It’s not a secret that Omega has always aimed to innovate and improve. In 2013, Omega released a watch capable of resisting magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss and it would subsequently lead to the creation of co-axial escapement and the exalted Master Chronometer Certification. Omega has just released the new Omega Speedmaster Super Racing Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph watch to commemorate that historical event in Omega’s history. It is undoubtedly the best-in-class for the industry now that it is equipped with Omega’s newest Spirate System which allows for ultra-fine rate adjustments and is released in 2023, ensuring an accuracy of +0 and +2 seconds/day.
Residing inside a stainless steel case measuring 44.25 mm x 14.9 mm, the new watch has a black sandwich dial with a honeycomb pattern and racing-style minute-track. Encircling the dial is the black ceramic bezel ring with a tachymeter scale in yellow “grand feu” enamel. The gradient chronograph hand and the yellow and black striped small seconds hand at 9 o’clock are also in this bold yellow color. The register at 3 o’clock offers readings for 60 minutes/12 hours as well as serving as a second-time zone. The day of the month is indicated by the window at 3 or 6 o’clock or by the 9 o’clock subdial. The black arrowhead indexes are diamond-polished and beveled, and they’re filled with a brand-new Super-LumiNova that glows a distinct yellow. The “10” in the Speedmaster logo font appears in a date window at 6 o’clock as a tribute to the anniversary of the Seamaster Aqua Terra >15’000 GAUSS. With Scratch‑resistant sapphire crystal with anti‑reflective treatment on both sides, water resistance is rated at 50 meters (5 bar). The caseback as well as transparent sapphire crystal.
The automatic Co-Axial Master Chronometer 9920 from Omega is the movement driving the Omega Speedmaster Super Racing. It is the first movement to incorporate the brand-new Spirate System, which is a patent-pending technology, and it has received the highest level of certification available in the watch industry from the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). Like the watch it is honoring, it is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss and offering 60 hours of power reserve.
We’re live from Omega HQ in Biel, Switzerland, where the brand unveiled a two-prong release: One part new watch, one part new technical innovation. Omega has been teasing a “tiny device” and that device was announced today as “Spirate.” The trademarked word is a combination of two other words: Spiral (made from silicon) and the word Rate.
The result is a patented new spiral technology with enhanced accuracy by way of a fine-tuning system that offers the ability to finesse the movement plus or minus 0.1 seconds per day resulting in a complete accuracy of 0/+2 seconds per day.
From a methodological standpoint, this is made possible by an articulated structure with flexible bearings that allow a watchmaker to adjust the stiffness of the balance spring using a mechanism on the balance bridge. This new Spirate system is 10 times more efficient than that of the free-sprung balance and the fine-tuning can be done quickly and easily at an Omega boutique.
Before this movement is cased, it is tested to plus or minus one second per day with the fine-tuning tolerance of plus or minus 0.1 seconds per day. Once cased and METAS certified, Omega has been able to achieve a certified accuracy rating of 0/+2 seconds.
Thanks to Omega’s ability to industrialize this complex watchmaking feat, the tech will eventually make its way into a number of Omega models. But today, it debuts in one specific model with a brand new name: The Omega Speedmaster Super Racing. It’s a super watch with racing ties that has super mechanics under the hood. Now that we’ve covered those mechanics on a surface level, let’s look at the aesthetics.
This new Omega release is not only about a new Speedmaster but also about pushing boundaries in terms of accuracy. Meet the Omega Speedmaster Super Racing 329.30.44.51.01.003, featuring the new Spirate System. This watch is a visual tribute to the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra “Bumblebee” (the black and yellow version) introduced exactly 10 years ago, which was antimagnetic to over 15,000 gauss.