Omega Classics Remade

Omega has launched three new watches, each of them a remake of a classic timepiece from the mid-twentieth century. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer revealed its new designs at Baselworld 2014, the watch and jewellery show. Each new interpretation of a classic watch from the '40s, '50s and '60s has been updated with new technology and modern design detailing.

De Ville Tresor

de ville tresorThe first classic watch to receive a modern makeover was the Tresor, first launched in 1949. The casing housed the popular Omega 30mm calibre and was minimalist for the time -- a thin, elegant gold case, the large face having only two hands, simple and plain indices rather than numbers and the famous Omega logo. The updated version retains the original's simplicity. The casing is very similar but now available in 18k yellow or white Sedna gold. The dial is subtly different and now of a Clous de Paris design. But it is within the casing that the real changes have been made. It now houses Omega's state-of-the-art Master co-axial calibre 8511 -- a very modern heart within a classic design.

Speedmaster Mark II

speedmaster mkii Omega's second watch to be revamped is the Omega Speedmaster Mark II, first launched in the 1960s and inspired by the Omega Speedmaster Professional that went to the moon as part of the NASA space programme. Omega called the case design 'barrel-shaped' and this has been retained in the upgrade. The sub-dials are now three-dimensional and the new tachymeter is much more visible thanks to the thick layer of Super-Luminova material under each of the numerals.

Seamaster 300

seamaster 300 The third classic watch to be relaunched by Omega was the Seamaster 300, a classic from the 1950s. First released in 1957, this watch for divers incorporated a black dial, diving scale, light indexes, large hands and a unidirectional rotating bezel. As its name implies, it could be taken to a depth of 300 metres. The remake looks very similar to the mid-twentieth century original but is made of entirely twenty-first-century components, with a black ceramic dial, Sedna gold, a liquid-metal diving scale and Master Co-Axial calibres 8400 and 8401. (The 8401 is the luxury version.)

Why Watchmakers Look Back

Reviving old classics in this way is nothing new. All the big names in luxury watch manufacturing do it on occasion, from Seiko to Rolex. Many luxury watch manufacturers choose to relaunch their classic pieces for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a simple and relatively safe process to take something that works well and to improve it rather than taking the risk of designing a new watch from scratch. Secondly, some markets, notably those in the Far East, are often conservative in their tastes, preferring classic designs to more modern, contemporary watch casings. Thirdly, and most importantly, those classic designs were became classic for a very good reason. They really are timeless and have survived the test of time because their designs have resonated with buyers over the decades.