How do you measure the daily rate deviation of a watch that doesn’t even have a seconds hand?
Tested using new acoustic technology, these two new movements and nine references pay tribute to important Omega icons of the mid-20th century.
For Omega, the question is less a limitation than an invitation. The brand’s tireless pursuit of chronometric precision—responsible for breakthroughs such as the Co-Axial escapement and the Spirate system—has now culminated in a new acoustic testing methodology capable of determining a watch’s accuracy without visual reference to a seconds display.
Developed by the Laboratoire de Précision, this innovation combines acoustic measurement with optical hand-tracking to evaluate performance. Though established by Omega, the laboratory operates as an independent certification body, responsible for its own management and measurement technologies. It is certified by METAS and accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS) as a chronometer testing laboratory.
The system does more than simply register the sound of each tick. Over a 25-day testing period, it also records environmental variables such as temperature, position, and atmospheric pressure—yielding a rich dataset that supports Omega’s continued pursuit of precision and reliability.
“Until now, precision certification has required a seconds hand,” noted Omega President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann.
“The development of a new acoustic testing methodology has made that requirement obsolete. It is this breakthrough that has enabled us to present the Constellation Observatory, the first two-hand watch to achieve Master Chronometer certification.”
At the forefront of this advancement is the new Omega Constellation Observatory Collection. Comprising nine references in 39.4 mm cases and powered by two new movements, these watches are the first serially produced timepieces to undergo this novel form of testing, and to attain Master Chronometer certification without a seconds hand.
Nine Debutants
These novelties trace their lineage to some of Omega’s most significant milestones. The Omega Centenary of 1948 marked the brand’s first chronometer-certified automatic wristwatch, while the debut of the Omega Constellation in 1952 established Omega’s first series-produced chronometer line.
The new models pay homage to this heritage with dodecagonal “pie-pan” dials and signature Constellation stars on both dial and caseback. The faceted surfaces of the dials are enhanced with intricate guilloché, recalling the 1953 iteration of the Constellation, while the hands, hour markers, and indices are meticulously shaped to echo these angular geometries.
Design cues extend to the exterior. The distinctive dog-leg lugs and nine-row “brick” bracelet evoke the elegance and structural clarity of Constellation models from the 1950s, reinterpreted here with contemporary refinement. The collection also features alligator leather straps in matching colors.
Of the nine references, four are crafted in 18K Sedna™ or Moonshine™ gold and powered by the new Caliber 8915 Luxe, featuring an 18K Moonshine™ gold rotor and balance bridge. The rotor base is decorated with arabesque waves and fine brushing, while the 18K gold medallion is rendered using laser ablation.
The collection also includes four stainless steel models equipped with the new Caliber 8914 Standard. One of these features a black ceramic dial, which required additional research and development to achieve visual harmony with the brass-based dials of the other models. Notably, the ceramic version forgoes the sharply faceted pie-pan geometry in favor of a smoothly sloped, polished surface.
Completing the lineup is a singular reference whose 950 platinum-gold case houses the Caliber 8915 Grand Luxe movement. It features an 18K Sedna™ gold dial with a fine spiral finish and polished outer zone, alongside an 18K white gold medallion that has been laser-ablated and richly enameled with aventurine and opal.
Prices of this collection range from US$10,900 for the steel models with brass dials, to US$59,100 for the Moonshine™ gold-on-Moonshine™ gold model.
