Baselworld 2013 preview…
With SIHH 2013 behind us, we now begin to turn our attention to Baselworld 2013 (April/May). A number of previews will be seen here over the next couple months — starting first with the new OMEGA Constellation Sedna. Sedna, you ask? It is a new 18K gold alloy (min. 75% gold), created by OMEGA and other Swatch Group scientists which blends three elements: gold, copper and palladium; as you can see it possesses nice hues of rose and red, though from these images it is hard to distinguish its uniqueness vs. other rose or pink golds.
According to Omega, it takes its name from a trans-Neptunian object which astronomers called 90377 Sedna, an object which possesses one of the reddest surfaces in the Solar System, at least as far as galactic objects go. Sedna is also the goddess of the sea and marine animals in Inuit mythology.
The case features both polished and brushed elements; indexes and hands are also made of Sedna gold, as is the strap clasp. The dial has the “pie-pan” design which traces its roots back to the very first Constellation from 1952. Inside the watch is the Omega co-axial caliber 8501, with silicon balance spring.
Elements in Sedna™ (min. 75% gold)
The OMEGA Constellation Sedna will be produced in a limited edition of 1,952 pieces, signifying the year OMEGA debuted the renowned Constellation watch family. No doubt this is a great looking Connie!
More broadly, I see “Sedna” as emblematic of an interesting and ongoing trend in technology-driven materials innovation. Just think about all the new case materials that have brought us stunning watches in recent year’s — sapphire crystal (MB&F HM2 and Richard Mille’s 56-01), Hublot’s “Magic Gold”, ceramics (JLC Deep Sea Cermet), and composite (Panerai), just to name a few. Sure, Sedna is not of an earth-shattering nature, it is probably more of a marketing tool for Omega and perhaps eventually other Swatch Group brands, but it does show that beyond design and movement production, there are other ways for brand’s to differentiate their products in today’s highly competitive market.
