Omega Reimagines Its Professional Diver As a Slim and Sleek Sports Watch

When Omega debuted the original Seamaster Planet Ocean in 2005, the watch made sense. The Seamaster Diver 300M felt dated, forever trapped in the ’90s, and the Planet Ocean filled in as Omega’s modern, premium dive watch with more impressive specs and a design that combined the case language of the Diver 300M with the aesthetics of the mid-century Seamaster 300 and a sprinkling of the 2000s-era oversized watch craze.

For several years, the PO reigned as Omega’s undisputed top-of-the-line diver. Exciting new features like co-axial escapements, ceramic bezels, silicon balance springs, Liquidmetal technology, sapphire casebacks and Master Chronometer certification all appeared on the Planet Ocean before the Seamaster 300M. It’s no wonder James Bond switched to the Planet Ocean for Daniel Craig‘s first three films.

But, eventually, it started to become unclear as to just what the Planet Ocean was meant to be, and who it was for. The introduction of the retro-styled, Master Chronometer Seamaster 300 in 2014 stole some of the Planet Ocean’s thunder, as it felt a bit more premium and was more committed to the mid-century design that inspired the PO.

Omega

The lines were further blurred when Omega unleashed a major refresh on the Seamaster Diver 300M in 2018, adding a ceramic wave dial and bezel, sapphire caseback and Master Chronometer co-axial movement. It was also thinner than the Planet Ocean and tastefully updated the iconic ’90s look, so unless someone felt they needed the Planet Ocean’s 600m of water resistance over the Diver 300m’s 300 — which no one does — then the question became: Why buy a Planet Ocean?

The question was effectively answered in 2022, when Omega launched the Planet Ocean Ultra Deep. Based on the brand’s record-setting prototype that reached the bottom of the Mariana Trench and lived to tell the tale, the 6,000-meter water-resistant Ultra Deep was the ultimate pinnacle of Omega dive watch technology, meant to compete against the likes of Rolex Deepsea. An everyday watch it is not, but it has a clear purpose.

The regular Planet Ocean? Not so much. It has continued languishing in Omega’s catalog for several years now. James Bond hasn’t worn one since 2012’s Skyfall. It’s a dive watch without a clear reason to exist.

Until now, anyway.

On the 20th anniversary of the original Planet Ocean’s release, Omega has just launched the fourth generation of its 21st-century dive watch. And while the result is sure to be divisive, one thing is clear: The Planet Ocean absolutely has an identity all its own now.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The right angles

Omega has radically redesigned the case and bracelet of the Seamaster Planet Ocean for the new 2025 collection. Gone are the smooth case and Diver 300M-inspired 10:00 helium escape valve crown, and in their place is something sharper, sleeker and sportier.

The new case measures 42mm across and has multifaceted lugs with razor-sharp angles that blend perfectly with an even more heavily faceted, sharp-angled integrated end link. The case is mostly brushed, but the many angles create a lot of contrast, resulting in plenty of light play. This is enhanced by a polishing on a chamfer running along the side of the case, the knurling of the bezel and the center end links.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The sharp-edged design continues even more prominently on the bracelet, which appears integrated into the case, though it isn’t; the watch has standard spring bars. The three-row bracelet has a generous taper and is made up of small, flat rectangular links. Each link is complex, with multiple facets to match the multi-angled case. The outer links are vertically brushed on the top and mirror-polished on the sides, while the center links are fully polished.

As you might imagine, this is a very, very blingy bracelet. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a dive with such a blingy bracelet, and the bracelet it reminds me most of actually comes from the Rolex Land-Dweller. Like that bracelet, the new Planet Ocean bracelet is flashy, impressive-looking and extremely comfortable. The short, flat links offer excellent articulation, the taper is dreamy on the wrist and the integration into the case feels seamless.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

Omega says it based the design on ’80s and early-’90s Seamasters, which makes sense since integrated sports watches were still in vogue at that time (though on their way out). Now that integrated sports watches are all the rage once again (see Land-Dweller, Rolex), it makes sense for Omega to resurrect the style. I know the brand has the Constellation, but that honestly has never felt like it fit into the same category as watches like the Land-Dweller and Royal Oak. It’s too, I don’t know, “soft” and lacks a modern edge.

The Planet Ocean bracelet closes via a large clasp with a deeply engraved Omega logo and a dramatically polished stripe down its center. Seriously, I feel like you could shave using this clasp as a mirror. The clasp is also raised like a platform with four brushed angled sides, resulting in a very aesthetically pleasing integration into the bracelet. It really needs to be seen in the metal to be appreciated.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

Due to images and videos of the watch that leaked ahead of the release, Reddit is already up in arms over the polished center links on the bracelet and especially the clasp. “It’s too flashy for a tool watch,” they say. Well, I think they misunderstand what Omega is doing with the new Planet Ocean. It’s no longer just meant to be Omega’s premium dive watch. This is Omega’s take on a modern integrated sports watch; it just also happens to be a premium diver.

I actually like the bracelet and the angled case design quite a lot. It makes the watch feel different, less of an also-ran in Omega’s catalog, but beyond that, it just looks and feels good. I’m a sucker for angular integrated sports watches, and the new PO is a great example of the form. There are so many angles on the case and bracelet that something is always catching the light, and my attention. I quite like that, though I understand people who feel it’s off-putting.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

One thing I don’t care for, however, is the clasp’s microadjustment system. While it has six positions and requires no tools, Omega styled it like a classic diver’s extension. This would make sense on a toolish old Planet Ocean, but on the new modern sports watch version, it feels decidedly inelegant and out of place. It ruins the lines of the bracelet when open.

There’s also the comfort of the new watch, and this is something even Reddit haters will get behind. The new case is nearly 3mm thinner than the last Planet Ocean, coming in at just 13.79mm. That is 0.1mm thinner than the latest Seamaster Diver 300m models with the domed crystal, which is something I never thought I’d say about a Planet Ocean.

The thinness was achieved in a number of ways. Obviously, the case was completely redesigned and the helium escape valve jettisoned (let’s be real, you weren’t going to use it). The watch is flatter overall, with a new flat sapphire crystal, and the sapphire display caseback has been replaced by a solid one, which is in Grade 5 titanium, even though the rest of the case is in steel. This helps both thin down and lighten the watch.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

Although I welcome the return of a solid caseback and love that it’s in Grade 5 titanium, I don’t care for the laser-engraved hippocampus logo. It looks cheap compared to the deeply embossed, relief-style hippocampus logos found on older Planet Oceans. I’m not sure if the titanium makes such a seahorse impossible to produce, but I definitely felt like the watch was missing this detail.

Lastly, the new Planet Ocean borrows some technology from the Ultra Deep in the form of an inner titanium ring that helps seal the watch at great depths. This ring not only saves space when securing the watch to 600m, but it’s also visible on the dial side (polished, of course), mimicking the metal ring around the dial on the original Planet Ocean. Only now, the ring actually serves a purpose, which is pretty cool.

Orange you glad?

The new Planet Ocean comes in three colors to start: Black, Blue and Orange. All feature the same matte-black dial and applied Super-LumiNova-filled indices and double-arrow handset. As before, bicolor lume is used, with green for the minute hand and bezel pip and blue for all other hands and the indices.

The differences are limited to the colors of their polished ceramic bezels and the Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9 — that’s right, there’s no date window here. Do you like it yet, Reddit?? The font used for the Arabics is new, with a futuristic open design and more angularity to better match the redesigned case and bracelet. Each reference also features differently colored numerals on its dial: orange for Orange, white for Blue and rhodium-plated for Black.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

I tested the orange version, which is a new shade of orange ceramic that Omega spent years working to perfect. The wait was worth it, as this thing pops on the wrist. Since the beginning, orange has been the Planet Ocean’s signature color, so I’m happy to see it return here with its original black dial pairing.

All three colors are available on either the bracelet or a black rubber strap, with the Orange model also having the option of an orange rubber strap. I tested the strap in addition to the bracelet, and it’s great. It’s fitted with Omega’s newer-style keeperless deployant clasp and feels similar to what you’ll find on a Seamaster Diver 300M, but it’s more visually interesting with a fine-textured center strip. It also comes on a fitted end link that keeps the integrated look of the watch even when strapped up.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The movement powering the new Planet Ocean is the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8912 automatic, which is borrowed from the Ultra Deep and has a 60-hour power reserve. As is typical with Omega’s METAS-certified movements, the accuracy of the watch was outstanding, and I suffered no issues during my period with the watch.

Pricing and availability

The new Seamaster Planet Ocean is going to be divisive. In fact, it already is. But I frankly love what Omega has done with the watch. By turning the Planet Ocean into a sort of integrated sports watch/diver hybrid, Omega has created something different for its catalog that has little crossover with its other divers.

If you want a premium everyday diver, you have the Seamaster Diver 300M. If you want a retro diver, you get a Seamaster 300. If you want peak performance, there’s the Ultra Deep. Something quirky? Get a Ploprof. And if you desire a flashy, modern sports watch that’s also a super-capable diver? Well, now you have the Planet Ocean.

Omega

There’s really nothing quite like the new Planet Ocean on the market. The closest analogue to the watch I can think of is the Zenith Extreme Diver, which has a similar integrated-style design that’s heavy on angularity and is water-resistant to 600m. But the Planet Ocean is much more wearable and comfortable than that watch, and it’s far flashier and more refined in its aesthetic. While I thought they were quite similar at first, it didn’t take long for me to see the significant differences.

The new Omegas are also considerably more affordable than the $11,800 Zenith. On a strap, the Black and Blue Planet Oceans retail for $8,600; with the bracelet, they’re $9,200. The Orange model is a bit pricier, I assume because of costs related to producing the orange ceramic (it’s also the only model to use white hybrid ceramic for the diving scale; the others use enamel). It’s priced at $8,900 on the strap and $9,500 on the bracelet.

All seven references are available now from Omega.

Omega

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Omega Cal. 8912 automatic
Water Resistance	600m

• $9,500 at Omega

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