A new generation of watches, part of the most classic collection of the Biel-based brand, has just been revealed. Contemporary design, advanced mechanics and a wide range of case diameters and dial colors make the Prestige… more prestigious!

Initially part of the Seamaster family, the De Ville asserted its independence in 1967 and introduced its Prestige in 1994. The Omega collection was first readapted to contemporary codes 10 years ago, in 2012, and returns this autumn in a reworked version, with a refined design and optimized mechanics thanks to the introduction of Master Chronometer certification. The Biel-based brand offers a multitude of references so that everyone can find the De Ville Prestige of their dreams.

Overall, the range is based on three automatic calibers (8810, 8802 and 8800) and offers three different displayed features: small seconds counter with or without power reserve indication (which amounts to 55 hours, for all three movements) and three hands, always with the date display placed at 3 or 6 o’clock depending on the model. The cases, whose proportions have been revised but which retain their slim, curved “triple apple” look, are available in steel, Sedna^TM gold – an alloy that is more intense and durable than traditional red gold –, yellow gold or two-tone steel and gold, and in three diameters (41, 40 and 34mm). They are fastened to the wrist with 7-row polished bracelets or colored alligator leather straps. As for the dials, galvanic treatments for a silver or rhodium grey finish and innovative techniques such as PVD allow to play with shades of color (pink salmon, blue lavender, green fir, deep purple, green matcha, to name but a few). Their delicately domed disc hosts applied Roman numerals interspersed with polka dots that are flown over by leaf-like tapered hands, all subtly curved for an exceptional visual harmony.

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The Biel-based company’s collection of timeless watches has been expanded to include eight new small-diameter models, combining an exclusive gold alloy with equally exclusive designs for the most refined wrists.

“Everything small is cute”, a saying that is largely confirmed by the new series of Mini Trésor, part of the large De Ville family, which has joined the Omega catalog. Like a candy box or a plate of sweets, and despite a contained gourmandise, the choice is difficult because the suggestion is so rich! Indeed, the elegant quartz watch from the Biel watchmaker comes in several variants, whether in metals, colors, dials, straps…! A short summary of the different options is necessary to (try to) facilitate this choice.

The 26mm diameter case, delicately embraced by two bands of diamonds, is available in steel or Moonshine^TM gold, Omega‘s signature soft-tone yellow gold alloy. Its right side is punctuated by a crown stamped with a red liquid ceramic petunia set with a central brilliant and its back features a mirror engraved with a floral design.

Equally delicate, the dial is adorned with ivory Grand Feu enamel with elongated Roman numerals in red, blue, black or gray, or a Moonshine^TM gold disc decorated with a silky effect inspired by a textile weave. As for the bracelets, they are covered with Toile de Jouy, a fabric born at the end of the 18^th century in the Parisian region, whose exclusive designs poetically represent the different worlds of the watch brand. Single strap for the gold and enamel references, double strap for the steel models, or entirely in Moonshine^TM gold sculpted like a precious fabric and fitted with a special folding clasp. What will be your choice?

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Resulting from a historic collaboration between Swatch and Omega, the colorful and accessible Bioceramic Speedmaster Moonswatch collection consists of 11 models made from a unique material, each embodying a space mission.

The crowd was there on Saturday, March 26, forming a compact mass gathered in front of the windows of selected stores, ready for the worldwide launch previously teased on social networks. Some even waited since 3 or 4am in front of the closed doors to be the first to hold in their hands the fruit of the unprecedented collaboration between two brands, certainly belonging to the same group but with radically opposed products, history and aficionados: the Bioceramic Speedmaster Moonswatch collection by Swatch x Omega. A masterful communication coup in the watchmaking sector to lift the veil on a series of eleven non-limited editions linked to eleven space expeditions.

Respecting to the maximum the iconic design of the first watch to have reached the Moon in 1969 within the framework of the Apollo 11 mission, both in terms of the dial/case/Velcro® strap combination, the Speedmaster Moonswatch displays different shades depending on the model chosen, sometimes playing with several colors to highlight or, on the contrary, to soften the graduated bezel. Baby blue and white for Uranus, vanilla yellow and burgundy for Pluto or pink for Venus, ultramarine and emerald for our beautiful Earth, white and red with the same hands as Omega‘s Alaska Project chronograph for Mars, beige and chocolate for Saturn whose effigy is repeated on the small seconds at 6 o’clock, navy and periwinkle for Neptune, yellow and white for the Solei, dark or light gray and black for Mercury and the Moon. For the 42mm-diameter case, Swatch used its tinted Bioceramic, a light and resistant material composed of two-thirds ceramic and one-third castor oil extract. On the back, bending the reproduction of the planet or natural satellite of the mission, is an engraving inscribed in English: “Dream big. Fly higher. Explore the universe. Reach for the planets. Enjoy the mission”. The stars have rarely been so attractive!

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Named after the year the first Speedmaster was born and created almost ten years ago, the Biel-based watchmaker’s collection of uni-compax style chronographs welcomes four new models, offered on steel or leather links.

The year 1957 is a key date in Omega‘s history because it corresponds to the birth of a future legend and watchmaking symbol of the conquest of space: the Speedmaster, a watch designed for racing drivers and all lovers of speed thanks to the tachymeter scale running on its bezel and the short time measurement exposed on its face. This year, as the original timepiece celebrates its 65^th anniversary, the Biel-based watch company is lifting the veil on four new models, part of the Speedmaster ’57 collection created in 2013 and offered on a choice of metal link bracelet or leather strap with Sfumato effect.

The steel case, now with a slimmed-down profile, measures 40.5mm in diameter and houses the caliber 9906, a hand-wound mechanical movement certified Master Chronometer by METAS and visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. This powerful motor, clocked at the standard 4hz frequency, integrates two barrels and provides a 60-hour power reserve. What distinguishes this quartet of Speedmaster ’57s are the colors chosen to dress the dial: black with a sandwich structure whose relief is accentuated by the presence of vanilla Super-LumiNova®, blue or green PVD with sunburst effect, and slightly matte burgundy. This color scheme is complemented by the iconic rhodium-plated “Broad Arrow” hands (in the center), the small seconds counter (at 9 o’clock), the totalizer grouping the minutes and hours of the chronograph (at 3 o’clock), and the date (at 6 o’clock).

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The legendary watch from 1957, from which the iconic chronograph family is derived, is being reissued in a version made of noble materials by the Biel-based company to celebrate its 65^th anniversary.

Originally, in 1957, Omega presented not one but three steel watches called “Professional”, each excelling in its own field of expertise. Built for speed, from which it takes its name, and offering a simple and intuitive way of taking information, the Speedmaster was aimed at pilots on Earth, long before it was destined for space missions which would take it to the Moon. It is to this pioneer, known under the reference CK2915-1 and now 65 years old, that the Biel-based firm is paying tribute by unveiling the Speedmaster Calibre 321. This anniversary chronograph has some precious elements, both inside and out.

Indeed, the 2022 version is set to the rhythm of the Calibre 321, the same hand-wound movement used in 1957 and for the Apollo missions, the production of which has been specially relaunched. Set to the gentle frequency of 2.5hz, this engine, finished in Sedna^TM gold PVD, delivers an energy reserve of up to 55 hours when fully wound.
For the 38.6mm diameter case and link bracelet, Omega has chosen to use its noble alloy developed in 2015: Canopus Gold^TM, a white gold with an intense and durable hue. The famous seahorse adorns the transparent back, engraved on the glass and the eye set with a blue sapphire. As for the curved dial with a Grand Feu enamel tachymeter bezel, it is a black onyx disk that houses the traditional central hands and the three counters (small seconds at 9 o’clock and chronograph minute and hour totalizers at 3 and 6 o’clock).

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To conclude in beauty a year that was often complicated, the Biel-based watchmaker is unveiling three new products of great elegance, both in terms of the choice of case materials and the colors used on the dials.

Life is made of choices, they say. A choice that Omega is not making easy by unveiling a few weeks before the end of the year a trio of timepieces of great elegance. Indeed, the Biel-based watchmaker continues its creative momentum, already quite prolific with the release of the highly acclaimed Speedmaster Chronoscope, by offering not one but three new references of Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar. And to further complicate this choice, which is proving to be a difficult one, he offers cases machined in beautiful materials and intense dial colors.

Born in 2015, the Constellation Globemaster Annual Calendar model embodies the first Master Chronometer certified collection, a guarantee of reliability and precision. It takes up two features typical of watches from the 1950s: the fluted bezel that caps the 41mm-diameter case and the 12-sided “Pie Pan” dial. This pleated face, available in green, burgundy or Sedna^TM gold, displays the month in handwritten typeface pointed by a central hand.

These new watches are powered by the Omega 8922 Master Chronometer caliber, an automatic movement with a 55-hour power reserve. It drives the hours, minutes and seconds in the center, the date at 6 o’clock and of course the month.

The cases are forged in steel with a tungsten carbide or Sedna^TM gold bezel, or made entirely of this precious alloy with its unique brilliance, and are worn on an alligator leather strap matching the dial or in shiny black to echo the onyx-set hour markers and hands.

Price: 8,500 CHF (steel) – 11,200 CHF (steel and Sedna ^TM gold) – 30,900 CHF (full Sedna^TM gold)

By Sharmila Bertin

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This refined creation unveiled by the Biel-based watchmaker arrives just in time for the festive events of the end of the year. Its brilliance will enhance every elegant and delicate wrist…

Intended for a demanding female clientele, the new De Ville Trésor watch signed by Omega presented at this year-end, features a crucial asset to seduce them: its dial crafted in malachite. A symbol of eternal youth in ancient Egypt, this stone has graceful striations in multiple shades of green. Its name derives its Latin origins from ancient Greek, meaning voluptuous or effeminate depending on the context. These two adjectives fit malachite like a glove, often used to perfect sumptuous jewelry. In this instance, its luminous hues blend perfectly with those of the 36mm casing crafted in 18K Moonshine^TM gold. This is an alloy introduced in 2019 by the company that is paler than traditional gold, yet offers better resistance to color loss. The precious nature of the timepiece is enhanced by the setting of 38 diamonds along the case middle and a diamond nestled within the crown.

The slim hour and minute hands make their respective revolutions, pointing to an hour circle composed of elongated Roman numerals powered by the caliber 4061. This quartz movement is distinguished by its “long-life” function maximizing its battery.

The De Ville Trésor Malachite can be worn on a choice of two straps. One in leather is color coordinated with the dial. The other in Milanese mesh is fashioned from the same precious metal as the casing. Whichever version you prefer, the watch comes with a 5-year warranty.

Price: €15,700 (Leather) – €31,400 (Gold)

By Dan Diaconu

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February will mark the start of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. As the official timekeeper for the 30th time of this world sporting event, the Biel-based firm has signed a new very… ice-cold special edition!

The famous motto “Winter is coming” from the popular television series Game of Thrones literally comes to life in the latest Omega watch. The Biel-based firm, which is participating in the Beijing Winter Olympics for the 30th time as official timekeeper of this world sporting event, which includes alpine skiing, bobsleigh, ice hockey, curling, luge, biathlon, speed skating, etc., is now offering a special edition in all white: the Seamaster Aqua Terra “Beijing 2022”.

Its icy face is composed of a white ceramic disc with a “frosted” finish that takes up the snowy crystal graphics and is curved by triangular hour markers, the visual signature of the Aqua Terra line. These hour markers, like the trio of dauphine-shaped hour, minute and second hands above them, are blued and coated with white Super-LumiNova®, while the date is discreetly displayed at 6 o’clock. A few touches of red, on the quarter hours that punctuate the minute track along the flange and the Seamaster mention at 12 o’clock, energize the whole.

Water-resistant to a depth of 150 meters, the steel case is fitted with a screw-down crown and a “solid” caseback engraved with the Beijing 2022 emblem in relief. It houses Omega‘s self-winding caliber 8900, a Master Chronometer-certified movement equipped with a Co-Axial escapement and a double barrel that delivers 60 hours of power reserve.

Price: CHF 6,150

By Sharmila Bertin

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An iron fist in a velvet glove. This elegant piece from the Bienne-based watchmaker boasts state-of-the-art Master Chronometer engineering and is as tough as they come.

Keep your Speedmaster or your Seamaster for action and adventure! For your formal evenings or your professional appointments where you exude unquestionable panache, Omega invites you to flaunt its De Ville Trésor Power Reserve. A refined upgrade of a model unveiled in its contemporary version back in 2014, its 40 mm-diameter, 10.07 mm-thick 18K yellow gold case protects a slightly-silvered, domed dial, featuring an ever-so delicate composition. The fine curved hour and minute hands hover over an hour chapter void of numerals, which have been replaced by slimline indexes. A minimalist-styled small-seconds counter at 6 o’clock and power reserve indicator at 12 complete the scenography.

All the time data is driven by a hand-wound movement. The high-performing Omega 8935 Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber equipped with a silicon balance spring beats at a frequency of 25,000 vibrations an hour. Two series-coupled barrels deliver 72-hours’ autonomy to the timepiece. This sturdy, accurate, magnetic-field-resistant model has been granted double chronometric certification issued by the COSC and by METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology. The sapphire-crystal caseback invites to admire the luxurious decorations and finishes of the caliber components.

To ensure the De Ville Trésor Power Reserve is perfectly classy and comfortable on the wrist, it is complemented by a taupe-hued leather strap that harmoniously matches the shade of the case’s precious metal. Exquisite!

Price: CHF17,400

By Dan Diaconu

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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

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For want of being able to head off to Tokyo to cheer on your champions, the OG official timekeeper proposes a series flying high the colors of the host country. A special souvenir of this event for a host of exceptional reasons…

July 24, 2020. With stadiums bubbling over with spectators from around the world, the sporting events of the Olympic Games organized in the Japanese capital kick off…. Well no, actually, as this scenario is purely uchronic, as COVID-19 turned lives and agendas upside down. Yet, real “timepieces” like the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition remind us of the original data of these Games. In short, this series rolled out in 2,020 pieces displays the event logo and year on its sapphire-crystal caseback. This specificity along with one-of-a-kind stylistics make this Omega-imagined piece highly-appealing to collectors.

The 39.5 mm-diameter steel case is topped with a ceramic bezel. The ensemble protects a dial that’s also crafted in ceramic. These elements all stand out with their incredibly-pure white hue. To set off this immaculate décor and, as a tip of the hat to Japan’s flag, dashes of red have been added to the tip of the central “lollipop” hand driving the seconds and the 20 of the Liquidmetal^TM diving scale. To ensure perfect harmony, this diver is worn on a strap that’s also pristine white. Two other straps are, however, proposed in the box, one in steel, the other a NATO.

Like the other equivalent models of the collection, the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Tokyo 2020 Limited Edition time data is driven by the Master Chronometer 8800 caliber, resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss. This selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 55 hours.

Price: EUR7,400

By Dan Diaconu

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Symbolizing the perfect balance between sporting spirit and elegance, this highly versatile watch, available in two sizes from the Biel-based watchmaker, now features a small seconds counter at the bottom of its dial.

With its watersports-friendly casing that can withstand dives down to a depth of 150 meters and an elegant dial displaying the essentials of time, Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra can be worn on land or at sea. And to emphasize its status as a versatile watch, it now features a small seconds hand at the bottom of its dial. This is an opportunity for the Biel-based watchmaker to offer new Seamaster Aqua Terra Small Seconds models in two sizes, 41 and 38mm in diameter, including certain decorated with precious materials.

The larger of the two models is available in two variants in Sedna^TM gold, four in steel and one combining the two metals, and housing the Omega caliber 8916 Master Chronometer, an automatic movement that delivers 60 hours of power reserve. The dials, with their triangular indexes and dauphine style hands, play with contrasts by presenting the famous horizontal “teak” pattern. This is a sailboat-like pattern reminiscent of the deck of a yacht, in gray or blue with a minute track on a white, blue, or beige background. The small second hand, which includes the date at 6 o’clock, uses the same color combinations.

The 38mm watch is almost a small collection in itself with its ten references, two in Sedna^TM gold. They feature faces in violet jade or white mother-of-pearl curved with a bezel set. Four of them are in two colors, including the sublime soft mint dial, and four are in steel with champagne or dark green shades, and are powered by the Omega 8803 automatic caliber. As for the latter variants, they are powered by the Omega 8802 automatic caliber. Here the hour markers are either set with round diamonds or in gold and mother-of-pearl, ovoid in shape like the hull of a sailing ship seen from the sky. The small second hand is leaf-shaped and the date window is rounded for added softness.

Price: CHF 5,600 to CHF 38,000 omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

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Even if covid has shaken up the sporting events’ agenda considerably in particular by postponing the Tokyo Olympic Games by a year, the Bienne brand has soldiered on and proposes above all a special series of its professional diver.

2020 was literally a no-go year for all sporting events, with the majority of major meetings postponed for a year (or even canceled), like the Tokyo Olympic Games. In light of the improvement in the health situation, the most-followed competition in the world, scheduled to take place from July 23 to August 08 this year on Japanese soil, marks Omega’s 29^th participation as official timekeeper. The Bienne brand has seized the opportunity to showcase three OG-labeled watches including a Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020.

The 42 mm-diameter steel-crafted case features, Seamaster collection oblige, a screwed crown protected by two armatures at 3 o’clock and a helium escape valve at 10 o’clock. Its transparent caseback decorated with the logo of the Japanese edition invites to admire the oscillating weight linked to the Omega 8800 caliber. This Master Chronometer-certified automatic motor drives the time functions and the date disc and delivers a power reserve of 55 hours once fully wound.

On the white ceramic dial boasting laser-etched wave patterns, the different elements take on intense blue, some are occasionally fringed with white Super-LumiNova®: the applique indexes, the sword-style openworked hour and minute hands, the dot-tipped direct-drive, the date digit(s) at 6 o’clock as well as the minute tracker encircled by the flange. This oceanic hue echoes the ceramic ring inserted in the unidirectional rotating bezel which showcases a white-enameled diving scale.

The Seamaster Diver 300M Tokyo 2020 is worn on a steel bracelet with 5 rows of links and is attached by a folding clasp.

Price: CHF5,600 omegawatches.com

By Sharmila Bertin

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