October 11, 2023 – The story of Omega will soon be on display at a special exhibition at the Chelsea Factory in New York City. From November 9th to 19th, Planet Omega will showcase the unique DNA of the renowned Swiss brand and many of its most innovative and notable timepieces.
The exhibition is filled with milestones from an iconic watchmaking journey. Some of the highlights to see up close include a revolution in women’s watchmaking – the first Ladymatic from 1955, as well as the Omega wristwatch worn by Elvis Presley. Featuring 44 brilliant-cut diamonds, it is certainly a timepiece fit for a king. For history fans, there’s also the Omega Slimline timepiece worn by John F. Kennedy at his presidential Inauguration Ceremony in 1961.
Within the spacious location, the exhibition has been split into five distinctive areas related to Omega:
For Sports and Olympic Games, the brand celebrates its proud legacy of Official Timekeeping, which encompasses a growing range of competitions, from America’s Cup sailing to professional golf, swimming, and athletics. Watches on display include one of the original split-seconds chronographs used to time the Olympic Games in 1932 – a role that Omega still fulfills to this day. This heritage piece has since become the motivation behind the brand’s new and ground-breaking Chrono Chime watch, which is also on display, and houses the most complex Omega movement ever made.
For the Ocean section, the exhibition looks deep into Omega’s diving expertise and history of sea-inspired designs. This includes an original 1932 Marine – known as the first divers’ watch that was available to civilian divers. Its double case design was a revolution for explorers at the time, but of course, Omega’s expertise has greatly advanced since then. In fact, visitors can also view one of the recent Seamaster “Ultra Deep” watches. In 2019, the first of these models reached the deepest point ever recorded in the ocean. The model on display is an adapted version available to customers, and is water-resistant to an incredible 6,000 meters (20,000 ft.).
The James Bond section is dedicated to the world’s favorite spy – who has worn an Omega in every film since 1995. Watches to look out for include the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition from Daniel Craig’s final appearance in No Time To Die, as well as two exquisite timepieces that were crafted for the franchise’s 60th anniversary. Don’t miss the animations on the casebacks of these models – which replicate the famous James Bond opening sequence.
No Omega exhibition would be complete without the essential Space display. Ever since the Speedmaster Moonwatch was qualified by NASA in 1965 for all manned missions, Omega has played a critical role in some of history’s greatest explorations, including the first lunar landing in 1969. Visitors will be able to see the same CK2998 model worn by astronaut Wally Schirra in 1962 aboard Mercury’s Sigma 7 mission. Known as the “first Omega worn in space” it represents the first chapter in the brand’s story beyond Earth. There are other models to discover too, including the latest Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” timepiece, and those created with real pieces of meteorite.
For visitors, this is a rare chance to see some of the most prized Omega watches outside of Switzerland. It’s a one-time opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. The Planet Omega exhibition will remain open from November 9th to 19th, starting at 11am to 7pm, at the Chelsea Factory, 547 W 26th Street.
Photo by Omega.
