Omega Calibre 8520
Omega SA is a Swiss watch manufacturing company with a long tradition that is synonymous with luxury and reliability. Throughout history, many of the most famous and affluent people from all over the world have donned their various watches, from James Bond to John F. Kennedy. Actually, one of the brand’s products – the Omega Speedmaster even made it to the moon during the landing of 1969.
Needless to say the Biel based brand is one of the highest regarded when it comes to watch making, and they have continued to produce some of the highest quality and most famous watches around from the year 1848, when the company was founded until present day and will probably continue to do so for many years and decades to come.
The 8520 calibre is a movement that was created as part of the 8500 range, launched back in 2007, which marked an important step in the history of this luxury watch producer, helping the company position itself as one of the most reliable time pieces manufacturer there is.
This particular calibre 8520 was designed for use with the Seamaster Planet Ocean Omega Co-Axil 37.5mm. Built entirely in-house, the 8520 is another example of fine craftsmanship that you can only expect from a Swiss watch making company like Omega. As the name puts it, the 8520 calibre uses (just like the 8500 series) the co-axial escapement mechanism, which represents a guarantee of technological advancement and efficiency. While the series of calibres 8500 were dubbed the first to have fully exploited the potential of the Co-Axial escapement mechanism, the 8520 takes it even further.
A self-winding movement, the 8520 features a free sprung-balance system that includes a silicon balance-spring. The automatic winding can be done in either direction, allowing for prompt time settings when the occasion calls for it.
As part of the Seamaster range, the movement is water resistant to a depth of 600 metres (60 bar). This means it can be worn when going for a short dive or a swim with no fear of damages or other unwanted consequences.
The calibre contains 28 jewels in total, including a sapphire crystal back that provides a clear view of the movement thanks to its transparency. The shock system is a nivachoc, providing high class protection for the watch, which has a rhodium plated finish and includes an exclusive Geneva Waves arabesque that greatly adds to the aesthetic appeal of the piece.
The crown of this luxury watch has 3 positions, the first of these being in the standard position, which is resting against the case of the watch, making it water resistant as well. Occasional winding can also be performed in this position should the watch be unworn for 50 hours, which is the battery reserve for this movement. This can be done by manually winding the crown when in the standard position.
The second is the correcting date, which works in correlation with the date feature of the movement. This is achieved by pulling the crown out once to its second position. Time setting is the final position for the crown, and allows the crown to be further pulled out to help set the time, which can be done so in either direction for ease.
Features include the date setting, a helium escape valve, a unidirectional rotating bezel, and the aforementioned screw-in crown. When it comes to diving watches and their movements, the 8520 and the Seamaster range are certainly up there with the best.
Omega 8500 Caliber Movement
Omega is one of the best known watch movement brands around the world, and the launch of the 8500 series of calibres back in 2007 represented an important milestone in the history of Omega brand, helping the Biel based luxury watch producer to reposition itself in the top market range. This family of calibres is the result of half a century of research and testing projects led by Michael Bourqin’s team. The model approved by the Swiss-Lebanese entrepreneur Nicholas Hayek in 2000 stands for values like durability, sturdiness, top notch quality and high precision, bringing the Omega company to a new level on the luxury watches market.
Since the brand decided to retire the 1000 series of calibres back in the 1970s, Omega watches have been equipped with different versions of ETA calibres until the second half of the 1990s, when George Daniels’ patent for Co-Axial escapement was purchased by the Swiss watchmaker and the Omega Caliber 2500 was developed. Known within the industry as the Daniels ‘fix’, the co-axial escapement mechanism was much more than a marketing tool: it helped Omega address a major issue present with earlier calibre models, eliminating the sliding friction produced when the escape wheel touched the pallet jewels.
The in-house developed 8500 series of calibres uses the co-axial escapement mechanism, benefiting from technological benefits of the Daniels’ ‘fix’. This makes it much more advanced and efficient than the ETA-based calibres. A major achievement for the watch manufacturing brand, the 8500 Omega calibre is the first movement that fully exploits the Co-Axial escapement mechanism’s potential.
The movement’s size has been boosted by 13% compared to the previous 2500 calibres series in order to suit the design of the Omega Seamaster collection. The power supply comes from the two mainspring barrels coated with a special material known within the industry as DLC (Diamond-like carbon). This is an extra feature aimed at eliminating friction. Its main benefit lies in durability: only little wear signs will be noticed even after 10 years of use.
In order to completely wind the two mainsprings, you will have to perform 60 manual rotations of the crown. First, you have to wind the hand barrel that does not feature a slip clutch. You will notice a slight unwinding effect of the hand barrel, followed by a quick jump of the automatic barrel. Together they supply power to the escapement mechanism.
The 8500 calibre’s bridges are solidly built, while the design elements are stylish and luxury-oriented. Another white ball for the 8500 Omega calibre is the special design allowing easy maintenance of the movement and mechanism. Besides, the movement presents exquisite “Cotes de Geneve en Arabesque” decorations, which add great value to the movement’s overall design.
Comparing the Omega 8500 calibre movements to the 2500 series, you will also notice the latter feature an 8 leaf meshing pinion while, the 8500 family contains 14 leaf. The 8500 versions produced after the year 2011 also come equipped with the silicon Si14 balance springs. This special type of silicon provides the springs with more stability. If you own a former version, you can have the balance springs easily upgraded.
Released back in 2007, the Omega 8500 calibre movement series has already established itself as one of the high end products within the luxury watches market. No systemic issues or malfunctioning of any kind have been reported so far. The beat rate and jamming issues reported with previous versions of the Co–Axial escapement mechanism seem to have been resolved within the current version.
Tag Heuer Calibre 16 Movement
Many watch experts agree that the ETA 7750 movement, also known as Tag Heuer Calibre 16, is one of the most famous and versatile automatic chronograph movements ever manufactured. Though many consider this mechanism as a generic one, ETA 7750 complies with the very demanding COSC Chronometer standards and is available on a wide range of luxury timepieces brands, such as Panerai, IWC and Hublot.
In 2014, the watch world has celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ETA 7750, one of the most popular automatic chronograph movements on the planet. The beginnings of this mechanism are closely connected to the legendary movement maker Valjoux who developed the movement in the ‘70s, the golden age of watchmaking innovations. The ETA 7750 was actually based on the manual-wind Valjoux 7730 and it was the first movement designed by using a computer.
Valjoux 7750 is a precise, reliable and cost-effective calibre that has a considerably large and thick appearance. The movement has a distinctive sound which is generated by the rotor. This calibre is mono-directional and features a heavy and large oscillating weight that reaches high speeds. The first Valjoux 7750 versions were available in two frequencies- 21,600 bph and 28,800 bph, each with 17 jewels.
Even though TAG Heuer launched its own Calibre 11 movement in the ‘60s, it decided to use the Valjoux 7750 for developing a brand new Calibre, one that was more functional and versatile. This is how the first 7750 a.k.a. Calibre 16 appeared in 1977 when Heuer created two new models- the Pasadena and the Kentucky. The same mechanism was used for launching in 1981 the second-generation of Heuer Montreal.
Then in 1982 Heuer stopped using the Valjoux 7750 for its watches due to the involvement of the new co-owner Lemania. The goal here was to replace all the Valjoux 7750 movements in Heuer’s watches with exclusive Lemania mechanisms.
In 1997, Tag Heuer decided to bring back the Valjoux 7750 for the 2000 Chronograph and S/el Chronograph. This decision was influenced by the arrival of LVMH as owner of Tag Heuer in 2000. His strategy was to focus on mechanical chronographs.
The Carrera was the promoter of Tag Heuer Calibre 16. In 2015 when the brand launched the new Carrera design this accelerated the use of the ETA 7750 as the base of the Calibre 16. It was then when the 7750 was redesigned by Tag Heuer with a brand new look and a catchy name- Calibre 16. Nowadays, Tag Heuer offers the Calibre 16 in a couple different models- either with a Sellita SW500 or with an ETA 7750.
Nevertheless, the Swiss made Tag Heuer Calibre 16 is one of the most renewed and preferred automatic calibres ever manufactured by the brand. The mechanism comes with 25 rubies and measures 30.4 mm in diameter. Some of its most important technical characteristics are the 42 hours power reserve, the rapid date correction and the 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) balance frequency.
From a functional point of view, the Calibre 16 has many things to offer. The basic time function, the small central seconds counter at 9 o’clock, the hours chronograph counter at 6 o’clock, the minutes chronograph at 12 o’clock and the date window are its core assets.
Depending on the model, the open-work oscillating mass of the Calibre 16 features the “Côtes de Genève” motif and it is decorated with the markings “TAG Heuer — Calibre 16 — Swiss Made”.
Tag Heuer Calibre 16 is a very contemporary device that is characterized by extraordinary durability, amazing precision, impressive complications and an excellent cost-benefit ratio. This surprisingly versatile mechanism is used by Tag Heuer on many of its iconic collections and it represents one of the most appreciated automatic movements ever created.
Tag Heuer Calibre 11
1969 was a big year in the history of watches. It marked the creation of the first automatic chronograph movements, among which was the Heuer Calibre 11. This self-winding mechanism was successfully used for the TAG Heuer Monaco and Autavia collections, timepieces that were very popular at that time. Nowadays, Calibre 11 is still a part of Tag Heuer’s heritage and it is mostly available for the Monaco line. Its modern version is a highly functional interpretation of the vintage mechanism, an intricate automatic movement able to offer extreme precision and utility to its wearer.
As Heuer was unable to develop something as costly and complex as an automatic chronograph on its own, he decided to form a partnership with Breitling and Büren along with movement manufacturer Dubois-Depraz. This was a top secret project and its codename was “Project 99”. Their goal was to make the first “Chronomatic”. The movement was launched on the market in 1969 and it was the world’s first chronograph movement with an automatic microrotor.
Even though the original Calibre 11 was marketed as an in-house Heuer movement, the automatic movement was based on a Sellita or ETA ebauche with a Dubois-Depraz module and didn’t have any connections with the initial Chronomatic. The rotor was also embossed with “Calibre 11” and the “Heuer” logo.
Calibre 11 is still part of Tag Heuer’s identity and its contemporary interpretation features the winding crown on the left and the chronograph buttons on the right side of the case. Identically to the vintage Calibre 11, the modern Calibre 11 is modular and its chronograph module is powered by a certified ebauche. The original Chronomatic Calibre 11 was available with a Buren 1281 and a Dubois-Depraz 8510 module whereas todays Calibre 11 has your typical ETA 2892-A2 or Sellita SW 300 base and a redesigned Dubois-Depraz chronograph module. Generally, the Dubois-Depraz chronograph module models used for the modern Calibre 11 are 2018, 2021, and 2022.
Similarly to the initial Calibre 11, the current version rotates the base movement 180 degrees. This is the reason why the winding crown was placed on the left and the chronograph pushers on the right. A significant difference between the original and the modern Calibre 11 is the movement that works at 28,800 A/h as compared to the archaic 19,800 A/h.
One of the most important differences between the vintage Calibre 11 and today’s mechanism is the layout of the subdials. The classic one has the chronograph minutes on the right and the chronograph hours on the left while the contemporary one has running seconds on the right and chronograph minutes on the left.
Calibre 11 is Tag Heur’s most distinctive and iconic automatic caliber. With a diameter of 30 mm and 59 rubies, this self-winding movement was designed to serve as a very powerful and precise timekeeping instrument. Its rapid date correction, 28’800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) balance frequency and 40 hours power reserve are just a few of its highlights.
As far as functionality goes, the modern Calibre 11 keeps accurate time and features a date window at 6 o’clock, a chronograph seconds hand as 3 o’clock and a chronograph minutes counter at 9 o’clock. The open-worked oscillating mass is adorned with Côtes de Genève motif and is engraved with “TAG Heuer — Calibre 11 — Swiss Made”.
Calibre 11 isn’t just the result of many years of research and collaboration, but also a complex and functional automatic movement that has marked the evolution and success of Tag Heuer. It was the mechanism that has promoted and made the chronograph what it is today. Nevertheless, it has turned Heuer into the timeless master of sporty complications.