HAUTE HOROLOGY. PROFESSIONAL

HAUTE HOROLOGY. PROFESSIONAL

The timepieces were not only used in summer, but also in winter sports such as ice hockey, Alpine skiing and Nordic skiing.ĭeeply rooted in its aesthetic history, the new Speedmaster Chrono Chime recalls the iconic Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional 42 mm, the first watch worn on the moon. With the help of 30 pocket watches, the manufacture was entrusted with the timing of all disciplines in that year’s Games. In 1932, Omega first showed interest in the Olympic Games by presenting their pocket chronographs as the official sponsor of the Los Angeles Games. Inside the 18-carat red gold case ticked a small, highly complex Lépine calibre, which indicated the hour, quarter and minute repeater by operating a slide to wind and release it. It was a fascinating miniaturized version of existing pocket watches that allowed time to be set by pressing the pushers. In 1892, the Brandt brothers launched the world’s first minute repeater for the wrist, the Louis Brandt 13”. Aesthetically, the watches combine features of Omega’s first minute repeater (and wristwatch in general) with the pocket chronographs used to keep time at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. To understand the historical background of both watches and what brought them into being, let’s first look at their historical precursors. The new timepieces carry characteristics of the past and modernity in equal measure. Three historic watches that shape the new duo The performance begins with an ostinato that propels the music to its climax – at which point the new watches are revealed, projected onto large, swinging veils. “The music was inspired by the elegance and acoustic characteristics of these revolutionary new timepieces,” Repetto explains. Argentinian-American composer Nicolás Humberto Repetto wrote two new original pieces for the occasion, including the lively The Sound of Omega. Of course, it wouldn’t be an Omega watch launch without the LA Philharmonic orchestra performing music specifically composed for the event. The launch, attended by about 70 people in total, takes place at the Disney Concert Hall – famous, appropriately enough, for its incredible acoustic qualities.

Journeying together from the airport, he informs us that the launch we are attending is ‘absolutely huge’ and incredibly special. He famously shot a campaign with George Clooney, where he shot the ’57 Speedmaster with ’57 Maserati. Our meet-cutes with Omega continue upon landing at LAX, where we encounter Lucien Jornod, the Vice President of Marketing at Omega. ‘Over the last seven years, you can see how the visibility of Omega as a brand is changing. ‘The American market is growing in a good, and very exciting way,’ he beams. The conversation quickly turns to business, and Aeschlimann seems more than pleased with the ways things are going for the brand. Sitting down on the plane travelling from Zurich to Omega’s event location in Los Angeles, we bump into Omega CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann. Our ’24 Hours with’ articles are often the most exciting part of what we do, and the launch of the new minute repeater chronograph watches was captivating before we even arrived. In this extensive article, Swisswatches reveals exactly why the extraordinary calibre is such a resounding tribute to the skills of Omega’s watchmakers – and how this unprecedented interweaving of complications came about.Ģ4 Hours with Omega: An unforgettable trip The Calibre 1932 is the world’s first calibre to combine an integrated chronograph and minute repeater.ĭue to the incredible complexity of this complication, only one watchmaker in the world is currently able to build the movement, while second is now in training. What ticks inside the two watches is unlike anything that has gone before, as they house the most spectacular movement Omega has ever conceived. The two novelties herald the next chapter in Omega’s journey of ceaseless horological innovation with their unprecedented complication.

Haute horology.