I recently had the chance to wear an Omega Globemaster for a few days. I liked the watch, from one of my favourite brands, so here is an overview.
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| Wearing the Omega Globemaster |
Many watch companies are using their archives to drive current watch design. The rise in popularity of vintage timepieces has focused attention on watches of the fifties and sixties, when they were often more elegant and functional than the bloated and fussy looks of some modern watches. The Globemaster revives the Omega Constellation of the sixties, a watch which, when I collected vintage, I looked for but never succeeded in sourcing the right one. It had an attractive 'piepan' dial, characterised by its angled surfaces which are used to good effect on the new watch.
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| Omega Globemaster (Annual Calendar on the right) |
The new watch uses its forbear's design well and makes an excellent cross between a dress and a very functional watch. By this I mean that while it has the clean and attractive appearance of a dress watch to be worn for work or more formal socialising, it's a lot more than a piece of male jewellery. The watch is highly water resistant and anti-magnetic; the latter essential, Omega claim, in these days of electronic devices which contain high levels of magnetism that throw out wristwatch accuracy. It is also a chronometer: conforming to a different chronometer standard than other watches, it will keep time to within 0 to +5 seconds a day.
One other feature that is useful for the traveller is that the hour hand can be moved independently of the minute hand. This means that you can alter your hour time if travelling across time zones without stopping the watch or affecting its timekeeping. The Annual Calendar model (above right) adds a calendar function but loses some of the simplicity of looks with the additional writing around the dial.
The watch feels fairly chunky, like a sports watch in many ways. The transparent caseback (above) allows you to see the attractive movement and displays the observatory medallion first seen on the original watches.
What is offered here is a good-looking, robust, highly accurate watch that, at 39mm diameter, is an ideal size. It will stand you in good stead whether at a formal dinner or for wear on the beach. This is a watch for the man who needs one timepiece for everything, work, play, formal, informal and travel. Overall I was reluctant to hand it back at the end of my few day trial. See Omega for more information.
This is unsponsored. I was invited to a dinner to mark the watch in London before Christmas but have received no payment, direct or indirect.
