OMEGA | Liquidmetal® technology

When OMEGA launched its Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® Limited Edition, the world was introduced to the very first watch to bond ceramics and Liquidmetal®, a zirconium-based alloy.

Swatch Group researchers collaborating with OMEGA's product development team created a striking ceramic bezel whose numbers and scaling, made of the Liquidmetal® alloy, appear in stunning silvery contrast to the black ceramic background. The colour of the ceramic dial perfectly matches that of the bezel. The result is an aesthetic wonder only made possible by several new and innovative processes.
Liquidmetal®: seamless bonding, remarkable hardness

The Liquidmetal® alloy is an amorphous metal -- a metallic material with a disordered, non-crystalline atomic structure. Its fusion temperature is half that of conventional titanium alloys but when it is cooled, its hardness is three times as great as that of stainless steel. Its amorphous structure allows it to bond seamlessly with the ceramic bezel.

The Liquidmetal® is a bulk metallic glass alloy consisting of five elements: zirconium, titanium, copper, nickel and beryllium. A bulk metallic glass can, by virtue of its low critical cooling rate, be formed into a structure with a thickness of more than a tenth of a millimetre. Zirconium is an important constituent part both of the Liquidmetal® alloy and of the ceramic material which is made of zirconium dioxide (Zr02).




The final, perfectly smooth bezel is particularly resistant to scratching and corrosion because of the hardness of the two components.
Redefining longevity in the watch industry

The OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean Liquidmetal® Limited Edition, which has a stainless steel case and bracelet, is driven by OMEGA's revolutionary Co-Axial calibre 2500. These movements, which have been heralded for their long-term chronometric performance, are perfectly complemented by the robust, corrosion-resistant ceramic and Liquidmetal® alloy components. The result is pure OMEGA: a design premiere which will retain its appearance indefinitely, blended with innovative Co-Axial technology.

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[rkorczeniewski]

@hsharma92 you obviously like to overpay for things. titanium watches will absolutely last longer than 5 years. Omega's +1/-2sec/day doesn't come close to Atomically corrected time that will be dead-nuts on accurate everyday to within sub-seconds. now for your "to the moon and back" comment. If this was 1960 I would agree with you, but it's 2012, technology has moved on. in the 1960 there was no atomically corrected titanium casios, so they got by with what they had.

[hsharma92]

@rkorczeniewski Well, the average $200 watch doesn't last more than 3-5 years. The COSC test ensures that the watch can keep accurate time over a variety of extreme conditions and +6/-4 seconds is their max limit. Almost all Omegas keep +1/-2 seconds and maintain it over a much longer period of time. Casio watches aren't close to as tough as Omega's Speedmaster & Seamaster collection. The Speedmaster range is the only watch to make it to the moon & that says something about their movement.

[rkorczeniewski]

@hsharma92 ok timex was a bad example, but solar powered, atomically synchronized, titanium Casio isn't, and for around 200.00$ you absolutely get accuracy, longevity, and looks. Even COSC certified chronometers are +6/-4seconds per day, really laughable for watches easily over 2000.00 dollars

[hsharma92]

@rkorczeniewski Not really quite as accurately, or as long as an Omega. It's like comparing a Honda to a Bentley. Guess not everyone appreciates a good time piece.

[rkorczeniewski]

and for all intents and purposes the 15$ timex keeps time just as well

[XJeep89]

lol wowwwww. Soooo dramatic!