![]() ![]() Though the co-axial escapement constitutes a serious innovation, one “trend” Omega has followed, however, is today’s obsessive production of limited editions. ![]() When you buy an Omega with a co-axial movement today, you’re getting an advanced mechanism and an important piece of horological history. The co-axial mechanism, Omega argues, reduces service intervals (which lowers the price of ownership), and helps maintain accuracy in a wristwatch. Omega bought the patent in 1999 and has recently built new, high-tech facilities to nurture it - as well as their Master Chronometer program - into the 21st Century. He fixed the friction problem, thus offering the first significant horological contribution in hundreds of years, which he named the co-axial escapement. George Daniels was an orphan in London who, during the 1960s and 70s, worked to fix a friction problem with the standard “lever escapement,” which had regulated mechanical watches for close to three centuries. It was replaced in the Speedmaster by the Caliber 861, only to be revived by Omega in 2019. A 27mm base caliber, the 2310 is highly regarded even beyond Omega circles, having served as the basis of the Patek Philippe CH27-20, the Vacheron Constantin Calibre 1140, and others. The movement that powered the Moonwatch first appeared in 1946 but is based upon a Lemania caliber, the 2310, which debuted in 1942. Chronometer-grade versions took home honors in observatory trials in 1946. “Dirty Dozen” watches of WWII fame, as well as countless examples of oversized dress watches in the post-war decades. Measuring 30mm in diameter, the 30T2 is an evolution of the “30” series that debuted in 1939. The following are a few of the more notable Omega movements: Caliber 30T2 (Indeed, the most famous Speedmaster calibers were essentially Lemania movements.) Regardless of their origins, Omega calibers are often regarded by watchmakers as well-designed, durable, and elegant. Omega has used both third-party movements - or, to be more precise, calibers based upon third-party movements, which it often modified or decorated - as well as completely in-house calibers. It remains the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games and has become a timekeeper of the America’s Cup, the official watch of the James Bond franchise, and one of the most beloved watchmakers in the history of horology. officially changed its name to Omega SA and is today a part of the Swatch Group. In 1984, Louis Brandt et Frère-Omega Watch & Co. Following its appearance on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin during the 1969 moonwalk - and its role in saving the crew of Apollo 13 in 1970 - the Speedmaster became a household name, bringing heretofore unknown fame to the Swiss company. In 1948, Omega launched the Seamaster, a watch that began life as a water-resistant dress watch and quickly morphed into a fully capable dive watch in the form of the Seamaster 300.ġ957 saw the release of the first Speedmaster, a watch commonly associated with the space race but whose design was inspired by automotive racing. Additionally, watches such as the Omega Suveran were used to bolster local wartime economies - in this case, in Sweden. Omega supplied over 100,000 timepieces to British forces during the Second World War, including the 6B/159 and the beloved “Dirty Dozen” W.W.W. The same year, Omega debuted the Marine, commonly accepted as the first dive watch for civilians. Army similarly adopted Omega timepieces in 1918, while the Olympic Games utilized Omega timing equipment for the first time in 1932. In 1917, during the throes of the First World War, the British Royal Flying Corps would officially adopt Omega timepieces, beginning a long relationship with what would become the RAF that lasted for decades. in 1903 and began signing its dials with the Omega name. became Louis Brandt et Frère-Omega Watch & Co. Perhaps most significant with respect to horological history writ large was the debut of the “Omega” caliber in 1894, a 19-ligne, crown-set movement whose interchangeable parts meant for easy service. in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1848, the firm quickly made a name for itself as an innovator: It developed and debuted the first minute-repeating wristwatch in 1892, a full generation before wristwatches themselves came into vogue following the First World War. Though not quite as slow to evolve as Rolex, the Maison has incrementally developed its watches such that they feel simultaneously historical (though not anachronistic) and modern (though not trendy).įounded by Louis Brandt as La Generale Watch Co. Omega has been around under one name or another since 1848, but today’s lineup draws heavily on its classic mid-20th-century designs. ![]()
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