be magically flush with the laser-sharp execution of the ceramic bezel.
On the wrist, the 45.50mm-wide case wears unsurprisingly large but the supple rubber strap (designed to look like some sort of a woven fabric but it is, in fact, all rubber) and the fold-over clasp do a good job at keeping it secure on the wrist. No word on thickness, but considering the additional GMT complication and the 600m depth rating, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Big Blue remains a hefty watch with, shall we say, a lot of wrist presence. While there clearly is no shortage of vividly reflective surfaces, the large white gold hands and indices do help with legibility as they contrast nicely against the dial and each other.
On a final note regarding aesthetics, the orange markings all over the dial, bezel, and especially the strap, I felt were a very niche and quite a developed taste. Blue is very much “in” these days, and while, yes, this is a sports watch first, I presume many prospective buyers would want to be able to wear it with a bit more “smart” and formal attire every once in a while. As it stands now, I am yet to see for myself how well this watch could work in everyday settings.
Inside the case is Omega’s latest generation Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 8906 that complies with their METAS-certified 8-step in-house quality control process, extends warranty to 4 years (for the entire watch, not just the movement, of course), and is tested to be resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss – what scientists would refer to as “a lot,” as in around the upper limit of what you can expose your watch to when interacting with modern electronics.
The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Big Blue in blue ceramic will be priced at CHF 10,400 excluding taxes and will be in stores from around October 2017. That arguably is a lot for a GMT, but then again, you do get a wholly ceramic case in a unique color and one of the most high-tech mass-produced movements which make this one considerably more expensive than your base Seamaster Planet Ocean – and, interestingly, just about the same as the new, steel, non-GMT Rolex Sea-Dweller (hands-on here). omegawatches.com
