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Lot Essay
Very rarely offered on the open market, observatory tested chronometer wristwatch movements were kept by their manufacturers for years, even decades, and few have ever been released for sale.
The present watch was one of the most accurate observatory-tested wristwatch movements of the 1960s, part of a small group of Omega movements designed specifically for observatory contests. In common with other makers, when intended for observatory trial Omega movements are double numbered. This is the contest version of the famous calibre 30 mm. designed by Henri Kneuss and launched in 1939. These observatory calibre 30 GD movements are of special construction, named after the Grande moyenne Décentrée or off-centred center wheel which allowed it to receive a larger and thicker barrel, it features a Guillaume balance and an increased frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour instead of the usual 18,000 vph. The diameter of the wheels is smaller, as is the lever, the escape wheel is lowered to let the balance pass over it. These along with other modifications such as only using the best part of the mainspring, gave the calibre a more stable rate. The calibre 30 GD was the most precise wristwatch movement ever tested and continued to make its mark until 1967, the last year of the competitions.
The present watch would have been adjusted by one of the two régleurs working at Omega at the time, Joseph Ory and André Brielmann. It was first tested in 1960 and had a final result of 6.9 for which it won a First Prize. It was subsequently tested in 1964 (result 5.14), 1966 (result 2.81) and finally in 1967 with its best result of an exceptional 2.44 points.
Observatory Trials were the ultimate test of chronometry. Movements of superior technical design, perfect finish and expert regulation were selected from inventory or manufactured for the purpose. The movements were then fixed to square blocks, for easy handling, and enclosed in aluminum or wooden cases for transportation. They were tested in five different positions in varying temperatures ranging from 4-36 degrees centigrade, testing lasted 44 or 45 days depending on the observatory. Omega had sensational success at the observatory trials, their esteemed régleurs won a total of 93 victories and of these, 72 were records and one a world record in all categories. In 1962, for the third year in succession, Omega was awarded three out of the four Swiss accuracy records for wristwatches. In 1964 the best results for the most accurate watches were gained by Omega movements with only 2.89 points. This is equivalent to an accuracy of 99.999333% during the full 45-day test. When tested in 1967, the present watch had a result of 2.44 points, better than the record-holding watches of 1964.
See: Omega – A Journey Through Time, Marco Richon, 2007, pp. 194-195
The present watch was one of the most accurate observatory-tested wristwatch movements of the 1960s, part of a small group of Omega movements designed specifically for observatory contests. In common with other makers, when intended for observatory trial Omega movements are double numbered. This is the contest version of the famous calibre 30 mm. designed by Henri Kneuss and launched in 1939. These observatory calibre 30 GD movements are of special construction, named after the Grande moyenne Décentrée or off-centred center wheel which allowed it to receive a larger and thicker barrel, it features a Guillaume balance and an increased frequency of 25,200 vibrations per hour instead of the usual 18,000 vph. The diameter of the wheels is smaller, as is the lever, the escape wheel is lowered to let the balance pass over it. These along with other modifications such as only using the best part of the mainspring, gave the calibre a more stable rate. The calibre 30 GD was the most precise wristwatch movement ever tested and continued to make its mark until 1967, the last year of the competitions.
The present watch would have been adjusted by one of the two régleurs working at Omega at the time, Joseph Ory and André Brielmann. It was first tested in 1960 and had a final result of 6.9 for which it won a First Prize. It was subsequently tested in 1964 (result 5.14), 1966 (result 2.81) and finally in 1967 with its best result of an exceptional 2.44 points.
Observatory Trials were the ultimate test of chronometry. Movements of superior technical design, perfect finish and expert regulation were selected from inventory or manufactured for the purpose. The movements were then fixed to square blocks, for easy handling, and enclosed in aluminum or wooden cases for transportation. They were tested in five different positions in varying temperatures ranging from 4-36 degrees centigrade, testing lasted 44 or 45 days depending on the observatory. Omega had sensational success at the observatory trials, their esteemed régleurs won a total of 93 victories and of these, 72 were records and one a world record in all categories. In 1962, for the third year in succession, Omega was awarded three out of the four Swiss accuracy records for wristwatches. In 1964 the best results for the most accurate watches were gained by Omega movements with only 2.89 points. This is equivalent to an accuracy of 99.999333% during the full 45-day test. When tested in 1967, the present watch had a result of 2.44 points, better than the record-holding watches of 1964.
See: Omega – A Journey Through Time, Marco Richon, 2007, pp. 194-195