The Omega Marine 1932 watch is a beautiful and technically fascinating addition to the brand's Specialities Museum Collection. This limited edition timepiece pays tribute to the Original Omega Marine from 1932, a significant watch whose resistance to water and moisture made it a pioneer for generations of dive watches which would come after it, both by Omega, and other brands as well.
What made the original
Omega Marine such a remarkable watch, was its elegant and ingeniously designed rectangular case which featured a unique steel double case; the inner case, possessing the movement, dial and crown, could be slid out of the outer case, to effect time setting and winding, as needed. However, once it was placed inside the external case, and sealed by the patented locking lever on the caseback, the Omega Marine was impermeable to water and dust, and notably protected from shock. A new generation of dive professionals were enthusiastic about the performance offered by this Omega watch, including the legendary marine researcher Charles W. Beebe, who wrote an adulatory letter to Omega, extolling the performance of his Marine timepiece after a 14-meter dive in 1936. Riding upon the success of such exploits, the Omega Marine watch was awarded official certification in 1937 as being pressure proof to a depth of 135 meters, after passing a range of water resistance tests carried out by the Swiss Laboratory for Horology, in Neuchatel.
The Omega Marine 1932 Museum Collection Limited Series watch invokes all the charm of the original model, ennobling it with precious metals, and superb craftsmanship. The double sliding case is crafted from 18K gold - highly polished white gold comprising the innermost case, the external case being in red gold, and showing off sublimely intricate contrasts between satin and polished surfaces. The extremely elegant dial, crafted from silvered gold, and fitted with blued steel "Modern Plume" hands echoes very closely the original Omega Marine watch. And, like its predecessor, this watch is fitted with the characteristic pivoting locking lever; beautifully finished and precise, this lever seals the two cases together to enable water resistance to a depth of 135 meters. It also permits the release of the inner case, enabling it to be withdrawn for hand-winding, or simply for those times when its owner wishes to admire the fine decorative detail that greets the eye through the sapphire crystal caseback window.
Omega connoisseurs will also appreciate the inherent excellence of the Omega 2007 caliber movement which animates this watch. Sparkling with cotes de Geneve decoration, as well as gold-plated engravings, this fine hand-wound mechanism bears the technical distinction of the exclusive Omega Co-Axial escapement, a groundbreaking horological innovation which significantly reduces friction and contributes to long-lasting precision, performance, and ease of service. Commemorating the depth rating which made the Marine such a performance standard, Omega presents this striking luxury timepiece in an edition of just 135 pieces. An engraved number upon the caseback of each watch attests to this exclusive status.