This was an auspicious moment — the very first time that the brand’d cleared the illustrious $1m mark at market — but it was an important piece: the only surviving example of 12 tourbillon-equipped versions made to get involved in the Neuchâtel and Kew-Teddington Observatory timekeeping competitions of the 1940s. Having won a prize in 1950, the storied escapement would take centre stage at Omega watches again — quite literally — in 1994, once the Bienne-based firm unveiled the first wristwatch with a tourbillon carriage positioned in the middle of the dial.
The characteristic configuration features in another first for the company: a centre-mounted Master Chronometer-certified self-winding tourbillon that is also outfitted with a further pillar of the brand’s ongoing research and development — antimagnetic properties that allow the tourbillon cage to maintain rotating even while subjected to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.
As befits such a prestigious piece, Omega has gone all-out on its 43mm case. In shared with Rolex, Omega utilizes its own proprietary alloys, in this example a fiery 18-carat”Sedna” rose gold at the lugs, bezel and case back (whereby may be seen that the Co-Axial Master Chronometer watches Calibre 2640 movement). The central case body, buckle logo and crown emblem are made from a distinctive 18-carat white-gold metal known as”Canopus” gold.
In addition to its own bridges and mainplate, 18-carat Sedna gold can also be found in the black PVD dial, a chic shade that chimes nicely with the tourbillon cage’s hand-polished bevels in black ceramised titanium.