Here are a couple of more interesting news items from OMEGA at Basel 2008. The new regular edition OMEGA Bond Watch has officially made its appearance and its now in black. The bezel and dial are all black. Also the rumor is that this will replace the current blue Bond Watch which will be discontinued.
OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel" from Basel World 2008
OMEGA finally has done the unthinkable... they have given the Speedmaster its OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 3313 movement!!! While it was bound to happen sooner or later, many OMEGA watch enthusiasts, like myself, were holding onto slim hope that the classic Speedmaster "Moonwatch" will continue to live on, with its 1861 engine, forever.
Here is the new OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel".
Now what will happen to the 3570.50.00 Moonwatch? No one knows yet. My guess is that OMEGA will eventually phase it out, in favor of the new Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel". Or maybe they will keep both in the Speedmaster line-up. Afterall, the 3570.50.00 is NASA certified and one of the requirements from NASA is that the watches need to be manual-wind or battery powered, as an automatic may not work in space. I doubt OMEGA will throw away decades of tradition with the new Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel".
Regardless of what happens, I like the new Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel". The enlarged 44.25mm size will have better wrist presence while the addition of the date feature will prove to be extremely useful.
OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel"
The larger, Co-Axial evolution of a space pioneer - The Moonwatch finally gets a date!
We never get tired of saying it: the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch is the only watch ever to have been worn on the Moon. The new Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel" respects the legendary design aesthetics of its famous ancestor and combines them with some distinctive features which give it its own unique personality. The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel" has a 44.25 mm case, reflecting the current enthusiasm for large watches. It houses the exclusive self-winding OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 3313 whose Escapement and free sprung balance deliver long-term accuracy and reliability. The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel" is a COSC-certified chronometer with a sophisticated column-wheel chronograph mechanism. The dial, created in brilliant black enamel, is the centrepiece of the watch's dramatic appearance. The date window at 6 o'clock also sets the Moonwatch "Enamel" apart from the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Enamel" pays homage to the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch – there's a distinct family resemblance. However, its stunning enamel dial and its Co-Axial performance announce that this is a watch which would succeed on its own terms even without a celebrated relative!
OMEGA has announced some new watches to their collection - a new Aqua Terra, Seamaster and Speedmaster limited editions. I like the new Black Bond Seamaster and Speedmaster Legend but the 007 second hand and useless bezel showing Schumacher's F1 achievements, respectively, ruins them for me.
OMEGA James Bond 007 Collector's Piece
For the past decade, Her Majesty's Secret Service agent 007 has been wearing an Omega Seamaster watch. Fans of the iconic spy, along with enthusiasts of fine watches, wait in anticipation of each new version of the timepiece.
Their patience will soon be rewarded. Omega will be releasing a special update of the incredibly popular Seamaster Diver 300m James Bond watch which has been worn by 007 since GoldenEye.
The "James Bond 007 Collector's Piece" is the most elegant version yet and the next step in the evolution of the Seamaster Diver 300m James Bond watches. Anyone familiar with the classic James Bond's watch with its trademark blue bezel will be in for some surprises!
Visually striking, the "James Bond 007 Collector's Piece" features a polished, lacquered black dial with black gold plated hour markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. The luminous hour and minute hands are also plated with black gold. The watch has a central seconds hand with a red tip and a red "007" logo as a counterweight which rotates in stark contrast to its black dial. Only 10,007 pieces of this exclusive Seamaster will be produced. Paying tribute to Omega's long partnership with the world's favorite secret agent, it is destined to be an instant collector's item.
OMEGA Michael Schumacher "The Legend" Co-Axial Chronograph
The Speedmaster "The Legend" Co-Axial Chronograph pays fitting tribute to Formula One and to Michael Schumacher, arguably the greatest racing driver of all time. The 44.25 mm brushed and polished stainless steel case features a black dial whose carbonfibre pattern is reminiscent of the strong, light material so important in contemporary racing car construction.
The bezel is fitted with a black aluminium ring dedicated to Schumi's sporting achievements. The Arabic numerals from one to seven on the dial denote the OMEGA Ambassador's unprecedented seven Formula One championships. Any watch connected to Michael Schumacher has to deliver championship performance: the Speedmaster "The Legend" Chronograph's self-winding OMEGA movement features our revolutionary Co-Axial Escapement, giving the watch amazing accuracy and reliability. It is a COSC-certified chronometer with a column-wheel chronograph mechanism - the mark of a superior chronograph. "The Legend" Chronograph is available on either a specially-designed rubber strap with a characteristic Formula One tyre profile or with a polished and brushed stainless steel bracelet. OMEGA's Speedmaster "The Legend" Co-Axial Chronograph: one champion honours another!
OMEGA Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA"
The OMEGA Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA" was inspired by and created in honour of the Solar Impulse project whose ambition is to circumnavigate the globe in an airplane powered only by the sun. The Solar Impulse prototype, which is referred to by its registration number, HB-SIA (Hotel Bravo Solar Impulse Alpha), aims to validate the plane's innovative construction technologies and procedures. If the results are conclusive, it could make a solar-powered 36-hour flight - the equivalent of a complete day-night-day cycle - in 2009. Recognising the planet's urgent need to develop safe, sustainable energy sources, OMEGA is actively participating in the project as one of its Main Partners, contributing engineering technology and capital. The Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA" salutes the enthusiastic pioneering spirit driving the project. The watch combines elegant but sporty design with cutting-edge technology. Its dramatic, Speedmaster-influenced dial is made of black carbon fibre similar to the HB-SIA's composite covering. The slightly-recessed black chronograph and small seconds counters creatively contribute to the watch's outstanding legibility. Another detail on the timepiece's unique dial is the discreet "HB-SIA" appearing in ochre on the dial at 12 o'clock. The Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA" features central hour, minute hand, and chronograph seconds hand. There is also a central GMT hand, with an airplane-shaped pointer, which completes one rotation in 24 hours and can be used to read a second time zone. The GMT hand can also be used for compass orientation: When the watch's hour hand is pointed in the direction of the sun, the GMT hand, when it is adjusted to the same time on the 24-hour GMT scale, will indicate north. The titanium bezel is fixed with a matte black aluminium ring and features the designation "TACHYMETER BASE 1000" in ochre with a tachymeter index. The 44.25 mm case is fashioned of brushed, polished titanium and is presented either on a matching titanium bracelet or a rubber strap designed especially for the watch. The distinctive, textured finish on the inside of the rubber strap is reminiscent of the Solar Impulse's carbon fibre-honeycomb composite structure. The Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA" is a numbered edition and its number is engraved on the caseback which also features a colourful, etched Solar Impulse HB-SIA patch. The watch is powered by the exclusive Omega Calibre 3603 whose revolutionary Co-Axial Escapement and free sprung balance deliver stable long-term accuracy and reliability and is a COSC-certified chronometer. It is equipped with a sophisticated column-wheel chronograph mechanism. The Speedmaster GMT "HB-SIA" is a fitting tribute from a watchmaker renowned for its pioneering spirit to its partner in one of the most significant adventures in the planet's history. It's a logical step for OMEGA: after the Moon, the sun.
OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project"
In the early 1970s OMEGA's Alaska Project team (named in reference to the temperatures in America's 49th state) started to develop an outer case for the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch to protect it from the extreme temperatures of space. At the time, NASA was considering the practicality of exploring the dark side of the Moon and OMEGA wanted to ensure that the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch would function well at these temperatures.
NASA, however, declared that the Speedmaster was perfect as it was and already met all of their needs; thus, the Speedmaster "Alaska Project" with its distinctive red-anodised aluminium outer case remained a prototype. Omegamania, a thematic auction dedicated exclusively to OMEGA collectors' timepieces, offered one of the prototypes in April of 2007. The successful bid was CHF 64,900.
Now, the new Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" honours its robust namesake with a limited edition of 1,970 pieces. Ideal for the most intrepid of adventurers, it is temperature resistant (in space) between -148° C and +260°C, a range of more than 400 degrees! At the heart of the Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" is the legendary OMEGA calibre 1861, which was also used in the iconic Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. The manual-winding chronograph has a power reserve of 45 hours.
Its 42 mm case is made of polished and brushed stainless steel and the bezel is fitted with a black aluminium ring with a tachymeter scale. The rugged timepiece has central hour and minute hands with the small seconds hand located at 9 o'clock. The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" has a white dial which provides a particularly effective thermal reflection coefficient. The central chronograph seconds hand is bold red; the 30-minute recorder in the 3 o'clock position and the 12-hour recorder at 6 o'clock have large triangular counterweights, the so-called "Apollo hands".
What sets the Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" apart from every other watch in the world, however, is the stunning, red-anodised aluminium outer case. The unusual colour, which is the result of anodic oxidation treatment (eloxage), was not chosen for aesthetic reasons - no other colour offered the same level of protection from temperature shock. The case safely encloses the watch, protecting it from every temperature extreme, while allowing full use of the chronograph function with the ingenious system of "mushroom" pushers.
The remarkable timepiece is delivered with black and white Velcro straps on brushed red - anodised aluminium buckles and with a stainless steel bracelet. The Speedmaster Moonwatch "Alaska Project" comes in a special presentation box along with the red-anodised aluminium outer case and a set of tools - it is the ultimate expression of OMEGA's legendary pioneering spirit.
OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra Gents' Collection
The Gents' models in the new OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra Collection have been created in two case sizes, 41.5 mm and 38.5 mm. The 41.5 mm watches are driven by the revolutionary OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501 which has re-defined mechanical watchmaking for the 21st century. The 38.5 mm cases are equipped with a choice of the Co-Axial calibre 8500/8501 or the OMEGA quartz calibre 1538. The 38.5 mm case size has also found a loyal following among women who enjoy OMEGA watches.
The 41.5 mm models are delivered with 18-Ct red gold, stainless steel or blended (18-Ct red gold and stainless steel) cases and matching bracelets. The 18-Ct red gold case is also offered with a brown alligator leather strap.
The 38.5 mm Co-Axial models come in 18-Ct red gold, 18-Ct yellow gold, stainless steel or blended (18-Ct red or 18-Ct yellow gold with stainless steel) and matching bracelets. There are also 18-Ct red gold and 18-Ct yellow gold versions with brown alligator leather straps. The 38.5 mm case with the quartz movement is available in stainless steel with a stainless steel bracelet.
The 18-Ct gold and the blended models have grey "Teck Concept" dials highlighted with vertical lines; the stainless steel watches are offered with a choice of Teck grey or Teck opaline silver dials. Those with 18-Ct red or 18-Ct yellow gold have brushed and polished hands and hour markers in matching colours; brushed and polished 18-Ct white gold hands and hour markers complete the automatic stainless steel versions. The brushed and polished hands and hour markers are coated with a powerful new white Super-LumiNova.
De Ville Hour Vision Annual Calendar Limited Series
The De Ville Hour Vision Annual Calendar Limited Series is the refined result of 160 years of experience in the art of making mechanical watches. At the heart of the Hour Vision Annual Calendar is the exclusive OMEGA calibre 8611, a high-precision COSC-certified chronometer with an instantaneous jump annual calendar complication. This annual calendar automatically recognizes months with 30 and 31 days and needs to be manually corrected only once a year, on the first of March.
These extraordinary timepieces also have silicon balance springs which further contribute to their precision and stability. The presence of the silicon balance springs is indicated by "Si 14" engraved on the caseback and balance arm.
The De Ville Hour Vision Annual Calendar, in a Limited Series of 160 pieces, is based on advanced Co-Axial technology exclusive to OMEGA: the Co-Axial Escapement and free sprung balance deliver stable accuracy and extended reliability over time. A 13-ligne movement with 18-Ct red gold rotor and balance bridge, the OMEGA 8611 has two series-mounted barrels with a 55-hour power reserve and a bi-directional self-winding mechanism. The intricate beauty of the mechanism is accentuated by the luxurious decorative finish, as fine black screws complement the delicate Geneva stripes presented with an arabesque pattern, a world premiere.
OMEGA's rich heritage and unparalleled experience in the production of mechanical watches is expressed in every feature, beginning with the polished 18-Ct white gold case with sapphire crystal allowing visibility of the meticulously-crafted movement. The caseback of the De Ville Annual Calendar Limited Series bears the Limited Series number (0/160) along with the inscriptions Hour Vision and Annual Calendar. This exclusive timepiece is presented in a wooden box fitted with four lateral windows through which the watch is visible, echoing the four sapphire lateral openings in the watch case itself.
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