Swiss Watches
The Swiss luxury watch brand Omega has just revealed a pair of new members of their Constellation Double Eagle collection. Available in titanium and red gold, both chronographs will be sold as Omega Double Eagle Mission Hills Numbered Edition. Yes, they may be not as sober and stern as the Omega De Ville 4-Counters Co-Axial Chronograph collection that was revealed last year, but they surely look as stately as ones can possibly get.
Okay, here is the rule.
When you want to sell something at a premium price, make it a special / limited edition model. The mere fact that the good you want to sell is in any way limited -even if the limit is set at ridiculous 9999 units (per year, yeah)- it is a guaranteed success.
Well, if it is not completely hideous, that is.
The new Omega Mission Hills World Cup Co-Axial Chronograph watch that belongs to the Constellation Double Eagle collection is by no means hideous (au contraire, with its art-decor styling of the case and bezel it is absolutely beautiful) and, although not limited, is very special.
The watch celebrates the very exclusive 55th Golf World Cup Omega Mission Hills World Cup 2009 event that took place last month at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China and comes in two versions.
There is a humble (but sportier) ref. 121.92.41.50.01.001 model coming in a brushed titanium case with black rubber-coated stainless steel bezel, crown and chronographs pushers; and a more expensive ref. 121.62.41.50.01.001 model sporting gorgeous 18 carat brushed red gold case with its gold bezel coated with black lacquer that perfectly corresponds with the brushed metal texture of the body.
Both versions are powered by the same Omega caliber 3313 column-wheel chronograph movement, which is based on the Piguet 1285 movement and features a co-axial escapement technology. Although clearly not an “in-house”, it is still exclusive since it is made by Piguet exclusively for Omega.
The caliber was introduced more than eight years ago in 2001 as the world’s first chronograph caliber with a co-axial escapement. Due to its inherited design flaws, the innovative mechanism gave its numerous users their fair share of problems, but, according to the Swiss watchmaker, was recently redesigned in order to improve its reliability.
As the company puts it in its letter to one of disgruntled users, there were introduced “major changes are to the escapement to improve the self-starting abilities of the movement, as well as a change in the balance staff pivot configuration from cylindrical to conical.” The caliber was accordingly renamed as Omega caliber 3313B.
Well, I hope that the new special edition watch is equipped with the revised version of the movement.
Regrettably, Omega still stays mum about the pricing.
See also: Omega Seamaster Diver Vancouver 2010
Photos: Omega
Omega Constellation Co-Axial Double Eagle Mission Hills watch specification
Price range: Approx. $15,000 USD (red gold, both watches are discontinued)
Movement: Omega calibre 3313 (a reworked Piguet 1285 caliber,) automatic, decorated, co-axial escapement, column-wheel chronograph, Swiss Made
Jewels: 37
Cadence of balance: 28,800 vph
Complications: Chronograph, date
Power reserve: 55 hours
Case material: Red gold (ref. 121.62.41.50.01.001) or titanium with stainless steel bezel (ref. 121.92.41.50.01.001)
Case size: 41.00 mm
Case height: 13.90 mm
Dial: PVD black with carbon-fiber pattern
Water resistance: 100 m
Strap: Red gold or titanium (depends on model) screw-fixed black rubber strap with red gold or titanium fold-over clasp
Crystal: Sapphire, domed, scratch-resistant with antireflective coating on both sides