With no physical launch event this year, Omega unveiled its new watches in a prerecorded video that concluded with a cameo by its brand ambassador George Clooney. The line up was compact, indicating there will be more new models later in the year. There was only a single Seamaster Diver amongst the new offerings, and it was the Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black.

Initial thoughts

Reminiscent of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, Seamaster Black Black is typical of Omega in its quality and technology. It’s almost entirely ceramic on the outside, made up of components sintered, sculptured, and sanded with precision. And the Co-Axial Master Chronometer movement within boasts all of the brand’s technical innovations. For a bit under US$9,000, it is a fair deal for the quality and materials.

But the all-black look is dated. The pioneer of the look was the Big Bang All Black of 2006, one of Jean-Claude Biver’s opening acts at Hublot. Its success created a wave of all-black watches that lasted for about a decade. And the novelty of the coloured ceramic will be quickly lost if additional variants in other colours of ceramic are introduced, as happened with the Dark Side of the Moon.

Black ceramic

The dial, bezel, case middle, and case back of the new Seamaster are all black ceramic, specifically zirconium dioxide, or ZrO₂.

The dial is etched with laser, creating an alternating polished and matte finish, with the polished elements standing out in slight relief. And to preserve the all-black look the hour markers, hands, and 12 o’clock bezel marker are filled with Super-Luminova that’s dark grey in the light, but glows in the dark. The minute hand and bezel pip glow green, while the hour and seconds hands glow blue.

The case back is Omega’s patented Naiad Lock, a bayonet-locking mechanism that ensures the back is always the right way up. And the back can be ceramic because it snaps shut along a fixed track. Ceramic is too stiff to resist torsional force, making a conventional screw-down back with threads impossible.

And the cal. 8806 is visible through the sapphire window. It has a silicon hairspring and escapement made from non-magnetic alloys, resulting in a magnetism resistance of over 15,000 Gauss.

Key facts and price

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Black Black
Ref. 210.92.44.20.01.003

Diameter: 43.5 mm
Height: 14.47 mm
Material: Black ceramic
Water resistance: 300 m
Dial: Black ceramic

Movement: Cal. 8806
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Self-winding
Frequency: 25,200 beats per hour (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 55 hours

Strap: Black rubber with black ceramic buckle

Availability: At Omega boutiques and retailers
Price: US$8,650; or 12,400 Singapore dollars

For more information, visit Omegawatches.com.