Omega has released a new luxury watch - the Central Tourbillon Co-Axial Platinum - with "street cred" the only motive, according to one industry expert.

Ariel Adams, writing in his blog for Luxist, suggests that with the brand producing only 18 of the top-class timepieces, profit cannot be on Omega's mind.

With the Omega Speedmaster and Seamaster ranges continuing to prove so popular, the Swiss manufacturer is one of several brands which can afford to design a model simply to "assert themselves technologically".

Mr Adams states that "we are talking about perception [and] not necessarily reality" with regard to such limited edition pieces.

Each tourbillon carriage is hand-crafted and given a unique identity, so no two parts of the luxury watch are the same.

Omega offers designer timepieces from four high-quality and expansive ranges - Speedmaster, Seamaster, De Ville and Constellation.

The firm's ambassadors include Hollywood icons George Clooney and Nicole Kidman.