Basel 2008 Report: Omega
By: Marcus Hanke (registered) Saturday, April 19th, 2008Basel 2008 Report: Omega
Text: Timm Delfs & Dr. Melvyn Teillol-Foo
Pictures: Omega & Irene Ang
Text: Timm Delfs & Dr. Melvyn Teillol-Foo
Pictures: Omega & Irene Ang
Apart from its own 160th anniversary, in the year of the Olympic Games in Beijing the great brand from Biel celebrates the figure of 8. It has good reasons to do so - the brand belonging to the Swatch Group is the official timekeeper of the games and 8 is THE lucky number in China. The marketing people have therefore minutely orchestrated the launches of their new models all the way until the start of the games. Its collection began being launched on August 8 last year with a set of Constellation watches. It was followed on October 25th 2007 (288 days from the opening ceremony) by a DeVille chronograph whose seconds hand’s counterweight is in the shape of the Olympic Rings. One hundred days later a limited edition Aqua Terra chronograph followed (2008 pieces of each of the two editions). 88 days before the opening ceremony there is a special edition Double Eagle chrono featuring a Co-Axial escapement. On the dial the minute and hour counters form an 8. 288 pieces of each of three editions (yellow, red and white gold) are made.
On the day of the opening of the Olympic Games itself Omega will sell 88 pieces of a commemorative watch, the Seamaster XXIX. It will only be available in Beijing itself. Its 37mm yellow gold case encompasses the automatic Omega Co-Axial calibre 2403. The design of the timepiece reflects the looks of the Seamaster XVI that had been launched in 1956 to commemorate Omega’s role as timekeeper in the 16th Olympic Games in Melbourne.
To top the whole story Omega has created a shrine in the shape of a pagoda that shall be sold at a price of 888’888 Swiss Francs. Its eight drawers contain one of each special Olympic edition watches, each bearing the number 8, plus three “Olympic Split Seconds Chronograph 1932” in the three colours of gold corresponding of course to the colours of Olympic medals. The cupboard that is limited to one piece thus contains 35 timepieces.
Talking about technology we should not forget to talk about the latest edition of the “Hour Vision”, the Annual Calendar. Additionally to Omega’s manufacture automatic calibre 8500 with Co-Axial escapement it features a module with a day-date calendar that takes into consideration the different lengths of the months. It has to be corrected only once a year: at the end of February. The amazing thing about this movement called cal. 8611 is its immediate change of day and date at midnight. Unfortunately Omega didn’t show us the workings of the module.
In 2007, Lot 211 sold for SFr 64,900 (commission included) at the Omegamania Auction. It was listed as " ALASKA PROJECT " prototype:
Omega, "Speedmaster Professional", No. 29116425, Ref. ST. 145.0022-69. One of a small number of prototypes made between 1971 and 1973. Exceptionally rare and fine, asymmetric, water-resistant, stainless steel gentleman`s wristwatch with round button chronograph, 12-hour and 30-minute registers, black bezel with tachometer, "Apollo" hands for the 12-hour and 30-minute registers and a stainless steel Omega bracelet and deployant clasp. Accompanied by a large red two-body thermo-protective case.
The Alaska Project was led by Pierre Chopard from 1971 to 1973 to improve the Speedmaster by creating a watch suited to the low temperatures in space. The Swiss patent CH 537170 was granted on 31 May, 1973, for an outer case designed to protect the watch from extreme temperature variations. The watch's dial was coated with zinc oxide; this material provided the highest resistance to solar radiation. NASA's response to the prototype, however, was that they saw no need to improve on the Speedmaster. The project therefore remained a prototype...........until today.
This caught our eyes as a novelty limited edition and the numbers produced are not too silly. 1970 pieces is not that "limited" but it's better than 2008 or some such number. The good news is that under the fancy aluminium alloy outer thermo-case there is a decent Speedmaster watch with matt white dial. I wonder if it is still made of Titanium Oxide like the prototypes?
Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project"
311.32.42.30.04.001
Movement: OMEGA calibre 1861 Manual-winding Chronograph
Jewels: 18
Frequency: 21'600 A/h (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 45 hours
Features: Glucydur balance
Movement used in the famous "Moon Watch"
Watch case
Diameter : 42.00 mm
Height : 13.55 mm
Water resistant up to : 50 m (167 ft)
Polished and brushed stainless steel casebody, stainless steel bezel, black aluminium ring with tachymeter scale
Stainless steel crown and pushers, Omega logo on crown
Domed hesalite crystal with Omega logo at the centre
Screwed-in stainless steel caseback stamped with seahorse medallion, "Flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space mission", "Alaska Project" and engraved with limited edition number
Outer case
Diameter : 58.00 mm (closed)
Height : 26.00 mm (with watch inside)
Material : aluminium
Surface treatment : red, by "sulphuric decorative anodising" (eloxage)
Velcro strap openings : at 6H and 12H
External chronograph pushers : polished stainless steel, inner protection tip in Delrin
Inner ground for watch holding : 4 stainless steel pistons, protection tip in Delrin Front inscriptions : "Alaska Project" at 12H, "Outer Space Extreme Temperature Instrument" at 6H, 60-minute track
Back inscriptions : Omega name-logo, "Speedmaster Professional" at the centre; "Limited edition of 1970 watches"; "Temperature resistance [-148°C — +260°C]
Side inscriptions : Omega logo between pushers; "Close" with directional sign between 9H-10H
Display
Central hour-minute hands, small seconds at 9H
Central chronograph seconds hand, 30-minute recorder at 3H
12-hour recorder at 6H
Dial:
Semi-matt white dial; Transferred Omega name-logo, hour markers coated with Super-LumiNova
Hands:
Varnished black-and-white hour-minute hands coated with Super-LumiNova, varnished black small seconds hand at 9H
Red central Chronograph seconds hand with Super-LumiNova
Varnished black chronograph recorder hands in shuttle shape, coated with Super-LumiNova
Bracelet:
Polished and brushed stainless steel bracelet with safety clasp; Two Velcro straps with brushed red aluminium buckle
Fitting: 20 mm between lugs
Specifications:
Limited edition of 1970 pieces
Special presentation box with a set of tools.
For Baselworld 2008, Omega presented too many new watches. Many of them were emblazoned with the Olympic logo or theme because Omega has the watch marketing tie-up with the Beijing Olympics 2008. Assuming nothing else goes wrong, the Games are scheduled to start at 18:00 local time on 08/08/08....okay...we get the symbolism already as the numeral '8' is considered lucky by Chinese. We have the Olympic Collection Beijing 2008 with their cutesie 5 multicoloured rings at 8H position on the dial, Olympic Collection Timeless and the Olympic Pocket watch 1932 - we're all "Olympic -ringed" out and it's still only April.
The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" is probably Omega's best piece presented at Basel this year. Affordable, Funky, Fun. Proud Sponsor of Basel 2008 Reports
Baselworld: Basel 2008 Overview | AHCI and Independents, Part II | AHCI and Independents, Part I | Blancpain | Breguet | Chopard L.U.C | Chronoswiss | Concord | Daniel Roth | Glashütte Original | De Grisogono | Ebel | Eterna and Porsche Design | Gerald Genta | Jaquet Droz | Omega | Patek Philippe | Pierre DeRoche | Rolex | Ulysse Nardin | SIHH Reports: SIHH 2008 Overview | A. Lange & Sohne | Audemars Piguet | Cartier | Girard-Perregaux | IWC | Jaeger-LeCoultre | Jean Richard | Montblanc | Panerai | Parmigiani | Piaget | Roger Dubuis | Vacheron Constantin | Van Cleef & Arpels Geneva Reports: F.P. Journe | Maitres du Temps | Max Busser & Friends | Richard Mille | Urwerk
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