Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” Numbered Edition Chronograph

While there have already been comments bewailing the fact thatthe Speedmaster “First Omega in Space” fiftieth anniversary numbered edition isnot the size of the Speedmaster Professional, perhaps said commentators may be somewhatmollified when they consider the unparalleled value offered  by this commemorative piece. Besides, it isappropriate that a watch that honours Wally Schirra’s choice to give his CK2998 Speedmaster some wrist time – two years and five months prior to NASAofficially adopting the Speedmaster - aboard the Mercury Atlas mission of 1962is sized as its contemporaries were.

Of the Speedmaster offerings at Baselworld, this is thepurists version. The other two, notwithstanding the allure of the Z – 33, canbe seen as ‘monetisations’ of the Speedmaster’s incredible brand power.  Tracing its genotype back to the classic calibre321 that powered Schirra’s original Speedie, the calibre 1861 under the bonnet offersauthenticity and great value for money for the USD 5,300.00 price tag. 

The hand-wound calibre 1861 is still one of the smallestchronograph movements on the market and this allows a nice comfortable caseheight of 14mm in the Schirra Speedie. The case aesthetics are of the laterperiod and feature the familiar faceted lugs. The 1861 is fundamentally the same calibre as that designed by Lemania’sAlbert Piguet in 1942. The main differences between its early predecessors arethat of a column wheel having been replaced by a cam, a steel braking lever replacedby a more shock-resistant Delrin lever and a change of balance and beat rate.  For a chronograph movement to have been aroundfor seventy years with so few modifications is a testament to the brillianceand execution of its design. 

      

The classic ‘white on black’ lacquered dial, originally inspiredby the instruments on Italian cars of the period, together with the Alpha handsprovides superb readability.  The hourmarkers and hour and minute hands are coated with super luminova.  Unlike the original, the Schirra commemorativeSpeedmaster has a sapphire crystal to better protect the dial from the bumpsand grinds of contemporary life.

As a numbered edition, special attention has been paid tothe screw-in caseback.  The Seahorse medallion(the Speedmaster was conceived as part of the Seamaster collection) is deeplyembossed, and around the perimeter of the medallion in raised lettering are thewords “THE FIRST OMEGA IN SPACE” and “OCTOBER 3, 1962”, The numbering is etchedon the case back rim.  The watch comeswith a brown stitched leather strap.

There are many reports of the how’s and whys of NASAchoosing the Speedmaster as the official NASA mission watch, and it behooves anyproud owner of a ‘real’ Speedie to know the history of the marque. A goodwrite-up on the NASA evaluation and testing process can be found here.  A fuller history of this iconic brand can befound here. From the inception of the concept, Omega’s design chief, PierreMoinat, wanted the Speedie to both stand out from the crowd and appear thenatural choice for a motoring chronograph. He succeeded on both counts, andOmega is not boasting when it states that the Speedmaster is the “world’sdefinitive chronograph”.   

The Schirra commemorative Speedmaster will be availableafter September 2012

Basel-world 2012: The Omega Spacemaster Z-33

Ever since Omega somewhat belatedly patentedits ‘Ligne Pilote’ case design in November 2010, watch aficionados knewsomething was up. Informed speculation leaned towards an upgraded X33 sittingin a pilot line case.....and it was right. 

Featuring a freshly minted calibre 5566quartz movement, the Z-33 offers analogue time-telling adjustable at the crownand a range of digital functions that will be very useful to pilots - even inthese days of iPads and digital paraphernalia that allow pilots to doeverything except have sex with their chief stewardesses. Functionsinclude Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and two other time zones, also allowingowners to cross theinternational date line and accommodate forward and regressive datechanges.  The chronograph function of themovement can measure elapsed time from destination, and ten separate flightscan be logged and represented visually

With four pushers and a crown, the SpacemasterZ-33 is a complicated piece of kit. If you have problems programming digitalrecorders or setting up a new television set, this will really flummox you.But, with a little practice and a certified membership from MENSA, you shouldget the hang of it! 

The design is pure brutalism with adark side that will appeal to anyone who nurtures and enjoys their Jungianshadow. The classic titanium pilot line case, a derivative of the Flightmastercases of the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies,  features a deep linear adoucissage finish thatradiates from the centre point of the watch and you can almost cut yourself, orothers, with the sharpness of the perimeter edges. The 19.3 mm case is much thicker than theearlier Flightmaster cases and overall measurements are a whopping 43mm by53mm.  

The dial is simplicity itself. A deepcharcoal ground is highlighted with white superluminova indices with the outerring featuring the classic Flightmaster five-minute configuration. Two mirrorimage digital displays with black backgrounds pulse out red characters.  Dagger hands, also coated in superluminova areskeletonised to allow better visibility of the digital displays.

A choice of rubber or leather straps isoffered, but the rubber strap with the red outlines, in my opinion, completes theimplicit ‘menace’ of the design story. This is the ultimate electro-mechanical tool watch, and it may wellbecome a cult piece just as the Omega X-33 has. Available only from Omega boutiques, the Z-33 will set you back aroundUSD 5900.00 and will be available from May, 2012.

Oh, and for those who may have described, or willdescribe, this wonderful piece of ordinance as “fugly’, I simply ask, have youlooked at yourself in the mirror lately?

Omega Speedmaster Racing Chronograph

I’m not going to say much about this 40mm, $4800.00 entry-levelSpeedmaster, save that it looks racy, sporty, fun and is generally a nice piece ofdesign. It will certainly hook in the neophytes and those who don’t know their Speedmastersfrom their Mixmasters.  

Said to honour the Speedmaster’s original purpose, that ofan accoutrement to well heeled petrol-heads who were into car racing, this new,let’s call it a driving Speedie, comes with a choice of dial colourcombinations including maroon and blue, and you may pick between a standardbracelet or black rubberised band with colour outlines.

The subdials arefinished in what is described as a “Clous de Paris” pattern. Clou is a Frenchword used colloquially to refer to carbuncles and boils, and also to nails andother forms of fastening. I suspect the Omega marketing department would much preferus to think of the latter definitions, as I can’t imagine they would have usview the subdials as being finished in the style of a Parisian boil.

It’s what under the bonnet that doesn’t impress me atall.  Hyperbole for effect, but if you’relooking for a movement that needs to be tucked into bed and told a story everynight just to keep it happy, then maybe this model is for you.  If you want a Real Man’s Speedmaster, thenyou have only one movement choice, the bulletproof calibre 1861.

I thought Omega was going to consign the effetePiguette-based chronograph movements to its women’s collection, and to see acalibre 3330 under the Speedmaster appellation is a tad disappointing. Why nota worked up calibre 1164 based on the famous Valjoux 7750 ‘tracteur’?  At least it would stand up to the kind of bullying towhich men’s watches are often subjected.  

You'll have to wait until November before this collection reaches Omega boutiques and retailers.  

Omega Day-Date Thirtieth Anniversary Constellation

The Constellation Day-Date has been a long time returning. Thelast fully in-house Constellation movement with the day-date complication wasthe calibre 1021, phased out in 1979. 

Between now and July, Omega will release various iterationsof the 38 mm case Day-Date Constellation, starting with diamond bezel models that will setyou back between thirteen and thirty-eight thousand dollars and culminating inthe release of the all stainless model with black dial in July, priced ataround $8300 US Dollars. I say “culminating” because I think the black dialledall stainless Day-Date is a classic in the making. 

Under the dial is a modified calibre 8500 movement which Omegahas designated as the calibre 8602 to identify the Date-Date complication.  This family of ‘in-house’ co-axial calibresnow has five years of history behind it; five years in which no major design ormanufacturing fault has surfaced,  atruly remarkable track record for a new calibre.  Featuring a silicon balance and co-axialescapement, the series is one of the most beautiful looking new millennium movementson the market.

The Constellation Day-Date arrived at Baselworld 2012,thirty years after Carol Didisheim’s first Manhattan version with the famous griffes(or claws) created a sensation at Baselworld in 1982. (Click here for the storyof how the griffes came about).  I’msurprised that Omega has not made more of the Didisheim link to today’sConstellations and  acknowledged hercontribution to one of the most enduring designs in contemporary Swisswatchmaking. 

There is a remarkable balance to the dial design that respectsthe minimalist approach to Constellation dials. The curved day aperture istucked neatly between the eleven and one o’clock markers and the date aperture unobtrusivelyreplaces the six o’clock marker.   

While most men will eschew bezels that have the numerals setwith 116 full-cut diamonds (seen in the picture above),  a wait of a mere four months will net you asilvered or black dialled version of this classic thirty-nine jewel chronometer. 

Omega’s First Baselworld Release – Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT

At last! ....an Omega Aqua Terra GMT powered by one ofOmega’s new generation movements.  The mostrecent AT GMT on offer was the chronograph version powered by the Piguet-Based calibre3603, and while it had the looks, some argued that it didn't have the rightmovement at its heart. To be officially released during Baselworld 2012 in amatter of weeks, this AT GMT has both: aesthetics uninterrupted by chronographsub-dials and a GMT modification built on to Omega’s exclusive calibre 8500series of co-axials.  Designated as theOmega Co-Axial series 8605/8615 this is the first of OMEGA’s exclusive‘in-house’ movements to carry the GMT complication. The movement is equippedwith a silicon balance spring and Omega’s confident four-year warranty applies.

I have waxed lyrical on the ATs dial and case design inearlier reviews, so you will not have to endure any lapse into purple prose here,save to reiterate that a GMT complication on a clean dial is so much easier onthe eyes than such complications on chronographs – no fairground busy-ness here,just outer and inner chapter rings in complete harmony with the circularity ofthe dial and the date aperture subtly placed at six o’clock. The GMT registeris tucked neatly into the ambit of the applied markers and the GMT hand,marginally longer than the hour hand, is outlined in red to make itstwenty-four hour rotation visible but not over-powering. The red touches on thedark teak dial and GMT hand add just the right measure of sportiness to thispiece without limiting the occasions on which the watch can be worn.

All dial furniture is either 18k white or red gold,depending on the case metal chosen, and the hands and indices are coated withwhite Super-Luminova. At 43mm, it’s a big watch and I would have liked to have seenthis 2012 offering measure in at around 39 to 40mm, the size of the new CertinaDSI release at Baselworld this year. Non-Chronograph case sizes, in general, diminishedlast year at Baselworld and it will be interesting to see what the trend is in2012.  Ultra thin watches are also makinga comeback (check out the new Rado Thin-Line range) and while clunk and chunkwill no doubt still reign supreme, keep an eye out for what the cutting edgeand style-meisters of watch design are doing.

The AT GMT will be available in Stainless Steel, red gold ortwo-tone models and can be accessorised by matching bracelets or a choice of black,brown or blue leather straps. Expect the price of the Stainless version to hover around the USD 8,500 mark.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Chronograph Co-Axial calibre 9301

The Omega Speedmaster family is one of the most visiblewatch collections in the world. While the early antecedents were great spacetravellers and accompanied NASA astronauts on their momentous space missions ofthe late nineteen-sixties and seventies, some of the more recent progeny thathaven’t carried the authentic moonwatch gene have, in my opinion, let theirillustrious fore-fathers and mothers down. I’m pleased to say that the new Speedmaster Co-Axial calibre 9301 model isnot one of them.

For purists, the only Speedmasters worth embellishing thewrist are those that are linear descendents of the moon watch (the calibre321/861/1861 progression), and such tastes are amply catered for with thelimited edition Apollo 15 Anniversary model and the Speedmaster Professionalrange. But, for those who hankered for an automatic version that still offeredsome historical rub-off, the most recent options have been limited to modelspowered by the somewhat effete Piguet-based 33xx and 36xx calibres. Theexception was the more strapping 3212.80.00 calibre1164 date range based on thefamous Valjoux 7750 ‘tracteur, but that was superceded by the sissier calibre3304 versions.

The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Chronograph Co-Axial calibre9301 (seen above in the 18k orange gold iteration) adds muscle back into the automatic collection with a new in-house automaticmovement that was designed from the bottom plate up for robustness and accuracy.This collection pays due homage to the famous design elements of theProfessional – classic black dial, tachymeter and original hands – and blowsthe size of the watch out to a weapons-grade 44.25 mm.  Not for the faint-hearted and likely to causea back injury to anyone weighing less than 170 pounds, this piece is meant tobe worn with a swagger.

Perhaps a fat wallet lodged in the right-hand back pocketwill help owners of this new Super-Speedie maintain vertical equilibrium, becausethey will certainly need a sizeable stash to pay the $35,000.00 plus for theplatinum version. The more reasonably priced stainless steel version will stilldent the pocketbook at $7,000 dollars plus, with the ‘orange’ gold versionpriced in the middle.

So, what are you getting for your money?  The answer is that you’re paying for twenty-firstcentury movement that is one of the most technologically advanced machinescurrently in production: co-axial escapement, free-sprung balance, innovativecolumn wheel and vertical clutch arrangement, silicon balance spring, new-agematerials in some of the components, novel two subdial chronograph configuration,beautifully executed case, an upgraded bracelet that allows better adjustmentwhen links are removed, a four year warranty and a COSC certified chronometer watchthat promises to deliver outstanding reliability over a long period of time. 

The Omega Seamaster 1948 Co Axial "London 2012" Limited Edition

The Seamaster 1948 homage caused more than a few ooohs and aaahs amongst Omega devotees at this year's Baselworld watch fair, and, fortunately, for those instant gratificationists who cannot wait for the 2012 opening ceremony and must have one now, this limited edition of nineteen-hundred and forty-eight pieces goes on sale on July 27^th.   

The Seamaster 1948 is derivative, rather than an entirely faithful replica, of one of the very first of this line to be released: the calibre 343 RG powered Seamaster chronometer, model 2518.  Seen below, this beefy lugged celebrity is one of the most collectible of the early bullet-proof, “bumper” calibres. And, it is an entirely appropriate choice for the 2012 Olympics, commemorating Omega’s timing of the 1948 London Olympics known as the “Austere Games”. At that time, large parts London were still in ruins; food rationing remained in force, and rubble strewn streets were still a common sight. The 1948 London Olympics was also notable for being the only Olympics where athletes brought their own food and "the Magic Eye", Omega's newly developed photo-finish technology was used for the first time. 

In comparing the two pieces, the similarities, rather than slight differences, in design stories become apparent. The applied Arabic numerals at the quarter hour are almost identical, save for the six o’ clock marker that is not present in the original. The faceted arrowhead markers, again, are reasonably accurate facsimiles, the rounded Lance Alpha hands are true to the originals and the chapter ring is the same. The big difference is the size of the sub-seconds dial and the use of a flat opaline surface in place of the domed silvered dial on the 1948 version.  The seconds sub-dial could not be located lower on the dial because of the 26mm calibre 2202 movement powering this larger commemorative model. However, I would have liked to have seen a replication of the domed dial as it softens the overall styling of the piece.  

The case of the Co-Axial is 39mm in diameter, 5mm larger than the vintage version, and while the wide polished bezel and case middle have been reproduced faithfully, the polished lugs on the new version are marginally more curved. An 18 karat London Olympics medallion replaces the original plain case back. Designed by Wolff Olins, this official logo adds collecting provenance to the piece.

 The power plant is, as mentioned above, the exclusive Omega calibre 2202 co-axial. This movement is basically a jewelled-up calibre 2500C with a sub-seconds configuration, a heavily modified version of the ETA calibre 2982. It has appeared in previous museum homage watches such as the Omega Centenary limited edition piece and also provides the power for the De Ville Prestige collection.  Featuring a three-level co-axial escapement and breguet overcoil balance, the movement offers a power reserve of around 48 hours and is chronometer certified.

So, does the 48 Co-Axial stand as a worthy successor to previous Seamaster Olympic commemorative watches? I think so. Its classic design certainly stirred the passions of collectors at Baselworld, and while I would have rather seen it come with a domed dial, it needs to be remembered that the watch is a contemporary take on an old favourite. Priced at around $USD 5500.00, it is not cheap for a steel cased, 2500-based Omega, however its limited numbers and Olympic associations almost guarantee its future collectability.  On aesthetics alone, I think I would take the plunge.