For lovers of mechanical watches, 2006 is proving a vintage year as the quest for improvements gathers pace. The weakest link in a mechanical watch has always been the escapement, the heart of the watch that contains the balance wheel and controls the rate or accuracy of the watch as the mainspring unwinds. Now, a variety of solutions to the problem are exciting many watch enthusiasts.
At the heart of this revolution is the quest for the Holy Grail of watchmaking, a way to make an escapement that eliminates the need for oil. Abraham-Louis Breguet invented many of the most important features of watches some 250 years ago, and yet even today one of his most famous quotations is still relevant - 'Give me the perfect oil and I will give you the perfect watch'.
Until recently, oil has been necessary to lubricate a movement. But as oil ages, it thickens and the performance of the watch deteriorates. Watchmakers who succeed in eliminating the need for oil should be rewarded by greater reliability and longer service intervals.
The great British master watchmaker George Daniels first developed a solution to the problem in 1976, but it was not put into regular production until Omega recognised its importance and developed the Co-Axial escapement.
This system reduces sliding friction, compared with the lever escapement, and ensures greater accuracy over time. The free sprung balance in this escapement helps to reduce the sensitivity of the watch to shock. Omega president Stephen Urquhart said that soon the Co-Axial would be used in every watch in Omega's collection.
This year, Omega introduced a new De Ville Chronoscope split seconds chronograph. It has an automatic co-axial movement, and a gold or steel case with a clear sapphire case-back.