I was thinking this morning... Omega's been very mum on news this year as it relates to new product announcments compared to last year this time...
Here's a table I threw together last year in a discussion with Sam over at TZ detailing Omega's announcements in the months proceeding Basel last year:
|
New Product: |
What was done: |
When Announced: |
General Reaction: |
|
Speedmaster Reduced |
Revised dials, improved W/R |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
Speedmaster Day |
Revised Dials, 100m W/R, COSC |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
Revised SeMPC |
Revised Dial, modest price increase |
late 2006 |
Relief it wasn't cancelled, Positive |
|
Seamaster NZL-32 |
New Model, c.33xx variant |
late 2006 |
Positive |
|
BA 1957 |
Revised enamel & 1957 dial |
4 Jan 2007 |
outrage @ putting 1957 on dial, enamel isn't very tool watch is it? Mostly negative. |
|
Hour Vision |
New movement, quasi-Inhouse |
23 Jan 2007 |
Positive mainly, some are guarded. |
|
Marine 135 LE Museum |
Homage piece to original Marine |
Omegamania Catalog [Lot 280] |
Positive |
|
50th Aniversary Patch |
Patch Dial, LE numbering, [Price?] |
late March 2007 |
Disappointment, underwhelmed |
|
50th Anniversary c.3210 |
"castrated" c.3313 LE numbering, Shocking pricing [if accurate] |
late March 2007 |
Disappointment |
I haven't heard much [in fact any] similar announcements this year.
Leads me to two possible explanations for that:
- they learned from leaking all the announcements last year & are saving them up for Basel or
- there isn't going to be too much news [or new] from Omega at Basel this year.
It would seem most like to either be one of those two explanations or some combination of the above two: not too much new, and they are saving that news for Basel...
Last year, with the 50th Anniversary of the Speedmaster and Omegamania was a big year for Omega, this year, there isn't a real significant anniversary to commemorate [Seamaster's 60th or Apollo 8's 40th] to warrant an anniversary model. Perhaps Omega isn't going to have too much news?
What do you think?
