Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime

In Context

At 45 mm it is a large watch — well above this catalogue’s 40 mm median, and enough to dominate a narrow wrist. At 16.9 mm it is very tall, and sits high off the wrist. The case back is open, so the movement is visible without taking the watch apart, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. Rated to 30 m, it is protected against rain and splashes and nothing beyond that.

The movement is hand-wound, so winding it becomes part of the day rather than something the watch does for you. 60 hours of reserve is enough to set it down on Friday evening and find it still running on Monday. At 36,000 vph the seconds hand advances 10 times a second, a high beat bought at the cost of faster wear.

522.53.45.52.04.001 stands on its own in this catalogue — no other reference here shares its base number. It carries a sedna gold case. Introduced in 2022.

The most complicated movement the brand has ever produced, OMEGA’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 1932, developed with Blancpain, is a fully integrated chronograph and minute repeater. In order to chime the elapsed time, the 1932 requires its own mechanical “brain” to merge the two functions and sense which one to engage. Its Co-Axial escapement, an essential component in all of OMEGA’s movements, beats at an unusual 5 Hz to display 1/10th of a second, like the pocket chronographs used to time the 1932 Olympic Games. The complex movement also integrates a security and split seconds function. The luxurious handmade calibre is satin-brushed, mirror polished and graced with 40 grams of gold.

1 other watch in the library runs the Omega OMEGA 1932.

Omega

Speedmaster Chrono Chime Co-Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph Sedna Gold / Aventurine

522.50.45.52.03.001 · 45.5 mm