Omega managed to exceed my expectations when I finally got my hands on the first ceramic-cased Planet Ocean which I’m reviewing here today. Debuted a few months after Baselworld 2016, the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT “Deep Black” carves yet another niche within the brand’s larger line of high-end Seamaster Planet Ocean diving watches. Omega not only has plenty of dive watches to choose from, but the brand also has a number of GMT watches to choose from.
I say all this to explain that while the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Deep Black doesn’t immediately satisfy an existing need, it does represent a desirable accumulation of a lot of things Omega has been tweaking for a while, and is arguably a current best-of-breed product within its relatively narrow niche. To really appreciate this watch, you need to ignore most of the marketing images Cheap Omega Replica has of it and also forget what you think the watch represents. Rather, we need to look into a series of details contained in the watch design, movement, and construction, as well as consider the versatile and highly contemporary appeal of a watch like this.
Omega made a big splash back in 2013 when they debuted the sexy-looking Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon watch. The magic in that product was combining the look of the new generation Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph with both a black ceramic case and dial. Moreover, Omega cleverly and wisely offered the ceramic case in contrast finishing with some brushed and some polished surfaces. This mimicked the look of metal which allowed the Omega Replica Watches to retain so much of the look people came to expect in a Speedmaster. It was a hit, and I am sure that Omega wanted to reproduce its appeal in other areas of their collection.
Further, there are a few versions of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Deep Black which add further flavor to the concept. This version is the reference 215.92.46.22.01.003, and in addition to combining black with red accents, it is one of the versions of the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Deep Black models offered in a mostly all-matte finishing. When I first saw this watch in Omega Replica marketing photos, I was a bit underwhelmed and concerned that it might be too devoid of shine and appear flat and down-market given its high-end pedigree. In person, this watch easily exceeds the relatively lackluster presentation the professional marketing images offered – which honestly isn’t that rare even if watches are less likely to look better in person compared to their marketing images.
This is a very important concept to understand because a lot of people get annoyed with GMT watches, as they find the inclusion of an additional hand distracting. If you want a cool diver’s watch that is mostly about knowing the local time first with the GMT a distant second function, then the Cheap Omega Replica Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT Deep Black is a very good choice. This makes it sort of a standard dive watch where the ability to know a second time zone is available, but not thrust in your face all the time. I don’t know how many other people value this niche type of style, but I personally do a lot.
Like the 44mm-wide Speedmaster case, the 45mm-wide Planet Ocean case translates to ceramic from steel quite well. There is a serious tool-watch feel in the matte finishing which benefits the theme Omega is going for here. I will say that it is a very different flavor than I’m used to in the Planet Ocean family, but I think Omega nailed it and even at this high price Omega easily competes with offerings at more prestigiously priced brands even. So what you end up with is a timepiece that is, yeah, expensive for an Omega, but also really cheap for a Blancpain, Hublot, or Audemars Piguet. This is a hot luxury sports watch, and I just hope people are able to incorporate the Omega name in the upper echelons of luxo-sport watches where at times the brand does solidly belong.
