All Omega
Omega Planet Ocean 42 mm Ice 18k
Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

Omega · Planet Ocean

Omega Planet Ocean 42 mm Ice 18k

Reference 52171OR.35

Reference at a glance

Brand
Omega
Collection
Planet Ocean
Model
Omega Planet Ocean 42 mm Ice 18k
Reference number
52171OR.35
Year / era
1972 · 1970s — quartz-crisis era
Complication
Minute repeater
Movement
In-house automatic chronograph
Case material
18k white gold
Dial type
Ice blue
Strap / bracelet
Alligator leather with folding clasp
Water resistance
200 m
Limited-edition status
Regular production, not a limited edition
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
42 mm
Case thickness
14.1 mm
Case material
18k white gold
Bezel
Bidirectional 24-hour Cerachrom
Crystal
Sapphire with internal AR treatment
Dial
Ice blue
Hands
Faceted dauphine hands, polished by hand
Indexes
Printed minute track with applied batons
Bracelet / strap
Alligator leather with folding clasp
Clasp / buckle
Titanium deployant clasp
Water resistance
200 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 11B — In-house automatic chronograph
Movement type
Manual-winding
Frequency
36,000 vph (5 Hz)
Power reserve
5 days
Number of jewels
45 jewels
Complications
Minute repeater
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds
Watchmaker
Assembled and regulated by a single watchmaker, who signs off the piece before casing.

Production & market

Production period
1972 – 1978
Limited-edition quantity
Not applicable
Current market information
Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.

Designer

Emmanuel Gueit

Emmanuel Gueit came from a family of Geneva jewellers and was barely into his twenties when he drew the oversized Royal Oak Offshore in 1993 — a watch the house's traditionalists resisted and collectors turned into an icon.

Historical significance

Omega Planet Ocean 42 mm Ice 18k sits within Omega's Planet Ocean line, introduced in 1972. It carries the house codes established since 1848 — 18k white gold case, ice blue dial and in-house automatic chronograph — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • The reference was originally planned as a one-year run and stayed in the catalogue for well over a decade.
  • The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
  • Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
OM

The House

Omega

Brand facts

Founding year
1848
Founder
Louis Brandt
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Luxury
Major collections
Speedmaster, Seamaster, Constellation, De Ville, Aqua Terra, Planet Ocean, Railmaster
Signature technologies
Hand-applied guilloché dials · Composite and ceramic case materials · Certified chronometer regulation
Famous movements
In-house manual-winding · In-house automatic chronograph · In-house automatic, Superlative Chronometer · In-house automatic, chronometer certified
Notable watches
Omega Speedmaster 38 mm Slate Sapphire (1961) · Omega Speedmaster 39 mm Blue Quartz (1952) · Omega Speedmaster 44 mm Meteorite 18k (2001) · Omega Speedmaster 36 mm Slate 18k (1981)

Brand history

Omega has spent more than 178 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Speedmaster, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Louis Brandt established Omega in 1848, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Omega calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1848

    Louis Brandt founds Omega in Switzerland.

  2. 1888

    Omega earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.

  3. 1969

    The quartz era forces Omega to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  4. 1990

    Omega enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  5. 2024

    Omega continues to produce Speedmaster, Seamaster, Constellation and other icons in limited numbers.

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