Omega Chrono Chimes Rewind Time to the 1932 Olympics

The 1932 Summer Olympics or the Games of the X Olympiad were held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, the United States, with Omega being the official timekeeper. A total of 37 nations participated in the Games. To mark the occasion, Omega, in 1932, released its Olympic Pocket Watch (Ref. 5110.20.00) in white gold. The white-dialled watch was a chronograph, a rattrapante, and limited to just 100 pieces. It was powered by Omega’s in-house movement Calibre 3889 with a power reserve of 32 hours. 

This year, the Swiss watchmaker released two timepieces — the Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime and the Speedmaster Chrono Chime, each with the most sophisticated movement created, Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932. 

Calibre 1932 was created by Omega in partnership with Blancpain and it took them almost six years of research and development to finally create this movement.

The Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime   

The Omega Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime (Ref.522.53.45.52.04.001) is a tribute to the very first minute repeater wristwatch, created by Omega in 1892, linked to the pocket chronograph the brand used to time the Games. The Calibre is hand-made and is a fully integrated chronograph and a minute repeater. The 18 ct Sedna™ Gold case watch has a ‘Grand Feu’ enamel dial, sporting a 925 Silver hand-made guilloché inner bezel and subdials in Omega’s ‘exclusive acoustic waves' pattern. Also, in 18 ct Sedna™ Gold are the double hammers with an insert of hardened steel for the gongs. 

The dial is home to the central hour/minute hands in blued PVD as well as the subdial at 6 o’clock and a 15-minute recorder at 12 o’clock. For easy readability, the display includes a blued CVD central seconds hand and red-varnished split-seconds hand with Arabic numerals and a minute track in black ‘Petit Feu’ enamel. 

The watch has a chime pusher at 5 o’clock, which is polished, and a split-seconds pusher at 11 o’clock with a polished ring filled with red hybrid ceramic. Turning the watch reveals the 18 ct Sedna™ Gold caseback with the engravings of ‘Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games’, ‘Co-Axial Master Chronometer’, and the watch’s individual number. The watch sits on a brown leather strap with 18K Sedna™ Gold buckle, including Omega’s new Quick-Change patented system. 

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The Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime

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Omega has launched a Speedmaster powered by the 1932 Calibre. The classic 45 mm ‘Numbered Edition’ Chrono Chime has an 18K Sedna™ Gold case, inspired by the second generation Speedmaster, making it a commemorative piece in its own right, as Speedmaster CK 2998 was the first watch worn in space in 1962.

The dial, crafted in blue aventurine ‘Grand Feu’ enamel, features an inner bezel and subdials in the same 18 ct Sedna™ Gold ‘exclusive acoustic waves’. The hour markers and hour/minute hands are in diamond-polished 18 ct Sedna™ Gold. Blued CVD subdial hands and a red-tipped dial hand make the display extra colourful. 

Although the movement is the same for both watches, the functional and decorative pushers are in different positions, with a chime at 8 o’clock and split seconds at 2 o’clock. For the Speedmaster, Omega’s ingenious watchmakers have turned the calibre around to suit the configuration of the case and accommodate the two subdials. Completing the look are a bracelet and a buckle in 18K Sedna™ Gold.  

Collectors of the Speedmaster will also receive special walnut presentation boxes with resonance plates.

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