Editorial - "Tiny Device. Massive Change."

An Omega novelty is coming on 26 January. From the online teasers, it would appear to be an evolution of the Speedmaster. Let's try to guess what it is.

"Small device. Huge change'. The words used by Omega for the teaser that has appeared online in recent days were not chosen at random. Indeed, the similarity with the famous phrase uttered by Neil Armstrong cannot be missed: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." ("That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."), already engraved on the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. And if that wasn't enough, add the presence of the hashtag #speedmaster underneath the social posts, to conclude that two clues make a proof: a technical novelty is coming to the Speedmaster.

The appointment is for 26 January next, when I will have the privilege of discovering live what it is at the Omega factory in Biel. For now, I can only speculate, cross-referencing the few elements made available by the House.
One is a rendering of a hairspring, that element which forms the heart of the mechanical movement and which on the Speedmaster is currently made of silicon, an antimagnetic material that contributes to the Master Chronometer certification of Omega calibres.
Another is a video, in which three clues appear: the design of a honeycomb structure, a pointer and the number 10.

Now, although the 10 immediately makes me think of Totti, I doubt Omega is hinting that it will dedicate a Speedmaster to the Captain ('Un Capitano, there is only Un Capitano!').
Thinking back, one's mind goes back to the launch of the Speedmaster Chrono Chime with a 5 Hz movement, capable of appreciating the tenth of a second, announced on 26 October last (exactly three months before 26 January). Combined with the pointer, the number 10 hints at the implementation of the precise reading of the tenth of a second on the dial, still absent on the Speedmaster Chrono Chime.

But it is the honeycomb structure, in my opinion, that is the real key to the mystery and the clue most relevant to the 'Tiny Device'. This geometry is typical of the nanostructure of numerous materials of the latest generation, from the more classic carbon to polymeric compounds of various kinds. Here the speculation gets complicated. It is clear that we are talking about a spiral, but I do not believe that Omega wants to replace the tried and tested, high-performance silicon with another material, no matter how innovative, unless it has an undeniable advantage.

The ultimate problem with silicon coils is the impossibility of varying their final curve to make their expansion as symmetrical as possible. The solution adopted to date is to equip the final segment of the spiral spring with a special design, which, however, cannot be modified after assembly. Could Omega's new device meet the need for additional adjustment of the spiral's terminal curve?"And what is that for?" some will ask. To further improve the accuracy of the watch. The more symmetrical the expansion and contraction of the spiral, the more precise the time display. Precision that is crucial in a chronograph that measures to the tenth of a second. Perhaps, in the end, the 'Tiny Device' is not the spiral itself, but an additional element that meets this very need?

In short, I'm pretty sure I misread the clues. And, in spite of everything, I hope to the last in a Speedmaster dedicated to Francesco Totti.

We shall see.

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