THE PERFECT TOOL
Roll out a mechanical timepiece that boasts a tachymeter, a telemeter and a pulsometer is the feat the Bienne-based watchmaker set itself as the fall season dawned; a feat epitomized through a series of seven watches, six crafted in steel and one in Bronze Gold.
The chronoscope, stemming from the Greek chronos (time) and scope (to observe), which is used to accurately measure the duration of an event has always existed in Omega’s history. In actual fact, the first-ever pocket watch created by Louis Brandt, the firm’s founder, in 1885 was a chronoscope. The Bienne brand, drawing its inspiration from the graphics of some of its pieces from the 40s, unveiled a series of Speedmaster Chronoscope pieces comprising six steel references and one in Bronze Gold, the famous proprietary alloy that’s more sustainable and more resistant than the traditional one.
Our gaze is immediately caught by the concentric circles that spread across the dial, a spiraling illusion set off by the snailing on the two counters (small seconds at 9 o’clock and chronograph hours and minutes at 3 o’clock) and the ring that fringes the applique-style Arabic hour numerals. These scales form the “chronoscope” display: the telemeter (to calculate the distance based on the speed of sound), the pulsometer (to monitor heart rate) and, on the bezel, the tachymeter (to measure speed based on a distance). The running hours and minutes are indicated by two leaf-shaped hands, accompanied by the chronograph direct-drive in the center.
The Master Chronometer-certified hand-wound 9908 caliber, nestling in a 43 mm-diameter case, delivers a power reserve of 60 hours via a double barrel. The Côtes de Genève, which decorate the movement, starting from the escapement to enhance the spiraling effect, invite to discover a highly-original feast-for-the-eyes through the sapphire-crystal caseback.
Price: CHF8,300 (steel on leather) – CHF8,600 (steel on steel) – CHF14,000 (Bronze Gold on leather)
By Sharmila Bertin