1981 Omega Equinoxe aka 'Reverso' - FULL SET - Ref. 186.0013
An unusual and rare Omega with its original papers and box.
WHY IS THIS WATCH SPECIAL
There’s so much to say about this watch, so why not start by saying this: this particular model, the ‘Equinoxe’, was the world first watch to feature two watches on the same watch case. Yes, even before JLC did it, Omega produced this masterpiece only in 1981. This watch is as rare as it gets.
Analog and classic on one side, and digital and revolutionary on the other, this watch has it all.
Stylistically the watch owes quite a bit to the Jaeger-Lecoultre Reverso, but the bracelet is also reminiscent of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The bracelet is long and will fit most wrist, and has the correct clasp that still has the steel logo insert.
In the early 1980’s Omega were experimenting with making high end quartz watches like this. Ultimately it was not the right strategy, as they had to allow swatch to buy them to save them shortly afterwards. When new, this watch retailed for 1,500CHF (about £346), when you could buy a Automatic Seamaster with day and date, on a bracelet, for £120. This really was a premium watch. This scarce timepiece comes as a 'Full Set' (Original guarantee & box), which is extremely rare and collectible !
THE STORY
The Olympic Games – where millions of fans are eager for the thrills and spills of competition sport. Here the supreme arbiter is timekeeping and It must not fail, falter or fumble. Things have truly changed since 1932 when, for the first time, Omega timed the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
In 1952, responding inventively to the demands of constantly improving sports performance, Omega pioneered the development of electronically assisted sports timekeeping.
Behind the scenes at the Olympic games, a squad of electronics engineers supervised the complex and extremely refined timekeeping equipment. Tailored to individual Olympic disciplines, the equipment was designed to display both the intermediate and final times directly to television screens across across the world to 1/100th of a second; the degree of precision prescribed by the organizing committee for the Games. Omega technicians themselves are monitored performances to 1/1000th of a second!
Everyone appreciated the spectacular mastery of quartz electronic precision during the Olympic games. It stands to reason that a similar commitment to this sophisticated technology came about in the form of a personal, wrist-worn, quartz-piloted instrument: the Omega digital watch.
Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed it's name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph to be chosen by the NASA in 1965, the first watch worn on the moon.
THE DATA
- Maker: Omega
- Model: Equinoxe (Aka 'Reverso')
- Reference: 186.0013
- Year: 1981
- Material: Stainless Steel
- Dimentions (WxHxT): 27x38x9mm
- Caliber: In House Omega 1655
- Bracelet/Strap: Original Omega stainless steel (Up to a 20cm wrist)
- Lug width: N/A
- Box/Papers: Original Omega box
THE IMPORTANT DETAILS
This watch is in top condition. The unpolished case is extremely well preserved, the stainless steel strap is very long and not stretched at all (Up to a 20cm wrist). All parts are original and every function works properly.
This is a very unusual and collectible Omega, manufactured only for 1 year it will draw the attention of watch enhousiasts for sure. This scarce chronograph comes with its original box and guarantee !
It has a presence on the wrist with its integrated steel bracelet, perfect for everyday wear.
