When talking about Omega Constellation, watch friends will think of the iconic Manhattan series and its famous case claws. Few people will think of the Globemaster watch launched by Omega in 2015. In fact, It is also part of the Constellation series, but it has been 5 years since its launch. It feels extremely lonely and feels like I was born at the wrong time.
Omega Constellation in the 1960s
The Omega Constellation series can be traced back to 1952. It was definitely Omega's flagship product in that era. The first Constellation movement was the Cal.384 movement with a striking rotor. movement and unique diamond-shaped time scales. The famous 5xx movement was used in the later period, of which Cal.561 was the leader of that era. The pie plate-shaped dial and dauphine hands are its iconic markings, which were used until the late 1960s. The eight stars on the back of the watch represent the eight most important precision records in the movement set by Omega in the 1940s and 1950s; the Constellation watch is highly regarded by watch enthusiasts for its lug design and gold hour markers. evaluate.
Since Lockheed registered the Constellation trademark for its aircraft in the early 1950s, Omega Constellation entered the North American market and had no choice but to choose another name - Omega chose Globemaster, no exaggeration. Said that in American retail stores at that time, the Constellation Globemaster was more expensive than the Rolex Datejust!
During the quartz crisis in the 1970s and 1980s, Omega took a detour and allowed Rolex to take the lead. It has been underwhelmed by Rolex to this day. Ou Ji must have been unhappy and wanted to hold it back. This big move turned over, and the result was the Globemaster series watch released in 2015; from its naming, it can be seen that Omega just wants to return to its peak moment. Of course, out of caution, Omega did not discontinue the traditional Constellation Manhattan series, but started a new one - retro style advanced movement.
In terms of appearance design, Zunba directly draws on the classic elements of the old-fashioned Constellation in the 1960s. The faceted curvature of the dial is similar to an upturned pie plate. There is also the constellation of Venus on the dial, with stick hands and hour markers and a date window at 6 o'clock. Another retro element is the grooved bezel. Many people may think it is a copy of Rolex DJ. In fact, it is not. Omega used this bezel on its constellation of "C" shaped cases in the 1960s, adding retro interest and Charming, plus, the steel bezel has a scratch-resistant tungsten carbide material.
Omega’s bigger bet is on the movement. The Globemaster is the first watch in the world to be certified by METAS.
Globemaster's caliber 8900 double barrel has a 60-hour power reserve, can quickly set the hour hand, does not have a quick date setting function, has a coaxial escapement, and has a somewhat unique vibration frequency of 25,200bph. What is even more unique is that it has obtained dual certifications from METAS and COSC.
Independently tested by the Swiss Federal Office of Weights and Measures. To obtain the title of Master Chronometer, your timepiece must undergo 8 stringent tests set by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), and the movement inside must first be certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) . METAS testing is designed to keep these movements evolving under real-world conditions that do not take into account COSC testing.
1. Tested by placing the watch in different positions at different temperatures, and then exposing it to a 15,000 Gauss magnetic field in different positions and temperatures Demagnetize and inspect again to test the watch's daily average accuracy.
2. The movement is affected by a 15,000 Gauss magnetic field at two different locations.
3. Repeat test 2, the watch itself will be affected by a 15,000 Gauss magnetic field and check the accuracy.
4. The first test above lasted 4 days, during which the average deviation of the watch was measured.
5. The watch has been tested for water pressure resistance by immersion.
6. The duration of power is measured independently by taking pictures.
7. The error of the watch is measured at different positions at 100% power and 33% power, testing the accuracy of the stated power reserve.
8. The watch is at 6 The running time when placed in different locations.
In addition, every Globemaster comes with a certification card (complete with access code) that allows you to check the test results on your own watch.
In 2015, Rolex was basically dominated by 3135. This movement from the 1980s was already showing some signs of fatigue. The new generation 3235 movement was just launched at the Basel Watch Fair that year. Omega released 11 models of Globemaster in one breath that year, ranging from steel belt models, steel belt steel models, gold belt models, gold chain belt models, all gold models to the top platinum models. The only omission is the all gold belt model. ;
Zunba Annual Calendar Watch
Zunba is determined to win, trying to use a revolutionary movement and retro styling to give the Rolex Datejust a head-on blow, and the publicity at that time was not small. , in 2016, it launched a complex model - 6-piece Zunba Annual Calendar watch, but then Omega died down. It did not launch new products for 4 consecutive years. Instead, it began to continuously update the traditional constellation series, especially this year. Launched the 41mm ceramic bezel Constellation.
Obviously, Omega Zunba did not win the market. Why?
The launch of a new watch series by a big brand must have been planned for several years in advance. , Zunba is definitely the same. In 2015, it was originally promoted along with the momentum of the anti-magnetic 15,000 Gauss Bee Needle the previous year. Unexpectedly, it hit the low ebb of the decline of luxury goods. It may be due to the anti-corruption in mainland China and other overseas factors. This year Sales of almost all brands showed a double-digit decline. During the economic downturn, luxury goods tended to be conservative and sell mature and classic models. The innovative products launched at this time were like catching up with the ebbing tide, and nine out of ten were photographed on the beach. superior.
Datejust in the 1960s
The new Zunba uses the dial of the classic constellation in the 1950s, and the case imitates the C-shaped case of the constellation in the 1960s, although these are all classics in Omega’s treasure house style, but these allusions are only known to a few watch fans. They have been discontinued since the 1970s and have not been reproduced for half a century. Watch consumers under the age of 45 have always been familiar with the Manhattan style constellation watch. , the constellation with claws is definitely more recognized; design continuity is very important for luxury goods. After two or three generations of consumers have not recognized it, no matter how classic a design is, it is a brand new design, and consumers need to be educated from scratch. In sharp contrast, the design language of Rolex Datejust has not changed much since the 1950s.
Zunba probably initially shouldered the important task of challenging Datejust, so the price is much more expensive than the traditional Constellation; for example, they are also 39mm belt stainless steel Constellations, and now they are also the ultimate movement, METAS certified It’s not surprising. For example, the classic constellation 131.13.39.20.06.001 is priced at 47,000 yuan, while the domineering constellation 130.33.39.21.02.001 is priced at 54,800 yuan. For a dental ring, it costs almost 8,000 yuan. No one will pay for Zunba.