Prototype group specificities: These ‘early prototypes’ can also be regarded as ‘functional prototypes’, as the way to fix the movement inside the case and especially the closing of the case back are definitively still in an experimental phase. Hence, these ‘earliest prototypes’ show some peculiarities when examining their cases. Their tungsten – carbide cases are slightly bigger and heavier as the ‘later’ prototypes and the stainless steel case backs are press fitted and not screwed. The mineral crystal ist thicker than in later versions and protrudes more from the case surface. When comparing two prototypes from subsequent developmental phases with identical movements, dials and hands the difference in weight becomes evident: P1-1; 107g vs. P-2-2; 62g.
A plastic ring is inserted between the case and the case back, which seems to act as guide for closing the case back and also as seal, as no rubber seals seem to have been used. The plastic ring ensuring the perfect fit of the case back has gone brown over the years and has also become very brittle. It is not fixed inside the case and can be removed or exchanged. The fact of considering a press fit case back would be in line with the ambition for Omega to produce a user friendly watch enabling the wearer to perform the battery change with no need of specialised tools.
Omega Cermet, P1-1 prototype, 1973
Categories: functional prototype, aesthetic prototype
Description: Heavy, tortoise shaped, tungsten – carbide cased prototype. Circular stainless steel movement holder glued to tungsten – carbide shell. Press fitted stainless steel back with patent marks. Plastic guide -and seal ring interposed between case and case back. Blue anodised metal dial with vertical brushing. Broad, raised metal hour markers and white printed minute markers. Date window at ‘3’. Raised metal company logo and printed ‘Omega Electronic f300′ underneath ’12’. ‘Chronometer’ above ‘6’, ‘Swiss Made’ below ‘6’. White metal hands. Tritium application outside hour markers and on hour and minute hands. Original crown with company logo. Original mineral crystal.
Dimensions: 40.5mm (without crown), lug – lug: 44.6mm, lug width: 20mm
Movement: Omega cal.: 1255 (ESA 9162, tuning fork), #32861644 (1973)
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Omega Cermet, P1-2 prototype, 1973 / 77
Categories: functional prototype, aesthetic prototype
Description: Heavy, tortoise shaped, tungsten – carbide cased prototype. Circular stainless steel movement holder glued to tungsten – carbide shell, black plastic movement holder ring. Press fitted stainless steel back with patent marks. Plastic guide -and seal ring interposed between case and case back. Blue /violet anodised metal dial with vertical brushing. Thin, raised metal hour markers and white printed minute markers. Date window at ‘3’. Raised metal company logo and printed ‘Omega Quartz’ underneath ’12’. ‘Seamaster’ above ‘6’, ‘Swiss Made’ below ‘6’. White metal hands. Tritium application outside hour markers and on hour and minute hands. Original crown with company logo. Original mineral crystal.
Dimensions: 40.5mm (without crown), lug – lug: 44.6mm, lug width: 20mm
Movement: Omega cal.: 1342 prototype, unnumbered
Additional info: This watch also features a prototype cal.: 1342 movement, which was introduced in 1977. The fact that this movement was used in a prototype classified as ‘early’ contradicts the establishment of a linear time line and confirms, that all prototypes were most probably built using a non – linear protocol and that ‘earlier’ cases might have been equipped with later movements for functional testing of the movement and to check for the performance of the combined pieces.
More info about the development of these watches can be found in the parent section.
Omega Prototypes 