| Images Courtesy and credit Omega SA (used with permission) Click on any image to see it at its highest resolution |
 Co-Axial drawing from George Daniels |
 Co-Axial escapement |
 Above: Swill lever escapement and below: Co-Axial Escapement from the Calibre 2500 |
 Co-Axial Escapement |
 Exploded movement |
 Omega Calibre 2500 |
 Omega Calibre 8501 |
 Omega Calibre 8500 |
 Omega Calibre 8500 |
 Omega Calibre 8611 |
 George Daniels |
Bienne Switzerland (16 January 2009)--
DRIVING THE REVOLUTION IN MECHANICAL WATCHES
When Omega launched its Co-Axial calibre
2500 in 1999, the entire mechanical watch industry was put on notice.
The Co-Axial Escapement in the calibre was the first practical new
mechanical watch escapement to be launched in 250 years.
The operative word here is “practical”: in the decade following the
launch of the first Co-Axial calibre, Omega introduced the
state-of-the-industry escapements into every one of its watch lines.
Before long, each new mechanical watch produced by Omega will be
equipped with the technology which watch industry observers once
predicted would be, at best, a niche product only suitable for
expensive, limited run timepieces.
Master watchmaker George Daniels, who invented the Co-Axial Escapement,
said of his masterpiece, “It is intended to sustain the public affection
for the mechanical watch during the 21st century.” It is well on its way
to doing so.
In simple terms, the escapement is the heart of the mechanical watch, as
it maintains the oscillations of the balance, the watch’s regulating
mechanism. George Daniels’ vision – the Omega Co-Axial Escapement –
reduces the friction among the parts that transmit energy to the other
components. The result is a reduced need for servicing for the movement
and, above all, greater stability of the watch's precision over time.
With the calibre 2500, refined by the introduction of Omega's free
sprung balance for maximum precision, the venerable watch company had
signalled the greatest revolution in recent watchmaking history,
reaching chronometric performance standards previously unimagined for
series-production mechanical watches.
That was only the beginning.
Following the launch of the Co-Axial calibre in 1999, Omega continued to
refine and improve the technology.
In 2005, the 3313 family of Co-Axial chronograph calibres was introduced
but the most dramatic headlines would be created two years later.
In 2007, Omega launched the Co-Axial calibre 8500. This marked a
dramatic step in the evolution of Omega’s Co-Axial philosophy. For the
first time, the company built the entire movement around the Co-Axial
Escapement and every one of its 202 parts was developed and produced
in-house specifically for the new calibre. At the same time, the
movement’s manufacturing processes was optimized for series-production
readiness.
For Omega it was a return to its roots: the company had, in fact, been
named for a serially-produced movement developed in-house in 1890 and
the introduction of the Co-Axial calibre 8500 demonstrated boldly that
Omega was back among the ranks of Swiss watch manufactures, companies
which have designed and produced their own movements in-house.
The drama continued in 2008 with the launch of the Co-Axial calibre
8520/8521 designed especially for smaller watches. It was introduced in
the new Aqua Terra Ladies’ Collection showing that the technology could
function perfectly in watches with 30 mm cases.
The same year also saw the release of the Co-Axial calibre 8601/8611, a
Co-Axial movement with an added instantaneous jump calendar complication
which only needed to be set once a year, on the 1st of March.
The revolution which began at Omega ten years ago is continuing with the
development of new Co-Axial calibres with added complications. In time,
the company plans to equip every one of its new mechanical watches with
OMEGA Co-Axial calibres.
The Swiss lever escapement, the mainstay of the mechanical watchmaking
industry for nearly 250 years, will still have its devotees,
particularly among Omega’s competitors. This is understandable as it is
arguably the second-best watch escapement in the world.
.
