Omega made a splash with the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon three years ago, a variant of the Moon Watch made entirely of black ceramic. Now offered in white and all the colours in between, the ceramic case of the Speedmaster was merely the start. The Bienne watchmaker has just revealed the Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black, a 600m diver’s watch with a GMT function, made entirely of black ceramic – case, bezel, back and even the dial.

Available in four variants – with the top the line being the black ceramic and 18k Sedna red gold – the Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black features all of Omega’s latest case technology. The 45.5mm ceramic case has a black ceramic metal insert with markings in Liquidmetal, a specialised amorphous metal alloy. On the red and blue versions of the Deep Black, the bezel also has coloured rubber inlays to mark the first 15 minutes.

Another difference between the versions is the case finish: the red and blue have brushed case surfaces, while the black and gold models are polished.

The dial is black ceramic, mirror polished on the black and gold versions, but matte on the blue and red models. But regardless of the variant, the hands and hour markers are 18k white gold. The second time zone hand is tipped with an orange arrow, with the 24-hour second time zone scale on the inner flange of the dial.

The case back is also ceramic, and unusually for the material, the back screws in the case. Thanks to what Omega terms Naiad Lock, the back sits perfectly aligned with the case (in all likelihood the case back is secured with a bayonet lock).

Below the sapphire back sits the calibre 8906, one of the Omega’s latest generation Master Chronometer movements. It’s certified by Swiss measurements agency METAS and magnetism resistant to over 15,000 Gauss (equivalent to a small MRI machine) thanks to a silicon hairspring and secret alloys in the escapement.

The strap is rubber, moulded to resemble fabric on the front, and attached to a black ceramic coating folding clasp.

Pricing

The Seamaster Planet Ocean Deep Black costs approximately the same as the Dark Side of the Moon, making it pricey in comparison to the ordinary stainless steel Planet Ocean, but the quality of the case and dial alleviate the sticker shock. The Deep Black will hit stores in October 2016, with prices as follows:

Deep Black in black, ref. 215.92.46.22.01.001 – SFr10,400 or S$16,150
Deep Black in blue, ref. 215.92.46.22.01.002 – SFr10,400 or S$16,150
Deep Black in red, ref. 215.92.46.22.01.003 – SFr10,400 or S$16,150
Deep Black Sedna Gold, ref. 215.63.46.22.01.001 – SFr13,400 or S$21,500