At long last, Omega’s new watches for 2022 are here. An entirely new collection of dive watches and some significant updates to heritage models in the Speedmaster collection steal the headlines, but there’s more. Mixed in are aesthetically new variants in existing collections with the likes of colorful dials and some other exciting models you won’t want to miss.
As if Omega’s catalog weren’t already vast enough to paralyze you with options, the brand hasn’t made choosing much easier. It’s a lot to take in, but here’s what you need to know.
The experimental Ultra Deep dive watch is now available as a full collection
Back in 2019, Omega strapped an experimental dive watch to the exterior of a submersible vessel, sent it to the bottom of the Mariannas Trench and declared it the deepest-diving watch ever — beating Rolex’s record of 10,916m by about 19m. That watch was 55mm wide and not available to purchase. We expected it to inform the brand’s dive watch collections eventually, and now we finally get to see what that looks like: three versions in steel with a new design and one in titanium that’s closer to the original prototype, all measuring a more wrist-friendly 45.5mm wide (and 18.12mm thick).
The Seamaster Planet Ocean collection houses the more professionally oriented, deep diving watches to begin with (like an analog to Rolex’s Sea Dweller), but the Ultra Deep, as its name suggests, is a step up. Or down, rather, being water-resistant to 6,000m below the waves. The closest you’ll get to the prototype is a titanium version with an asymmetric case that somewhat echoes that of the famous Moonwatch where the right side bulges out slightly to protect the crown.
Three versions in the brand’s steel alloy called “O-Megasteel” feature a more traditional look with a standard crownguard design. The steel versions come on bracelets or straps, and the alloy is said to offer unique properties and the strength necessary for going six kilometers underwater.
