MUSEUM STATE-OF-THE-ARTNESS

Omega breathes new life into the first wrist-chronograph ever assembled in the manufacture by proposing its 1913-created model with a cutting-edge twist. Explanations.

Riding the wave of everything vintage, the watchmaking industry has invited us to discover a myriad of limited series combining a case embracing the stylistic codes of a historic model, to a greater or lesser extent, and an ultra up-to-the-minute movement. Omega has reversed the trend by presenting a genuine timepiece from its original collection. With its First Omega Wrist-Chronograph Limited Edition, the brand reveals a watch incorporating a real hand-wound mechanical movement from 1913. The eighteen 18”’ CHRO calibres, equipped with a Breguet balance-spring, which make up this limited edition come from timepieces retrieved from the vaults of the brand’s museum. All were meticulously hand-restored pursuant to the rules of the craft and integrated into a 47.5 mm-diameter case which hosts cutting-edge components. To complement the white gold, Sedna^TM gold has been used on the crown and on the push-piece set at 6 o’clock. This alloy, comprising 75% gold, copper and palladium, stands out with its reddish colouring and enhanced durability. The case has been crafted with another exclusivity – a hinged back which, when opened, majestically reveals the calibre’s workings through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

The 18 pieces of this limited series are delivered in a magnificent leather case along with two additional leather straps and useful tools for screwing and unscrewing the rivets which attach the straps to the lugs.

Price: CHF130,000 omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

DIRECT LINE

Ever more resistant to magnetic fields, even more accurate, the Railmaster is also attractive for its minimalist and aesthetic display of the time elements.

Magnetic fields are a natural phenomenon and can also be created by objects in daily life, preventing our favourite timepieces from running in an optimal way. Since 1973, the ISO 764 standard has set out the conditions for antimagnetic watches in everyday use. They must be able to resist a magnetic field of 60 gauss. In the fight against these negative effects, Omega was no latecomer. In 1957, the brand proved to be a pioneer in unveiling a Seamaster Railmaster that could resist magnetism up to 1,000 gauss with the help of an inner case. 60 years later, the models from 2018 introduced at the last Baselworld feature some recent innovations. Thanks to the calibre Master Chronometer 8806 including silicon components, these models can resist magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss, corresponding to an emission from a powerful electro-magnet in a hi-fi speaker. Along with its reliability and resistance to magnetic waves, the self-winding movement provides 55 hours of power reserve.

The watch is housed in a 40mm-wide polished steel case that is watertight down to 150m. All three models feature an attractive satin-grey or black dial, depending on the version, and luminous hour markers in a vintage colour.

The Seamaster Railmasters are worn with a choice of NATO, leather or steel straps.

Price: 4,600 EUR omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

FLYING ABOVE THE MOON

The rugged surface of the moon is displayed on the dial and back of this new Speedmaster, as seen in close up by the three American astronauts on the famous Apollo 8 mission.

On 21 December 1968, almost half a century ago, the three men in the Apollo 8 mission took off towards the moon as part of the NASA space programme, launched during the presidency of John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). This trip into the depths of space, outside the earth’s orbit, led to the American astronauts orbiting the moon, seeing our planet in its totality for the very first time and observing the famous “Dark Side of the Moon”, the name given to the Speedmaster collection by Omega.

On the case back with its sapphire glass cover are a number of inscriptions, including the famous words of Jim Lovell (1928), the command module pilot, just before going behind the moon and temporarily losing contact with the Earth: “We’ll see you on the other side”.

Price: 9,700 CHF omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

TO THE NEAREST SECOND

So similar but so different… The limited editions celebrating the 70^th anniversary of the Seamaster collection offer two ways of displaying the seconds. Which one will you prefer?

Are you more “central seconds hand” or “sub-seconds at 6 o’clock”? For the 70^th anniversary of what was Omega’s first collection, the brand has released two Seamaster 1948 Limited Edition models, each with its own distinctive personality and display. Although they have the same 38mm-wide steel case (watertight down to 60m), the layout on the curved silver-opaline dial and their calibres are different. On the first, the slender, curved, leaf-shaped hands made of white gold, together with the sub-seconds, are powered by the calibre 8804, providing this elegant timepiece with a power reserve of 60 hours. On the second, the dauphine-style hands coated with white Super-LumiNova® turn with the help of the calibre 8806 and guarantee 55 hours of autonomy.

The Seamaster 1948 with the sub-seconds comes with a brown leather strap, while the central seconds hand version strap is made of grey-blue leather. Each version comes in a limited edition of 1948 pieces and is displayed in a collector’s case. The hardest thing will be to choose…

Price: 5,200 EUR (sub-seconds) – 5,700 EUR (central seconds hand) omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

CULT DIVE

Going with you on your underwater or urban explorations, Omega’s new version of the Seamaster Diver 300M comes with a more youthful look, while preserving its original personality.

To guarantee more comfort on the wrist, the Seamaster Diver 300M comes with a modified metal strap to make it more user friendly. It features a folding clasp and an extra extension so that it can be adjusted to fit a thick diving suit.

Price: 4,500 EUR (steel strap) – 4,400 EUR (rubber strap) omegawatches.com

By Dan Diaconu

A TIMELESS PODIUM

Official timekeepers for the Olympic Games since 1932, the brand from Bern has restated its love of sport with a trio of watches inspired by the victory podium made of white, red and yellow gold, symbolising the passion of history’s medal-winners.

It’s true that the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang in South Korea have been over for more than a month. But while the sports event is finished, the victory symbolised by an Olympic medal is eternal. Celebrating history and time, Omega, the official timekeepers for the Olympic Games since 1932, has designed a trio of watches in a fairly traditional style. The Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection borrows the colours of the metals used to make the gold, silver and bronze medals. But they have been replaced by three tones of gold – yellow, Sedna^TM (red gold made exclusively from an alloy for Omega) and Canopus^TM (white gold also developed specifically for the brand from Bienne).

This watchmaking podium features a 39.5mm-wide case, a standard size that is both ideal and timeless. It houses the calibre Master Chronometer 8807, a small-sized automatic movement with a co-axial escapement and the METAS certification, and providing 55 hours of autonomy. The mechanism driving the hour, minute and second functions can be seen at work through a screwed caseback equipped with a sapphire crystal window and a ring featuring the names of the cities and dates of the Olympic Games where Omega has been and will be present from 1932 to 2028.

The off-white enamel dial on the Seamaster Olympic Games Gold Collection contains faceted triangular hour markers and leaf-shaped hands, all made of gold. The discreet minute track between the hour markers and the Seamaster name are made of black enamel. And at 12 o’clock is the vintage Omega logo, painted red.

Price: 17,200 CHF (red gold or yellow gold) – 18,800 CHF (white gold)  omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

ON THE PODIUM

To celebrate the 29th Olympic Games, where Omega is the official timekeeper, the brand has released a collection in the Olympic ring colours.

Black, yellow, green, blue and red. These five colours are displayed on the interlaced rings of the Olympic flag, representing the five continents of the participating athletes. This universalism is what Omega seeks to highlight with an original collection in a limited edition: the Seamaster Olympic Games. Each colour appears on the logo, the second hand and the strap. The design of the timepieces in the collection is inspired by different models from the brand’s history. The result? On the curved dial, all the time information stands out clearly, guaranteeing optimal readability. Sports-style hands point towards large indices on a white minute track around the outside of the dial. The numerals of the hours with their remarkable typography ideally contrast with the deep black central disc. A pulsometer in the form of coloured edging surrounds the dial. It is divided into three intervals of 20 seconds each and can be used to count the number of heart beats per minute after you run the 100 metres or any other physical exercise.

The 39.5 cm steel case contains the Master Chronometer 8800 movement. The officially certified chronometer calibre provides the Seamaster with 55 hours of power reserve.

Omega will be the official Olympic timekeepers until 2032. This figure was chosen for the number of pieces made in each colour. On an anodised ring on the back of the watch are engraved all the host cities that have been part of Omega’s Olympic history from 1932 to 2028.

Price: 5,000 CHF

By Dan Diaconu

A TREASURE IN THE DRESSING ROOM

An astute dosage of metal and precious stones, both classical and sophisticated, the new woman’s watch by the brand from Bienne brings together the world of watchmaking and fashion

A few weeks before the opening of BaselWorld 2018, Omega is introducing the most recent arrival in its De Ville Trésor collection, a woman’s watch with an attractive design. Two new references have been added to a family of timepieces with a classic look. With the De Ville Trésor, the Bienne watchmaker is aiming at today’s woman, who likes to treat herself and go beyond fashion, preferring a timeless, but sophisticated style.

At first sight, the two watches seem similar, but the differences appear when you look more closely. First of all, the case width varies depending on the metal it is made from: 39mm for the steel version (which has the advantage of matching all clothes styles and colours) and 35mm for the Sedna^TM gold version (more precious and warmer). The differences continue with the slightly curved dial and the Roman numerals, appearing like the sun’s rays converging towards the centre, where the the alpha- and stick-shaped hands are placed.

On the gold version, the dial is silvery white, the hour rim features golden applied indices and the hour and minute hands are also golden. The steel version, meanwhile, has a lacquered white dial containing blue indicators and hands.

On the watch case, two lines of brilliant-cut diamonds of different diameters run along the bezel and extend to the upper left-hand horn (from 8 o’clock) and the lower right-hand horn (from 2 o’clock). Last but not least, the crown echoes the shape of a flower with five bright-red ceramic petals and the centre set with a diamond.

Price: 8,600 CHF (Sedna^TM gold) – 5,100 CHF (steel)

By Sharmila Bertin

NEW WAVE

As versatile as ever, the new Aqua Terra watches gain in clarity with an even more attractive design. So, are you ready to set off for new watchmaking horizons?

In 2002, Omega opened a new chapter in the Seamaster saga with the Aqua Terra model. Equally at ease at sea and on land, the timepieces in the collection have seen variations over time and a whole host of versions. But they all have some things in common: they are water-resistant down to 150m and have a shock protection system to guarantee the mechanism’s performance. In 2008, the dials were decorated with a “deck” or teak pattern, which became a signature of Aqua Terra. This year, following in the wake of previous models, the design has been changed, with slimmed-down cases and a more symmetrical design. The famous dial pattern now has horizontal and not vertical lines. The date counter has moved from 3 to 6 o’clock. The reference to “water-resistance” is now on the caseback, simplifying the design on the dial, which is more elegant as a result. Reading the time is also easier thanks to wide, traditional hands pointing to triangular indices.

All the watches have Omega’s Master Chronometer certification, guaranteeing the performance of the movements with the COSC seal during exposure to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.

Price: €5,100 (41mm with steel strap)

By Dan Diaconu

A COLLECTOR’S TRIO

To celebrate the 60^th anniversary of three great classics by Omega, the brand has launched limited editions that are just as attractive as the originals.

What do the Seamaster 300, the Railmaster and the Speedmaster have in common? All three were released by Omega in the same year, 1957. The first stood out because of its remarkable level of water-tightness, for the time: down to 300 metres. The second had a reinforced resistance to magnetic fields. As for the third, its precision, water-tightness and solidity managed to win over NASA, who sent it to the moon! To celebrate their 60^th birthdays, the manufacture is re-releasing the watches in a limited series of 3,557 copies. All three combine a polished and satin steel case with a black dial and indices in vintage style, coated with Super-Luminova. They all have steel straps, but also two spare straps, one made of leather, the other a NATO strap, and the presentation case includes a tool you can use to change them.

The 39mm case of the Seamaster 300 comes with a black aluminium bezel, and features the original “Naiad” logo on the crown. The case back, meanwhile, has a seahorse that is strictly identical with the one on the 1957 model. The 38mm case of the Railmaster contains a calibre Master Chronometer 8806 that can resist strong magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. The Speedmaster has a diameter of 38.5mm. The tachymeter scale, located on the bezel and not on the dial, was a first in 1957, and can be found in the same place on the current model.

And if you can’t make up your mind, Omega has brought the three timepieces together in a luxury gift set made of oak and limited to 557 pieces. An elegant leather pouch protects the spare straps.

Price: €6,500 (Seamaster 300) – €6,300 (Railmaster and Speedmaster)

By Dan Diaconu