The Definitive Baselworld 08 Chapter 2 VERSE 1 - The Olympics

Introduction

OMEGA has an unparalleled history in sports timekeeping. The first company ever appointed Official Timekeeper for all Olympic disciplines, OMEGA supplied 30 chronographs for use at the 1932 Games held in Los Angeles. OMEGA played a key role in the event’s success, and an enduring partnership was established. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games mark OMEGA’s twenty-third appearance as Official Timekeeper—more than any other company. OMEGA has also been widely recognized for its pioneering technological achievements in sports timekeeping and data management.


Minus 1 Year – Constellation 95’

The Beijing Olympic Collection was launched on 8 August last year with Limited Editions of the instantly-recognizable Constellation, one of the world’s best-selling watches.
To honour OMEGA’s special relationship with the Olympics, the watches have some features which commemorate the Games. The Constellation Ladies’ model, for example, with its 22.5mm case and white mother-of-pearl dial, has five coloured hour marker jewels representing the Olympic Rings. The remaining hour markers are set with white diamonds.
The Gentleman’s Constellation has a diameter of 35.5 mm and features its Olympic Rings on the seconds hand, along with a sun-brushed finish emanating from the applied star. Its hour markers are also set with diamonds.

Both the ladies’ and gents’ models are available in 18 carat yellow gold, red gold or bi-colour gold and stainless steel. The accuracy and reliability of these distinctive watches are assured by their automatic chronometer movement.

Each model in the Collection will be produced in numbered, limited editions of 888 or 2,008 pieces, depending on the case metal.


Minus 288 Days - De Ville

The De Ville Co-Axial Chronograph Ladies’ Limited Edition commemorating this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing was launched on 25 October 2007, 288 days before the Opening Ceremony. The Collection comes in three versions which reflect the Olympic medals: yellow gold, white gold and red gold. Only 288 of the new De Ville ladies’ watches have been made in each precious metal.

Along with the white mother-of-pearl dial and alligator strap, the distinctive characteristics of the popular OMEGA De Ville Co-Axial Chronograph Ladies’ are all there: the 0.08-carat diamond briolette set on the crown; the polished 18-carat gold bezel set with 42 diamonds; the elliptical chronograph counters; the 35mm case; and the exclusive OMEGA Calibre 3313 with Co-Axial Escapement.

The watches have 18-carat gold dial bases and hands which match their cases. The hour markers are set with diamonds and there are gold outer rings on the counters and white Super-LumiNova on the hands. The five Olympic rings appear on the chronograph second hand’s counterweight and the Beijing 2008 logo is stamped on the caseback.


Minus 188 Days – Seamaster Aqua Terra


The launch of the Seamaster Aqua Terra Chronograph Limited Editions introduces two versions of this popular Seamaster model: one combines 18-carat red gold and stainless steel; the other is made of stainless steel. Limited to 2008 numbered pieces each, they feature the five coloured Olympic rings as a counterweight on the chronograph seconds hand.
The Beijing Aqua Terra Chronographs have a bold black dial with a silver 30 minute totalizer at 3 o’clock, a 12-hour totalizer and date window at 6 o’clock and a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock. The polished stainless steel caseback is stamped with the Beijing 2008 Olympic logo and engraved with the Limited Edition number.


These distinctive watches are powered by the exclusive OMEGA calibre 3301 self-winding chronograph with a 52-hour power reserve, official chronometer certification and column-wheel chronograph mechanism, as well as OMEGA’s proprietary free sprung-balance, which ensures the stability of the watch’s performance over long periods of use. Both models have a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and are water-resistant to 150 meters/500 feet.




Minus 88 Days– Constellation Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronograph

The OMEGA Constellation Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronographs define sporty elegance: they are presented in men’s and women’s models in numbered 18-Ct yellow, white and red gold limited editions of 288 pieces each. The Gents’ models feature brushed 18-Ct gold bezels with tone-in-tone Roman numerals; the Ladies’ model bezels are polished 18-Ct gold set with 32 diamonds with a combined weight of 1.23 ct.



Each model features the Beijing 2008 Olympic Collection’s logo – the five rings representing the Olympic Games – on the counterweight of the central seconds hand. The Olympic theme continues with the 18-Ct yellow, white or red gold dials and the Beijing 2008 logo stamped above the limited-edition number engraved on the screw-in caseback. A subtle reference to the “lucky number 8” theme of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Collection is represented by the discreet figure 8 formed by the 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph totalizers.




These timepieces feature OMEGA’s revolutionary Co-Axial Escapement and free sprung balance which ensure greater regulating stability and precision. The Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronograph is a COSC-certified chronometer with a power reserve of 52 hours. All models have a domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides and a screw-fixed rubber strap on a brushed 18-Ct gold foldover clasp. The watches are water resistant to 100 metres (330 feet).


The Constellation Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronographs uniquely combine glamour and sport and will appeal equally luxury watch enthusiasts and fan of world-class sport.



The OMEGA Seamaster XXIX Limited Edition promises to be among the most desired of all the exclusive timepieces on offer at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing 2008.

This remarkable watch will only be available in Beijing and only during the Olympic Games. The initial limited release of 88 numbered Seamaster XXIX watches will take place on the 8th of August 2008 – 08/08/2008 – the day of the Opening Ceremony. Only 88 of these unique Seamasters will be sold each day between the 8th and 24th of August.

The Seamaster XXIX has been inspired by its ancestor, the Seamaster XVI, which was specially produced to honour the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne in 1956 and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of OMEGA’s role as Official Timekeeper in 1957.

The Seamaster XVI possessed all the features which had so quickly established the Seamaster’s worldwide reputation: unbreakable hesalite glass; protection against water, dust, temperature variations and atmospheric pressure; a double system of protection against shock; and of course, the legendary OMEGA calibre which gave the Seamaster its unparalleled precision. Reflecting the tastes of the time, its case measured a discreet 34 mm.

The Seamaster XVI also had another distinction: its caseback was stamped with the Olympic Cross of Merit, awarded to OMEGA during the 1952 Games in Helsinki “for outstanding service to the world of sports.”

While the new Seamaster XXIX was inspired by the Seamaster XVI, it blends some distinctive design enhancements with OMEGA’s revolutionary Co-Axial technology. The hour markers and hands along with the vintage OMEGA logo and name applied on the polished ivory dial are made of 18-Ct yellow gold, as are the applied Roman numerals “XXIX” symbolizing the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. The Seamaster XXIX’s 37 mm polished 18-Ct yellow gold case is delivered on a black caiman leather strap with an 18-Ct yellow gold buckle. It has a box-form scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment and is water-resistant to a depth of 100 metres.



At the heart of the Seamaster XXIX Limited Edition is the OMEGA Calibre 2403, a chronometer with OMEGA’s 21st century Co-Axial technology. The caseback features the official Beijing Olympic logo with the limited series number (0/88) and the watch’s date of issue. The Seamaster XXIX is presented in a personalized matte black wooden gift box.

The Seamaster XXIX Limited Edition: one unique classic pays tribute to another.



OMEGA, the Swiss luxury watchmaker and Official Timekeeper of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, reveals the extraordinary “Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection” whose beauty, rarity, and extravagance define it as the ultimate Olympic collector’s item.

Based on the “lucky number 8” concept, it includes an example of every OMEGA timepiece licensed for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. The watches are delivered in a striking, black walnut pagoda-influenced tower with a lacquered finish. The Unique No. 8 Collection, is limited to . . . one.


It is composed of the eighth numbered piece of each of the 32 Limited Edition watches in the OMEGA Beijing Olympic Collection, plus three “Olympic Split Seconds Chronograph 1932” pocket watches, also numbered 008 in their limited editions of 100 pieces. The launch of the 32 Limited Edition watches corresponds to countdown dates leading up to the Olympics, starting with Minus One Year, followed by Minus 288 days, Minus 188 days, Minus 88 days and finally culminating with Countdown 0, the 8th of August, 2008.


The 35 classic timepieces in this one-of-a-kind collection are presented in an elegant black walnut case whose intricate design pays homage to traditional Chinese architecture. Popular belief in China holds that the number 8 is fortuitous, so the watches representing the Beijing Olympic Collection are housed in the black tower in eight separate drawers, placed one above the other reminiscent of a rectangular pagoda. The concept also reflects OMEGA’s long-established links to the Far East: the brand entered the Chinese market in 1895, and as China gears up for its first Olympic Games, OMEGA, in its role as Official Timekeeper, will be a familiar presence in Beijing and throughout the country.
The eight drawers contain (from the top):
1. Three “Olympic Split Seconds Chronograph 1932” pocket watches, one each in 18-Ct yellow, white, and red gold, all with limited edition number 008/100. These watches were purchased especially for the “Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection” on the occasion of the enormously successful Omegamania auction which took place in April of 2007.
2. A Seamaster XXIX commemorating the Seamaster XVI which was released in 1956 in honour of the Melbourne Olympic Games (limited edition number 8/88, date of issue 08/08/2008). The Seamaster XXIX has a 37 mm 18-Ct yellow gold case and a distinctive black caiman leather strap as well as OMEGA’s revolutionary Co-Axial technology. These are to be launched at Countdown 0 – the 8th of August, 2008, the first day of the Olympic Games. 88 pieces will be released each day of the games – from the 8th to the 24th of August, 2008.
3. Two De Ville Prestige Ladies’ 22.50 mm watches (one in 18-Ct yellow gold and steel with diamond indices on the dial; the other in 18-Ct yellow gold and steel with applied golden numerals) and two De Ville Prestige 36.50 mm watches (one in 18-Ct yellow gold and steel with diamond indices on the dial; the other in 18-Ct yellow gold and steel with applied golden numerals). Each of the four watches is numbered 8/2008. These are also being released at Minus 88 Days (12 May 2008).
4. Three Constellation Double Eagle Chronograph Gents’ 41 mm watches (one each in 18-Ct yellow, white, and red gold) and three Constellation Double Eagle Ladies’ 35 mm watches (one each in 18-Ct yellow, white, and red gold). The precious metals subtly reflect the gold, silver, and bronze medals on the winners’ podiums at the Games of the Olympiad. The watches have been produced in limited editions of 288 pieces; each watch has the limited edition number 8/288. These are being released at Minus 88 Days (12 May 2008).
5. Two Aqua Terra Chronograph 42.20 mm watches (one in 18-Ct red gold and steel; the other in steel). Each is numbered 8/2008. These were released at Minus 188 Days (2 February 2008).
6. Three De Ville Ladies’ chronograph watches (one each in 18-Ct yellow, white, and red gold, representing the Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medals respectively). These three elegant timepieces carry the limited edition number of 8/288. These were released at Minus 288 Days (25 October 2007).
7. Eight Constellation ‘95 Ladies’ (22.5 mm) watches each of which represents a different, distinctive combination of metals and jewels. These watches have been produced in four limited editions of 888 and four limited editions of 2008, again depending on the metal and jewel configuration. The Constellations have the limited edition number of 8 (8/888 or 8/2008). These were also released at Minus One Year (8 August 2007).
8. Eight Constellation ’95 (35.5 mm) watches which, like the Constellation ‘95 Ladies’ (22.5 mm) watches, have different distinctive combination of fine metals and jewels. The Constellations have been produced in six limited editions of 888 and two limited editions of 2008, depending on the metal and jewel configuration. Each of the Constellations has the limited


A Long-Term Partnership

OMEGA and the Olympic Games have been inextricably linked for the past 76 years, ever since the company was first called upon in 1932 to provide thirty pocket watch chronographs to official timekeepers for use at the Los Angeles 1932 Olympic Games. The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games are OMEGA’s 23rd as Official Timekeeper. The enduring partnership between the International Olympic Committee and OMEGA represents a unique tribute to the precision and long-term reliability of the company’s products. The Beijing 2008, Unique No. 8 Collection was conceived as the ultimate commemoration of the relationship between OMEGA and the Games: 35 distinctive timepieces representing 160 years of OMEGA watchmaking, 76 years of Olympic Timekeeping and 113 years of OMEGA in China.