Omega today announced another technical milestone in its impressive horological legacy in the new Spirate System, which includes a new patent-pending spiral that allows for ultra-fine rate adjustments. Thanks to this one-of-a-kind mechanism, Omega calibers can now achieve a certified precision of only 0/+2 seconds a day, which is a new record for the brand.
The Spirate System was made possible thanks to a new Si14 balance spring which allows the watchmaker to act on the stiffness of the hairspring’s attachment point through an eccentric adjustment mechanism located on the balance bridge. This new approach is based on the design of a high precision articulated structure with flexible bearings, as Omega explains.
The Spirate System premieres in the new Speedmaster Super Racing stainless steel, a tribute to the first Si14 balance spring used in the Co-Axial Caliber 8508, which powered Omega’s Seamaster Aqua Terra >15’000 Gauss in 2013. Circling the dial is the distinctive racing style minute-track and a black ceramic bezel ring with the famous tachymeter scale in new yellow “grand feu” enamel.
This bold yellow shade, which was featured on the Seamaster Aqua Terra >15’000 GAUSS in 2013, is also used on the gradient chronograph hand and striped small seconds hand at 9 o’clock. The watch’s 60 minute / 12 hour sub-dial, directly opposite at 3 o’clock, also serves as a second time zone. The honeycomb pattern of the dial references a concept timepiece on display at the Omega Museum which survived extreme magnetic fields of 160,000 GAUSS.
The diamond-polished and beveled black arrowhead indexes are filled with a new and exclusive Super-LumiNova which emits a bold yellow glow. This color code extends to the Speedmaster and Super Racing wording on the dial.
At 6 o’clock, there’s a cool reminder of the >15’000 GAUSS 10 year-anniversary: a “10” in Speedmaster logo font, which appears once a month in the watch’s date window.
Providing the power is the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 9920 with METAS certificate. Here, the distinctive red METAS card includes the precision confirmation of the 0/+2 seconds a day.
This latest Speedmaster Racing timepiece measures 44.2 mm in diameter and is water-resistant to 50 meters. Pricing is marked at $11,000.
To learn more, visit Omega, here.
Ok so this changes the stiffness of the spring as well as the microstellar adjustment…
Can’t wait to see Rolex’s response to this in due course as their Superlative Chronometer is rated to +\- 2 s per day ….