Quality Time
Omega dives deep to surface with astounding world record
The watchmaker’s latest feat in the ocean depths has delivered a watch that can withstand extreme pressures up to 15,000m
In retrospect, it may seem a little strange to have given a deep submergence vehicle (DSV) a name like Limiting Factor, particularly when its pilot, Victor Vescovo, has successfully navigated it to a previously unfathomable 10,928m to set the world’s deep-dive record. But to design such a craft requires parameters to figure out what the limits of the ocean depths are in order to achieve new standards and ultimately new records.
The previous record was set in 1960 and held until now by Jacques Piccard and US Navy Lt Don Walsh. They became the first men to reach the bottom of the Challenger Deep “at a precise depth of 10,911m” in a bathyscaphe named Trieste. The Challenger Deep is part of the Mariana Trench and is the deepest known point in Earth’s seabed.
The latest record-breaking dive is part of the Five Deeps Expedition, which is the first with the aim of reaching the deepest point in each of the Earth’s five oceans: the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic, South Sandwich Trench in the Southern Ocean, Java Trench in the Indian Ocean, Challenger Deep in the Pacific and Molloy Deep in the Arctic.
Although from an early age we are taught to respect the ocean, too often the focus of the messaging has been cautionary rather than environmental. Our oceans are largely unexplored as we’ve spent more time fascinated by the extraterrestrial than the unchartered depths, so it is hugely important that we have expeditions such as Five Deeps to bring our attention to their wonders and prevent us from destroying everything. Fortunately, many nations have finally woken up to the devastating toll of our daily habits. We shouldn’t need Plastic Free July to highlight issues around plastic waste, which now affects all life on earth.
The Limiting Factor looks like a Big Hero 6 of the deep, accommodating a crew of two inside, including Vescovo. From inside its 90mm thick titanium pressure hull they are able to observe the surrounding deep through three optically perfect viewports, which give this reusable sub its wide-eyed humanoid expression. Two of Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional watches where strapped to the DSV’s robotic arm and another to a data-gathering unit. All survived the deep-sea adventure unscathed, surpassing the achievements of Omega’s impressive Ploprof 1200M professional diver’s watch and setting the world record.