Omega's been teasing a big announcement for weeks with images on social media hinting at something technical in nature: macro pictures showed just a coiled spring such as those used in mechanical watches' regulation (timekeeping) systems. Much speculation ensued, but today's announcement finally reveals new technology promising unprecedented precision — and it comes in a striking package as the new Speedmaster Super Racing chronograph watch.
Omega's Master Chronometer-certified (by METAS) watches are already highly precise (among offering other benefits) for watches produced at scale. With an accuracy of 0 to +5 seconds per day, it already easily beats the popular COSC chronometer certification (-4 to +6 seconds), and now a new component called Spirate ("spiral" + "rate") ups the ante to offer 0 to +2 seconds per day. It even rivals Rolex's -2 to +2 tolerance.
These might seem like tiny increments, and the component in question is a tiny spring system, but the smaller these tolerances the exponentially more challenging they can be to engineer.
The new, patent-pending system uses a (Si14) silicon spring and allows for even finer rate adjustments than previously. We don't want to get too bogged down in the technicalities, but these adjustments are made possible by allowing the "watchmaker to act on the stiffness of the hairspring’s attachment point through an eccentric adjustment mechanism located on the balance bridge."
This promises a new era of highly competitive movement technology from Omega, but it all starts with a handsome Speedy. The Speedmaster Super Racing is the watch that introduces the Spirate sytstem, and its black-and-yellow colorway is meant to reference a previous technical achievement, the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra "Bumblebee" which was resistant to 15,000 gauss, a milestone in anti-magnetic watches released exactly 10 years ago.
That watch included a silicon hairspring to attain this impressive amagnetism, and it was later combined with the stringent standards of Master Chronometer certification. Now, the Spirate system only adds to brand's competitive edge, and the intention isn't just about bragging rights but to produce these movements industrially.
The Super Racing watch is full of little cues to highlight its technical chops and generally delight brand fans. The honeycomb dial texture is meant to reference another antimagnetic watch in the Omega museum that withstood 160,000 gauss. The alternating seconds/minutes hashmarks recall other Racing Speedies, and more cool touches include a chronograph seconds hand that fades from black to yellow toward its tip. The number 10 on the date wheel is in the italic Speedmaster font to again reference the 10 year anniversary of the 15,000 gauss Aqua Terra.
Consistent in sizing with other modern-leaning Speedmaster watches (like the Dark Side of the Moon series), this is a bigger and sportier Speedy measuring 44.25mm wide in steel (with a ceramic bezel insert). The automatic movement, visible through the caseback, offers 60 hours of power reserve and, in addition to the chronograph, a second time zone displayed in the subdial at 3 o'clock.
It's cool that watch brands continue to compete for technical superiority — and that Omega continues to advance and innovate on its already impressive achievements. It's fair to say that no one saw the Spirate system coming, and it follows last year's surprising introduction of the insanely complicated Speedmaster Chrono Chime.
The new Speedmaster Super Racing is cool but it's just the beginning, and we can look forward to the tech finding its way into more of the brand's watches. In the meantime, you can get the Speedmaster Super Racing for $11,000 at Omega boutiques.
