THE FOOD was scrumptious at a recent dinner hosted by Swatch Group Trading (Thailand) country manager Tipanat Lenbury, but the star of the evening was the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean “Deep Black”, the first diving watch made entirely of ceramic.

Unveiling the wristwatch for the first time in Asia, Tipanat, who is also brand manager for Swiss luxury watchmaker Omega, set up test bars brought in from Switzerland for the guests to gauge their watches.

There was a Diving Test Bar, a Magnetic Demonstration Test Bar and a New Technologies Test Bar. Magnetism has no effect on Omega watches, since they’re certified for |precision and performance at the industry’s highest level established by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology.

Omega’s more than 168 years of expertise in horology becomes clear in the Seamaster Planet Ocean “Deep Black”, which takes its design cues from the bond between the Earth and its moon and the magnificent natural phenomena that ensue.

Evolving from the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon released in 2013, Omega’s expertise in the use of ceramics has resulted in the first all-ceramic diving watch, which can withstand deep-sea pressure to a depth of 600 metres.

The remarkable 45.5mm case is crafted from a single block of ceramic. Inside is the Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 8906, certified at the highest standard by METAS in Switzerland as well as earning the traditional COSC certification.

A GMT ring is fixed to the dial, which features Arabic numerals and a diving scale on the unidirectional ceramic bezel, formed in Liquidmetal or Omega Ceragold. The hands and indices are 18K white gold or 18K Sedna gold and coated in white Super-LumiNova.

Another first is the patented ceramic Naiad Lock caseback, which ensures that the engraved wording sits perfectly in position.

For added uniqueness, the “alveoli” design features an aesthetic wave pattern on the back.

There are four models. On the Blue and Red models the dials are brushed for a matt effect, and for the first time injected rubber has been blended with ceramic, covering the first quarter hour on the dial bezel, GMT hands and indices for better visibility underwater. The colours change the deeper you dive. The helium escape valve and Omega crown are also coloured using rubber injection.

The Black model is polished to a gloss and Liquidmetal is used on the “He” symbol marking the helium valve and Omega logo on the crown.

These three models come with a Kevlar-pattern black rubber strap that looks like fabric, with anti-bacterial rubber underneath. Each costs Bt391,000.

The 18K Sedna gold model featuring bezel, helium valve and crown of Ceragold uses a unique gold-injection technique to ensure the colour’s longevity. The case is glossy and the strap is water-resistant black alligator leather with the same anti-bacterial rubber underside. The price is Bt522,000.

AN ESTIMATED Bt350 million worth of timepieces will be on view and on sale at the Siam Paragon Watch Expo opening on Monday and continuing midway through August. More than 180 brands will be represented in the show, which has as its theme “The Icon of Timepieces”.

This year’s exposition is being run in partnership with Swiss manufacturer Breitling, whose watches typically celebrate “the spirit of aviation”. Breitling will transform Parc Paragon out front of the mall into an “airport” where a 12-metre-long jet will be parked.

The firm will also be promoting its latest collection, including the Exospace B55, which for the first time connects the chronograph and data functions. You can use your smartphone to set the time and time zone, and also transfer to your phone measurements such as flight time, recorded time and split time.

Meanwhile the Navitimer 1884 – of which 1,884 units were made – revisits the original pilot’s model of that vintage.

Other participating brands include Baume & Mercier, Corum, Frederique Constant, Graham, Gucci, Glashutte Original and Nomos Glashutte, Hubolt, Maitre Du Temps, Montblanc, Longines, Oris, Perrelet, Tag Heuer and Zenith.

In all there will be more than 30,000 timepieces set out in three categories – Masterpieces, Luxury and Trends. Some of the watches commemorate the makers’ historical achievements. Mont Blanc is celebrating its 110th anniversary, Tudor 90 years and Seiko 135 years.

Rolex is marking the 60th anniversary of its Day-Date models and the 90th of its Oyster model. Jaeger-Le Coultre introduced the Reverso 85 years ago, and Tag Heuer the Monza and Citizen the Eco Drive 40 years ago.

Also on view will be museum pieces first displayed earlier this year at Basel World, the premier watch event in Switzerland.

The Grand Seiko Avant-Garde Exhibition underscores the beauty of craftsmanship and the power of creativity in the contemporary art of Japan’s Daido Moriyamo and Nobuyashi Araki, as applied to Seiko’s Black ceramic model. And Gucci’s travelling exhibition features its “Cabinet of Curiosity”, arriving in Southeast Asia for the first time.

The Masterpieces segment includes the Glashutte Original: PanoMaticLunar in stainless steel with striking grey settings on the ruthenium dial, rhodium indices and white-gold hour, minute and subsidiary second hands.

The automatic-winding, 47-jewel mechanical Panorama Date has white numerals on a grey ground with a silver moon and stars set against a silvery night sky.

The Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Skull boasts a skeleton movement housed in ceramic-coated aluminium for a truly striking appearance. It’s been micro-blasted by hand to ensure extreme hardness, resistant to corrosion and friction and yet twice as light as ceramic.

With a manually wound HUB6014 calibre and an astonishing five-day power reserve, it’s been limited to just 50 pieces – nine of which are available in Thailand.

In the Luxury category, jewels and craftsmanship come to the fore. The Gucci Diamantissima borrows the firm’s Diamante criss-cross canvas motif.

The Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Skeleton features a finely finished, pared-to-the-bone movement in a transparent case. Large spaces between each double spoke let you admire the numerous movement parts, particularly the house’s own hand-wound ML134 with its sandblasted details.

The TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01, so named in honour of company founder Edouard Heuer, similarly reveals its chronograph controls and has an open-work date disc on the dial side. A red column wheel on the caseback, a skeleton bridge and a black weight also draw the eye.

In the Trends segment are stylish timepieces such as the Oris El Hierro Limited Edition, of which 2,000 pieces are being sold around the world and 50 in Thailand. The diver’s watch takes its inspiration from an underwater volcano off the coast El Hierro, one of the Canary Islands, mimicking the black and grey of volcanic rock and the red (in the bezel minutes scale, dial and central seconds hand) of the molten lava.

The 44.3mm Seiko Zimbe Limited Edition, with 1,299 pieces on sale in Thailand, has a grey dial resembling the hide of a whale shark. It deploys Air Diver technology to protect the case up to 200 metres deep in the ocean.

The Sevenfriday Kuka II is equipped with an NFC chip for authentication via a mobile application, a stainless steel case treated with black PVD, and a highly resistant black silicon animation ring with a “robot track” pattern.

– The Siam Paragon Watch Expo 2016 takes place at the Bangkok mall from Monday through August 15.

– Watch Galleria outlets at the Emporium and all branches of The Mall will also have promotions through September.

BEST KNOWN for its bold prints and neat tailoring, Marimekko, a fashion and lifestyle brand from Finland, recently unveiled its new concept store at Siam Discovery and used the occasion to launch its autumn and winter collection. Much of the focus was on its simple tunic dress, a favourite with the ladies, which looks as good for a day at the office as for a power lunch.

ML Chanika Patpongpanich, brand manager, talked about the highlights of the new collection, noting that Marimekko is a classic brand that often plays with prints from the past.

“Some of the prints we see today were created more than 50 years ago but still look great when they are mixed with contemporary designs and high-quality materials and cutting. For this latest collection, designers Katsuji Wakisaka, Vuokko Eskolin-Nurmesniemi, Oiva Toikka and Joe Duke introduced elements that add an edge to the clothes, such as asymmetrical arrangements and pattern build-ups, inspired by the brand’s original designs.

Highlight pieces include a signature silk shirt, peony dress shirt, and the print-on-print total look. There are also shoes and bags that Marimekko fans will definitely want to wear in this upcoming winter.”

Straight from the Finnish wardrobe, the innovative ideas are translated through the fashion’s house trademark prints and interesting colour combinations. Creative director Anna Teurnell was fascinated by the surrealists’ investigation of the space between fantasy and reality, and how this dialogue could be combined with Marimekko’s inclusive and functionalistic design approach.

The print “Adam and Eve” with its blooming cityscapes was designed by Wakisaka in 1972. Duke’s “Taped Pansy” print is a picturesque flower print mixed with quadrangles that creates an interesting rhythm. “Pieni Pioni”, as the small peony pattern is known, is a small-scale version of Maija Isola’s floral Pioni from 1970.

The collection also includes a new bijou line designed by Ilenia Corti plus large scarves and shawls that add a chic touch to the season’s outfits. Boots and shoes come in black, burgundy and white and in leather and suede and offer the perfect complement to casual and festive attire.

Aniporn Chalerm-buranawong, Miss Universe Thailand 2015 led the fashion show, which wrapped with a champagne toast to officially open the store. The event was joined many of Thailand’s A-listers including Mayuree Chaipromprasith, Kleddao Panichsamai, MR Chantaraladda Yugala, ML Chanika Patpongpanich, Kuntinee and Nopmanee Krairiksh, Yumi Kiangsiri and ML Oradis Snidvongs as well as celebrities Kemisara Paladesh, Panida Iemsirinoppakul, Ploy Chariyaves, Pimlada-Sirima Chaipreechawit, Pattreeda-Nualtong Prasarnthong, Maneerat Kham-uan and Sopitnapa Chumpanee.