Watch enthusiasts have similar desires and curiosities with astronomers, the only difference between them and us that we can wear Speedmaster Super Racing which is designed like a small galaxy.
When asked what civilization is, I show my watch, I think there can be no better example because these aesthetic time machines, which are so small that we can carry on our wrist at this period of history, are both directly related to astronomy and are concrete symbols of our effort to understand time and our curiosity about the universe.
When I read the news recently that “James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) discovered 6 new galaxies”, I realized that some “little” things can make a big difference. Although JWST is the world’s largest space telescope until a larger one is built, of course it may be too small compared to humanity’s desires and curiosities.
Indeed, desire and curiosity are concepts that are often underestimated or even excluded, yet we owe many improvements in our lives to curious and passionate people. Thanks to his unbridled curiosity, humanity made many discoveries and inventions while investigating the secrets of space; for example, even though there is a break now, it enabled astronauts to navigate the Moon’s surface and to take “small steps for man, but giant steps for humanity”.
Watch lovers have similar desires and curiosities as astronomers, except that we are interested in smaller galaxies on a scale we can wear on our wrist. Omega company also comes up with an innovation every year by achieving successes at the micro-mechanical level for curious watch lovers.
A friend of mine who reads my articles tease me from time to time and says, “I don’t understand your interest in Omega, don’t you praise it too much?” says. However, the answer is simple, besides companies that repeat themselves and do nothing but cosmetic changes, Omega seems to me like a jewelry box that hides treasures. As it is known, the watchmaking industry has progressed by taking small steps within certain patterns for centuries, and Omega, as a visionary, understood the value of the coaxial escapement (Co-Axial), which eliminated the friction problem of George Daniels, and made its mark in the history of watchmaking. Now it has taken a similar step with the Spirate system.
I don’t think enough praise has been written about the Spirate system, which was announced at the beginning of 2023. As it is always said, even if it is a cliché, it cannot be expressed otherwise, with the incredible but real Spirate system, superior precision was achieved with a daily deviation of 0 to +2 seconds in a mechanical watch!
The balance wheel has been redesigned for high precision in the Spirate system, but the main innovation has been realized with the balance spring produced after the construction process called DRIE (deep etching with reactive ions).
The main feature of the Spirate system is that it allows extremely precise adjustment, and the basic building block of this system is the balance spring, whose patent is in the process of approval.
The first watch to feature the Spirate™ system was the Speedmaster Super Racing model with a stainless-steel case. The overall structure of the new watch is a tribute to the 2013 Seamaster Aqua Terra watch with its powerful antimagnetic movement.
In the Speedmaster Super Racing model, the minute lines on the dial are surprising with their race-specific rolling style, while the black ceramic bezel has a yellow enameled tachymeter scale. This shade of yellow was also used for the first time in the 2013 Seamaster Aqua Terra model, which offers >15,000 gauss antimagnetism. The second hand located on the small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock is also with a yellow-black stripe. The 60 minutes / 12 hours counter at 3 o’clock can also be used as a second time zone indicator. The honeycomb pattern on the dial is a reference to the exceptional magnetic field resistant 160,000 gauss concept watch exhibited at the Omega Museum.
The Co-Axial Master Chronometer 9920 movement, which is the power source of the Speedmaster Super Racing model, contains all the milestones of the brand’s Spirate system, and is also certified by the Swiss Federal Institute of Measurement (METAS) to show that it meets high standards.
