Proving the Bienne-based watchmaker can play ball (bearings) with the likes of Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe, and A. Lange & Söhne, Omega has just released its most complicated movement yet. The duo of releases link two of Omega’s most well-known achievements — its status as the first watch worn on the moon in 1962 and its selection of official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932 — with a lesser-discussed, yet equally as impressive one; producing the first minute repeated wristwatch in 1892.
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Both releases feature the same movement, the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932; a fully integrated chronograph and minute repeater. The dual complication was produced in collaboration with sister company Blancpain and works by fusing both watch functions together in a single movement, making it the most complicated calibre Omega has created.
The Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932 makes its way into two new striking timepieces, the Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime and the Speedmaster Chrono Chime. The new Omega Olympic 1932 Chime takes its design cues from the pocket chronographs used to time the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games and essentially looks like a pocket watch on a strap.
A silver hand-made guilloché inner bezel wraps around the perimeter of the grand feu enamel dial. The subdials take on the same silver guilloché, with the pattern being an exact visual representation of the soundwaves produced by the watch’s chimes. Encased in Omega’s 18k Sedna Gold, the Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime produces a resonant sound that befits its name when struck. Double hammers, fitted with an insert of hardened steel, hit the 18k Sedna Gold gongs; fixed to the case, these gongs produce maximum chime and are a nod to the bells used by Omega to signal the last lap at the Olympics.
Despite its vintage aesthetic, its proportions cater to contemporary tastes, with a case size of 45mm. On the dial, the central house and minute hands in blued PVD, with the subdial hands on the small seconds at 6 o’clock and the 15-minute recorder at 12 o’clock also designed to match. A blued CVD central seconds hand a red varnished split-seconds hand promotes legibility, while the petit feu enamel Arabic numerals are suitably elegant.
The chime pusher at 5 o’clock is embellished with an embossed music note while the split-seconds pusher at 11 o’clock features a polished ring filled with red hybrid ceramic, designed to mirror the appearance of the split-seconds hand. In deference to its pocket watch-inspired aesthetic, in addition to two leather straps, the timepiece also comes with two leather cords that allow the Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime to be worn around the neck as a stopwatch.
For those who prefer the classic Moonwatch aesthetic Omega has become known for, the Speedmaster Chrono Chime is the way to go. A supersized version of the original, the 45mm case is inspired by the 2nd generation Speedmaster and crafted from 18k Sedna Gold. the blue aventurine grand feu enamel dial plays host to an inner bezel and subdials in 18k Sedna Gold with a guilloché pattern identical to the Olympic Games tribute model.
Blued CVD subdial hands and a red-tipped dial hand add minimalist colour to the display. While both timepieces are kept running by the same Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932 (visible through the exhibition caseback), the pushers are in different positions. On the Speedmaster Chrono Chime, the chime is at 8 o’clock and split-seconds at 2 o’clock. The watch is presented on a bracelet and buckle crafted from the same 18k Sedna Gold.
The Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime is priced at a hefty ₣450,000CHF (approx. $700,000AUD), making it the most expensive serially produced Omega release of all time.
Words by John Deckard
