Omega Ultra Deep Professional Survives World Dive Record of 10,928m

When James Cameron took a break from blockbuster movies to dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, many thought he was a bit off topic. Well, say hello to Victor Vescovo. Not only did the American billionaire pilot his submarine DSV Limiting Factor to the deepest point in the ocean (even a meter or two deeper than the Avatar director), but he did it five times.

Five Deeps is a self-imposed challenge to reach the bottom of the five deepest points on Earth. While the crown jewel is the Challenger Deep, the challenge is not only about reaching the bottom, but also about doing it over and over again using the same commercial vessel. This was a challenge not only for builder Triton, but also for the expedition’s timekeeper: Omega.

For Five Deeps, Omega couldn’t rely on their already impressive Planet Ocean (which Victor actually owns) or the extreme Ploprof. So the Bienne watchmaker decided to build a new piece from scratch: the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep.

The Ultra Deep can withstand pressures up to 15,000m and is currently a one-off development for the Five Deeps expedition. It’s also the most depth-resistant timepiece on the planet. Made from forged titanium offcuts from Triton-built Limiting Factor submarines, its construction is inspired by the reinforced viewports of ships.

It also takes design cues from other deep-sea denizens, including manta rays; newly developed lugs mimic the rays’ curved shape, allowing it to withstand greater pressure than ever before.

Most novel in its construction is a new use of Omega’s signature Liquidmetal. Not only does it serve as a nifty design touch, they also use it to secure the sapphire crystal, essentially using it as padding. The result is a watch that could – and did – survive 54 hours at the bottom of the Challenger Deep.

Add in a cool titanium grey and light blue colorway, and you’ve got yourself one seriously cool watch. There’s no indication if the Ultra Deep will surface in Omega’s collection anytime soon, but given its development, we can’t imagine it disappearing entirely into the depths.