ur wide-ranging discussion covered everything from the Laboratoire de Précision to the Spirate™ System or Ultra Deep watches, the smallest ever Master Chronometer calibre and the bright orange ceramic of the new Planet Ocean watches.

Europa Star: How does Omega organise innovation and R&D?

Raynald Aeschlimann: Here at Omega, innovation relies on numerous in-house experts and partnerships with other Swatch Group entities contributing to R&D. This ensures that we have access to the best talent in driving forward the brand and watchmaking as a whole. One of the challenges for a company of our size is industrialisation: true progress is not confined to creating something new, but also involves reproducing it on a large scale with consistent quality and efficiency. Everything is done with care and patience, as part of a gradual evolution that maintains our high standards while controlling costs.

One notable recent development is the opening of the Laboratoire de Précision at two sites in Biel and Villeret. Combining a scientific approach with big-data analysis, this laboratory will enable Omega to further improve its precision standards for the future.

Raynald Aeschlimann, Omega President & CEO

A brief retrospective: which do you see as the brand’s most important innovations over the last ten years?

This year, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of Master Chronometer certification. Its roll-out over the last decade has proved a tremendous showcase for Omega’s excellence. To date, more than 2.5 million Omega watches have met this standard. Among the technical innovations, I should pinpoint the Spirate™ System that we launched in 2023. This revolutionary system allows for ultra-fine adjustments and guarantees certified accuracy of just 0/+2 seconds per day.

The Ultra Deep watches are also worth highlighting. Their incredibly innovative design reflects our heritage in diving watches. In 2019 they reached the deepest point ever recorded on Earth, while remaining perfectly intact.

Closer to home, which would you say were the most innovative models in 2025?

The Aqua Terra 30 mm collection is important because it introduced our smallest ever Master Chronometer calibre. Four years of work have culminated in a women’s watch that combines accuracy with sophistication. The new Planet Ocean watches also deserve a mention. Orange, the collection’s signature colour, is a particularly complex shade to produce in ceramic. Through hard work and testing, we overcame these challenges and have achieved a vibrant orange ceramic for these new Planet Ocean watches.

The Aqua Terra 30 mm collection unfolds across twelve distinct expressions, each with its own character.

Now for a forward-looking exercise: without giving away any secrets, which areas of R&D do you think are the most promising for the future: new materials and alloys, movement architecture, new complications, AI implementation, or others?

We are always looking for ways both large and small to improve Omega’s quality. We find that one project always inspires another, creating a continuous thread of innovation within the brand. By way of example, the Ultra Deep project taught us a great deal about diving technology. One of these innovations – the titanium inner bezel – has been incorporated into the new Planet Ocean to help ensure water-resistance during deep dives. It is therefore difficult to predict the future, but every breakthrough we make is already writing the story of what is to come.

Omega launches the fourth-generation Planet Ocean. This complete redesign of the collection introduces seven new watches, including three different watch heads, with multiple options for bracelets or straps.

A slightly provocative question: do customers actually perceive these efforts in innovation and do we make too much of innovation when really people care more about design?

The customer perceives a brand committed to quality. Our ability to explore, innovate and push existing boundaries remains a benchmark when choosing a watch. We cannot rely solely on iconic design: otherwise, we would have remained in the 1960s with the Speedmaster that travelled to the Moon. Did NASA stop there? Did space exploration end with Apollo 11? No. As humans, we are driven to go further and explore the limits of feasibility. Designs like the Speedmaster can remain iconic, but they must continue to evolve if they are to remain relevant and inspirational.

Omega does not innovate single-handedly, as you belong to a group renowned for its innovation and which files more patents than any other watch industry player. How do you strike a balance between brand and group innovation?

We’re in the valuable position of being able to harness Swatch Group expertise. We have combined our skills on several projects. For example, the silicon balance spring that forms the basis of all our anti-magnetic calibres is also used by other brands within the group. There is therefore a sharing of innovation that benefits everyone. However, Omega steers its own path, with iconic collections and a heritage that remain at the heart of everything we do. Many of our innovations are unique and developed in-house, while taking advantage of the expertise available within the group.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional - The world’s deepest watch.

To draw a parallel with the Olympic Games, do you still have any (watchmaking) records in your sights?

In the twentieth century, precision records and chronometry competitions were an important part of Omega’s identity. It was a bit like the watchmaking Oscars and we were very successful in this area. While those days are gone, we still have our own goals, whether it’s reducing precision margins, mastering anti-magnetism or creating a more durable gold alloy. We aren’t targeting any specific “records” at the moment but with our pioneering spirit, we will always find something new to aim for.

Finally, a word on AI: how do you use it for of innovation and R&D? Is it already part of your daily routine?

Human interaction remains essential in Omega watchmaking, so AI is not yet strongly present in our processes. We do however remain open to the opportunities afforded by technology. AI already plays an interesting role in timekeeping. At the Olympic Games, for example, we use AI tools to analyse each sport and tell the full story of an event: live positions, a sprinter’s acceleration, the number of strokes a swimmer makes, or the angle of a gymnast’s feet. This enables athletes, coaches, judges and spectators to evaluate performance and accurately identify the decisive moments. While we’re only at the beginning, we believe this will play a key role in the future of timekeeping.

RECOMMENDED READING: SEAMASTER ONLY

More than ten years have passed since the global success of Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié’s book MOONWATCH. After several years of demanding yet exciting work, the authors are now announcing the release of SEAMASTER ONLY, published by Watchprint. To bring this ambitious project to fruition, they enlisted the help of some of the most renowned experts and collectors of the Seamaster 300, who provided additional insight and expertise. This new book features a foreword by Omega’s President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann.