Omega: un passato in trincea[:en]Omega: the watches worn from the trenches
IN PRIMA LINEA. NON TUTTI SANNO CHE IL MARCHIO OMEGA FU UNO TRA I PIU’ IMPORTANTI FORNITORI DI OROLOGI MILITARI DURANTE LE DUE GUERRE MONDIALI CHE SEGNARONO IL 20IMO SECOLO.
Omega, grazie alla precisione riconosciuta ai suoi orologi e alla capacità di consegnare in tempi brevi importanti quantità di orologi da tasca così come da polso, divento’, allo scoppio della Prima Guerra Mondiale, il primo fornitore di segnatempo del Ministero della Difesa della Gran Bretagna (MoD) così come degli alleati.
In particolare, i cronografi da polso Omega divennero, durante la Prima Guerra Mondiale, uno strumento essenziale per gli ufficiali in comando. Essi, cronometrando la differenza esatta tra il lampo e il suono del fuoco opposto, erano infatti in grado di stabilire la distanza del nemico (un’informazione alquanto importante nell’atto della pianificazione un attacco).
Durante la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, il marchio consegnò invece al MoD più di 110.000 orologi per navigatori, piloti e soldati dell’Air Force e della Marina. Numeri alla mano, questo significa che più del 50% degli orologi svizzeri consegnati alla Gran Bretagna durante la guerra provenivano da un’unica azienda, Omega, mentre tutti gli altri marchi si dividevano il rimanente 50%.
Tra i segnatempo Omega da ricordare segnaliamo l’CK2129, l’UK/CK2292 e il CK2444.
Il CK2129 (indossato da Tom Hardy nel nuovo film “Dunkirk” diretto da Christopher Nolan) fu l’orologio Omega più indossato dal personale della RAF nei primi giorni della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. All’inizio della Guerra ne furono consegnati al MoD 2.000 esemplari. Caratterizzato da un quadrante color crema, numeri arabi e lancette a “pera”, questo segnatempo poteva contare su di una ghiera rotante che, oltre a poter essere bloccata dalla seconda corona in modo da evitare che il tempo non fosse alterato da urti accidentali, consentiva di cronometrare specifici intervalli di tempo.
Il modello UK/CK2292, l’orologio Spitfire, venne fornito alla maggior parte del personale della RAF e della Fleet Air Arm. Al suo interno montava l’innovativo calibro 30mm che, oltre ad aver stabilito diversi record di precisione, era all’epoca il più resistente al magnetismo grazie ad una nuova lega con la quale veniva realizzata la molla del bilanciere.
Il CK2444, era invece un orologio da immersione che venne impiegato durante la fine della Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Il marchio Broad Arrow, tipico dei militari britannici, era inciso sia sul quadrante sia sul fondello. Su quest’ultimo erano incise anche le lettere w.w.w.(Waterproof Wrist Watch).
TO NOT FORGET. THE BRAND OMEGA WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUPPLIERS OF WACTHES DURING BOTH WORLD WARS.
The 20th century will forever remain scarred by two World Wars that divided nations and left a devastating mark on history. The brand Omega was one of the biggest suppliers of watches during both wars and is still recognised today for the critical role it played. On the allied side, many of these soldiers depended on their OMEGA watches as instruments for survival.
World War I
Certain qualities made OMEGA an ideal supplier of military watches at the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Precision was the first advantage. The brand had a strong history of observatory records that proved the accuracy of its timepieces. More importantly, OMEGA’s manufacturing ability meant that it could deliver high quantities of these precise wristwatches and pocket watches for service. Very quickly, OMEGA became the prime choice of Great Britain’s Ministry of Defence as well as its allies.
When warfare moved into the trenches, OMEGA’s wristwatch chronographs, which were amongst the first ever made, became essential tools for commanding officers. By timing the exact difference between the flash and sound of opposing gunfire, they were able to work out the distance between themselves and the enemy; A truly important piece of information when planning your attack.
World War II
OMEGA’s good reputation continued into World War II. In fact, the brand delivered more than 110,000 pilots’, navigators’ and soldiers’ watches to Great Britain’s MoD to support its Air Force and Navy pilots during service. This means that more than 50% of all of Switzerland’s watch deliveries to the United Kingdom during the war came from one company, OMEGA, with all other brands sharing the remaining 50%. From Great Britain to the USA, France and even Greece, all allies benefited from OMEGA’s watches.
The CK2129
The CK2129 was the most commonly worn OMEGA timepiece for RAF personnel in the early days of the Second World War. Its unique rotating bezel was highly valuable for pilots and navigators during missions as it enabled the timing of specific intervals. The rotating bezel could also be locked by the watch’s 2nd crown, so that the timing couldn’t be affected by accidental knocks. 2,000 of the models had been delivered to the MoD at the start of the war. The watch was made to be particularly easy to read, which is why it featured a contrasting cream dial with clear Arabic numerals and poire hands. The newly released film “Dunkirk”, directed by Christopher Nolan, has correctly placed this model on the wrist of Tom Hardy’s RAF character.
The UK/CK2292 – The Spitfire Watch
This model was supplied to the majority of RAF and Fleet Air Arm personnel. Inside was the innovative 30mm calibre, which had set numerous world precision records at observatory trials. It was far more resistant to magnetism due to a new alloy used in creating the balance spring. This greatly served the pilots flying the Hurricanes and Spitfires, who were sitting just two feet behind a huge magnetic field within their powerful engines.
The CK2444 – The Waterproof Watch
Towards the end of World War II, as warfare moved towards the Pacific Ocean, another OMEGA watch came into service. The CK2444 became known for its superb water resistance. In fact, the MoD gave it the w.w.w engraving on the caseback, which stood for “Waterproof Wrist Watch”. There was also a Broad Arrow marking on the dial and caseback which was typical of the British military.