Omega has announced that in an expedition that took place earlier this year, a very special watch with a very long name has taken over the record for the deepest-diving dive watch of all time. The Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional (phew) was purpose-built for an actually-quite-exciting scientific expedition dubbed ?The Five Deeps,? which aims to put a man at the deepest point of all five of the earth’s oceans. When Victor Vescovo piloted his submersible, the Limiting Factor, to a depth of 10,928 meters at Challenger Deep, the deepest section of the Mariana Trench, with three Ultra Deeps strapped to the outside of the vehicle, he beat a longstanding record held by Rolex, and did so in a way that completely rethinks what it takes to bring a mechanical watch to such extreme depths. The Ultra Deep?s astonishing case is made of forged titanium that is literally taken from the hull of the Limiting Factor. It makes sense that the watch should be made from the same material as the vessel taking the journey to the bottom of the ocean. Amazingly, the watch is only 28mm thick, which at first blush seems like a lot, and it is by virtually any standard a massive and chunky timepiece. Consider, however, that the previous record holder, the Rolex Deep Sea Special, was about 10mm thicker than the Omega thanks to a bulbous protruding crystal, and you begin to see how manageable the newer watch is in comparison.

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