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Concord - Dubai Double & Desert Triple for Álvaro Quirós
In the closing event of the PGA European Tour, the Dubai World Championship, Spanish golfer Álvaro Quirós - who signed a partnership agreement with Concord in September 2011 - made a magnificent showing to win the title on Sunday December 11th. He finished at 19 under par after carding successive rounds of 68, 64, 70 and 67, ahead of a star-studded field including world number 1 Luke Donald, who took third place. The crowd went wild at the end of a nail-biting fourth round that Quirós completed with an incredible eagle on the 18th hole (having done the same in the second round)!
This outstanding achievement has earned him the admiration of golf enthusiasts around the world who have been following this showcase event with keen interest, naturally including the brand's agent in Dubai, Ahmed Seddiqi represented by Mr Mohammed Seddiqi, CEO Christophe Nicaise and Concord Regional Sales Manager Abdallah Mouaffak made a point of personally visiting the event to congratulate Quirós on his stellar performance.
Having started the year in the same country and on an equally positive note by notching his fifth European Tour title in February 2011 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic (a win that featured a stunning hole-in-one in the final round), Quirós is looking forward to the upcoming season and to the fresh challenges that await him in 2012.
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Omega - Planet Ocean on Capri
WORLDTEMPUS - 23 mai 2011
Last week, Omega impressively showed its latest Seamaster Planet Ocean models on the small island of Capri in the bay of Naples. A boat sailing around the historic island entered one of the legendary blue grottos, where a mermaid emerged from the water to hand one of the new orange Planet Ocean Chronograph to this reporter. The colorful diver's watch was not a present from a beautiful sea creature, but rather Omega's creative way to present a new watch to the press on board the chartered vessel.
This diver's watch, water-resistant to 600 meters, of the Seamaster Planet Ocean collection - which was originally launched in 2004 - is a sporty Omega. The line includes a three-hander (in both 42 and 45.5 mm case diameters) and 45.5 mm chronograph model in addition to a slightly more feminine 37.5 mm version for women: all are fitted with the latest in-house mechanical co-axial calibers 8500/8501, 8520/8521 or the new 9300 (chronograph).
The chronograph, available in stainless steel with an orange aluminum bezel, a black ceramic bezel or in titanium with a blue ceramic bezel and Liquidmetal markers, displays the 12-hour and 60-minute chronograph totalizers on the same subdial at 3 o'clock. This is the same set-up found on the new Speedmaster Moon. All the new movements are furthermore fitted with a newly developed Si 14 silicon balance spring, which is apparently incredibly reliable: Omega offers a four-year factory guarantee on it.
No more quartz
"We produced 420,000 co-axial movements in 2010," Omega president Stephen Urquhart explained as he showed the new collection at a scenic beach club located on one of the rocks where sirens allegedly lured sailors with their seductive song.
"That is more than half our total production . Within the next three years we will fit all our watches with our own movements," he claimed, indicating the end of quartz as going forward all models will contain mechanical movements, including the women's lines. Though it was pointed out that some women would rather spend their money on a diamond bezel or a precious metal case than a mechanical movement, Urquhart was insistent that Omega "needs to be consistent."
As much as this represents a changing of guard, it means that Omega's pricing will increase as well. However, it seems to be a clever move as the market with the biggest growth in Swiss horology belongs to a price segment around 15,000 euros, where it was between 2,500 and 7,500 only ten years ago. The entry level price for the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean collection today (with mechanical, co-axial, manufacture Caliber 8500) is approximately 4,600 euros on a strap. The former entry-level model, which did not include a manufacture movement, had a retail price of approximately 3,300 euros.
Scratch-resistant
Above and beyond the use of mechanical manufacture movements, Omega also justifies its price increase with innovative external developments, such as the blue ceramic bezel made of Liquidmetal, a scratch-resistant amorphous material. Combined with the high-tech ceramic bezel insert, the bezel comprising these two innovative materials will maintain its appearance indefinitely.
The bright orange bezel version, however, is not yet crafted in ceramic material, but rather aluminum. According to Jean-Claude Monachon, in charge of product development, the orange ceramic material turns beige when exposed to extreme heat. "We'll solve this problem eventually," Monachon is confident.New partnership and man from the moon
Omega announced a new partnership with environmental activist, photographer and filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand and his organization GoodPlanet. Together with Omega, Arthus-Betrand will produce a film named for the Planet Ocean watches about the earth's oceans. It will serve to remind viewers of the natural beauty that covers two-thirds of the planet's surface and to raise the awareness of what can be done to protect the oceans.
During the event, Urquhart introduced another friend of Omega: astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin, of course, who wore a Speedmaster when he landed on the moon in 1969, has been a decade-long ambassador of Omega. This particular evening, he wore a gold Omega De Ville Chronoscope - and of course an Apollo 11 pin in the collar of his immaculate blue suit.
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Omega - Ladymatic in stainless steel with diamonds
In recent decades, women have been an increasingly important force for social, political and economic change. They are opinion shapers and leaders in business, in politics, in lifestyle and in the media.
In designing the Ladymatic, OMEGA set an audacious challenge for itself: the aim was to create a watch which would integrate the brand's most innovative technology with dramatic, eye-catching design. The Ladymatic dramatically meets the challenge.
Subtle elegance
This elegant member of the Ladymatic collection features a polished 34 mm stainless steel case with a distinctive white ceramic ring between an outer decorative wave and the inner case body. The polished screw-in crown is set with a brilliant Omega cut diamond. Its bezel is dramatically paved with snow set diamonds.
The face of the Ladymatic is highlighted by the supernova pattern emanating from the centre of the extra-white mother-of-pearl dial. There is a diamond-polished date window at the 3 o'clock position and the other hours are marked by diamonds. The polished alpha-shaped hands have been made from 18 Ct white gold and are treated with white Super-LumiNova, making them readable in any lighting conditions.
The polished caseback has a sapphire crystal that reveals the Co-Axial calibre 8520, the best women's mechanical watch movement in the world. At the heart of the movement is the Co-Axial escapement, the component that in 1999 signalled a revolution in how mechanical wristwatches are made. Each movement is equipped with OMEGA's exclusive Si 14 silicon balance spring, an innovation that makes it more resistant to external shocks and environmental disturbances.
The OMEGA Ladymatic is water-resistant to 10 bar/ 100 metres / 330 feet.
A four-year warranty
The OMEGA Ladymatic is an officially certified chronometer, a testimony to its outstanding timekeeping performance. The remarkable stability and performance of the Co-Axial calibres equipped with silicon balance springs makes it possible for OMEGA to deliver each Ladymatic wristwatch with a four-year warranty.
The face of the Ladymatic is highlighted by the supernova pattern emanating from the centre of the dial. The extra-white mother-of-pearl features a diamond-polished date window at the 3 o'clock position.
The OMEGA Ladymatic is presented with a stainless steel bracelet 3-row featuring OMEGA's patented crew-and-pin design with a butterfly clasp.
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Omega - Ladymatic
Can you imagine a line of women's watches that recalls the most compelling design elements of the golden age of couture and combines them with the best mechanical watch movements in the world? Is this idea simply too good to be true?
Omega can answer these questions in a word: Ladymatic.
Reviving a legendary name
The Omega Ladymatic reintroduces a name from the storied brand's illustrious past. Originally launched in 1955 and continuing for the better part of a generation, the Ladymatic wristwatch line defined feminine grace and elegance in another era. It was one of the brand's first self-winding watches to be designed especially for women and it featured the smallest automatic movement Omega had ever made.Omega has chosen to revive the legendary name with a family of watches whose design originality and Co-Axial innovation combine to give an entirely new meaning to Ladymatic. These are timepieces that have been created to address women's desire to own wristwatches that make profound fashion statements but which are also equipped with the best series-produced mechanical watch movements in the world.
Nicole Kidman and Ladymatic
Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, an Omega brand ambassador since 2004, will be the face (and wrist) associated with the Ladymatic line. Asked what she thought about Omega's decision to usea name associated with a product launched in the fifties, Kidman said, "There's something appealing about that type of communication. There's a fascination with the era which means that the advertisements can be playful without actually turning back the clock. As the Ladymatic watch collection represents state-of-the-industry technology, this campaign is really a sort of wink."
What's in a name? Ladymatic in 1955 and 2010
When the first Ladymatic watches were released by Omega in 1955, the name concisely communicated the collection's strength: the Ladymatic was a self-winding watch created especially for women.Omega president Stephen Urquhart said about reviving the Ladymatic name, "We're certainly aware that it sounds different now than it did 55 years ago. But the new watches are superb and they've been designed for women who have told us that they are as interested in the quality of our mechanical movements as they are in the style of the watches."Mr. Urquhart added, "By reviving this name, we've been able to focus attention on how important our women customers have been to us over the years and also to show the world what a mechanical watch for women should be in the 21st century."Nicole Kidman echoed his sentiment saying, "These days, interest in the quality of a watch movement isn't gender specific - women have the same interest in its performance as men do. The Ladymatic addresses that perfectly."
The Ladymatic Line
The watches in the new Ladymatic line feature polished 34 mm cases with a distinctive ceramic ring between an outer decorative wave and the inner case body. The cases are crafted in 18 Ct red or yellow gold or in stainless steel.The Ladymatic watches are offered with a choice of polished or snow-set diamond-paved bezels. The polished screw-in crown is either set with a Brilliant Omega CutT™ diamond or is embossed with a polished OMEGA logo. The polished caseback has a sapphire crystal that reveals the movement that powers the watch.The movement driving the Ladymatic watches is the Omega Co-Axial calibre 8520/8521. At its heart is the Co-Axial escapement, the component that in 1999 signaled a revolution in how mechanical wristwatches are made. Each movement is equipped with OMEGA's exclusive Si 14 silicon balance spring, an innovation that makes it more resistant to external shocks and environmental disturbancEach watch in the Omega Ladymatic collection is an officially certified chronometer, a testimony to their outstanding timekeeping performance. The remarkable stability and performance of the Co-Axial calibers equipped with silicon balance springs makes it possible for Omega to deliver each Ladymatic wristwatch with a four-year warranty.The stunning face of the Ladymatic is highlighted by the supernova pattern, which emanates from the centre of the dial. The extra-white mother-ofpearl or lacquered black dials match the colour of the striking ceramic ring. The dials are available either with 11 diamond indexes in facetted 18 Ct gold mounts or in understated elegant simplicity with no hour markers. There is a diamond-polished date window at the 3 o'clock position. The polished alpha-shaped hands have been made from 18 Ct gold and are treated with white Super-LumiNova, making them readable in any lighting conditions.The Omega Ladymatic watches are presented with either bracelets in metals matching their cases or on alligator leather straps in mother-of-pearl white or brilliant black. The metal bracelets feature Omega's patented 3-row screw-and-pin design with a butterfly clasp. The alligator straps have a polished link in the metal that corresponds to the case and an 18 Ct gold foldover clasp.The new Omega Ladymatic Collection draws certain influences from its namesake: like the original Ladymatic watches, the line perfectly blends graceful, timeless design and Omega's groundbreaking technology. The new collection, with its Co-Axial technology and bold fashion features, takes the best elements of an earlier era and introduces them, completely updated and upgraded, to women of accomplishment in a new century.
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Omega - Mechanical Ladymatic Line Unveiled in Beijing
WORLDTEMPUS - 5 November 2010
In a bold fashion-forward move, Omega has unveiled a complete mechanical watch collection designed exclusively for women. The world premiere of the Ladymatic line took place last week in Beijing under the auspices of actress and Omega ambassador Nicole Kidman. Kidman is the face launching the Ladymatic; according to Omega president Stephen Urquhart, she embodies the power, grace, beauty and feminine spirit of the collection.
"This is not just a men's line that they made smaller for women; it is a true women's line," says Kidman. "These days, interest in the quality of a watch movement isn't gender specific; women have the same interest in its performance as men do."
Needing two years for design and development, the concept for the line was the brainchild of none other than the late Nicholas G. Hayek. It was he who approached Omega vice president and head of product development Jean-Claude Monachon just after Basel 2008, following the successful launch of the Co-Axial 8520 line.
"He insisted we start work immediately on a dedicated ladies line to house the co-axial movement," says Monachon, who explained that the initial design plan was to find something in the brand's archives. That plan unfortunately proved fruitless as there was nothing available that really translated to today's woman. Instead, the team forged ahead with new design ideas, looking to the waves of the ocean for inspiration and adding ceramic for a modern-day, high-tech appeal.
The blend of femininity, mechanical excellence, and high-tech and fashion-forward design came together masterfully in a line that was "basically started from scratch, but still embraces the Omega 'DNA'," says Monachon. The only thing lacking upon completion was a name. Again, Omega executives reverted to the archives, finally selecting the Ladymatic name from a line first launched in 1955 that went on to become an icon for the brand. Omega recognized that this new collection would always be a mechanical ladies' line and the fit seemed perfect.
"By reviving this name, we've been able to focus attention on how important our women customers have been to us over the years and also to show the world what a mechanical watch for women should be in the twenty-first century," says Urquhart.
The initial Ladymatic series has 38 COSC-certified chronometer references crafted in stainless steel or 18-karat yellow or rose gold, all with a ceramic inset ring - either with diamonds on the dial or case or without diamonds. Dials are either white mother-of-pearl or shimmering black lacquer - both with a "supernova" pattern. The line retails from 5,400 Swiss francs to 30,300 Swiss francs. All watches are 34 mm in diameter and powered by the 20 mm Omega Co-Axial Caliber 8520/8521, whose escapement is equipped with Omega's exclusive Si 14 silicon balance spring. Naturally, the case backs are transparent for viewing the self-winding movement. The watches are all water-resistant to 100 meters, offer 50 hours of power reserve and boast an atypical four-year warranty.
The Ladymatic is offered on an alligator strap or an ingenious patented three-row bracelet that features asymmetrical links closer to the watch case that then become symmetrical four links further out — a very difficult design feat to achieve, according to Monachon.
"We are very happy with the end result," says Urquhart. "It is very important for us to have the Ladymatic line, not to get more women buyers to but reach a more sophisticated woman buyer."
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Omega - Constellation Ladies Quartz 35 mm
OMEGA's re-designed Constellation line
In 1982, OMEGA launched the first Constellation to feature the radical and enduring "Griffes" or claws, which immediately placed the watch line among the ranks of the world's most instantly identifiable timepieces. OMEGA redesigned the entire Constellation family last year and in 2010 is proud to introduce two of its newest members.
In timeless white
This white Constellation Ladies Quartz 35 mm timepiece with a polished 18 Ct red gold case and a white alligator leather strap is an ideal accessory for any wardrobe. Adding to its allure are the eleven single-cut diamond hour markers which are graduated, increasing in size on each side of the dial from the round facetted date window at six o'clock. Its dramatic brushed 18 Ct red gold bezel features Roman numerals coated with white Super-LumiNova.
The silver lacquered dial features a supernova pattern which explodes from the Constellation star.
Shades of black and grey
Another of the year's dramatic offerings is the Constellation Ladies Quartz 35 mm with a black alligator leather strap and a shaded grey dial. This striking watch has a bezel paved with 34 full-cut diamonds. Its eleven single-cut diamond hour markers, which are increasingly graduated from the round facetted date window at six o'clock, are in sharp relief to the supernova pattern on the dial which emanates from the Constellation star.
Both the shaded grey and the white models are powered by OMEGA's quartz calibre 1532. Their vertically-brushed casebacks are embossed with the Constellation Observatory medallion. Their polished facetted hour and minute hands are coated with white Super-LumiNova, which makes them easy to read in all light conditions.
Two classic Constellations
The "watch with the claws" has been turning heads for 28 years. These diamond-enhanced 35 mm timepieces are among the stars from the redesigned Constellation line, blending timeless black or white with the eternal popularity of diamonds.
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
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