Constellation Observatory

The Constellation Observatory, the First Two-Hand Watch to Achieve Master Chronometer Certification, Fully Tested at the Laboratoire de Précision

Biel/Bienne, March 26, 2026 - A new acoustic testing method developed by the Laboratoire de Précision enables Master Chronometer certification of a two-hand watch for the first time.

Two years after the announcement of the Laboratoire de Précision, OMEGA introduces the Constellation Observatory Collection. Using an acoustic testing method combined with optical hand-tracking developed by the Laboratoire de Précision and certified by METAS. The collection’s movements and watches undergo both Chronometer and then Master Chronometer testing without the need for a seconds hand. For the first time in watchmaking history, a two- hand hour and minute watch has achieved Master Chronometer certification.

The Constellation Observatory

Since 1952, the Constellation has represented OMEGA’s commitment to certified precision. The Constellation Observatory Collection marks the next step in this legacy with two new movements across nine references. The 39.4 mm timepieces unite decades of Constellation design heritage with modern precision testing and exclusive materials across the collection.

“Until now, precision certification has required a seconds hand. The development of a new acoustic testing methodology has made that requirement obsolete. It is this breakthrough that has enabled us to present the Constellation Observatory, the first two-hand watch to achieve Master Chronometer certification,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA.

The Laboratoire de Précision

The Laboratoire de Précision operates as an official independent certification body, responsible for its own measurement technology and management, certified by METAS for the Master Chronometer and officially accredited by SAS as a testing laboratory for the Chronometer. Its structure ensures impartial and confidential results that the broader watch industry can reference with confidence.

Dual Metric Technology

The Laboratoire developed a wireless, self-contained testing unit that consolidates all Chronometer and Master Chronometer certification processes into a single device. Powered by Dual Metric Technology, the unit continuously captures the sound of each tick and tack while recording environmental parameters: temperature, position, magnetic fields and atmospheric pressure throughout the full 25 days of testing.

Traditional testing relied on photographing the position of the seconds hand, capturing one result per day. Dual Metric Technology generates continuous data from the first second. The acoustic signature can isolate frequency irregularities, temperature and pressure sensitivities, positional variation, and amplitude fluctuations. Watchmakers can identify not only that a variation exists, but where and when it occurs.

Heritage Design Elements

The OMEGA Constellation Observatory Collection reinterprets OMEGA’s defining aesthetic codes. The design language traces to the 1948 Centenary, which laid the foundation for the Constellation. The dodecagonal pie-pan dial followed shortly after the launch of the first Constellation, with the Constellation Star at 6 o’clock and the Observatory medallion on the caseback. The guilloché finish appears on the facets of the pie-pan, a detail established with the early Grand Luxe models. The faceted kite-form indexes and dauphine hands draw on earlier Constellation models. The dog-leg lugs distinguished OMEGA models of the era. The nine-row brick pattern on the 18K Moonshine™ Gold mesh bracelet draws on vintage brick bracelets of the Constellation’s formative years.

Two New Master Chronometer Calibres

Two new calibres feature across the collection, each built on a skeletonised rotor base with polished or shined bevels, rounded outer zone on the rotor, and an applied Constellation Observatory medallion. They are presented in three categories: Grand Luxe, Luxe, and Standard.

Calibre 8915 Grand Luxe pairs the 950 Platinum-Gold edition. It features a rotor base in 18K Sedna™ Gold in fine spiral finish with polished outer zone. The Observatory medallion is in 18K white gold, laser-ablated, with its dark blue sky enamelled with aventurine glass and highlighted by eight stars, the Observatory dome filled with translucent white opal enamel.

Calibre 8915 Luxe movements are designed for the 18K gold collection, including the first use of an 18K Moonshine™ Gold rotor and balance bridge in OMEGA’s history, in addition to the usual 18K Sedna™ Gold. The rotor base bears the Geneva waves in arabesque with horizontally brushed outer zone. The medallion is in 18K corresponding gold with laser-ablated elements, contrasting mat and polished finishes.

Calibre 8914 Standard is a replica of Calibre 8915 Luxe in rhodium-plated finish, powering the O-MEGASTEEL watches.

Materials and Expressions

Precious Metals (Calibre 8915)

Four expressions in 18K gold, each developed to achieve a seamless precious metal expression

— full 18K Sedna™ or Moonshine™ Gold pieces unite case, hand-guilloché dial, and movement, available on leather straps or bracelet. The 18K Canopus Gold™ model pairs a clean-cut watch with an 18K Sedna™ Gold decorated movement visible through the caseback.

The Platinum-Gold edition completes OMEGA’s precious metal repertoire, bringing all four of the brand’s proprietary precious metal alloys together in a single collection for the first time.

O-MEGASTEEL (Calibre 8914)

There are four expressions in OMEGA’s exclusive steel alloy, chosen for its hardness and mechanical properties. The collection introduces a black ceramic pie-pan dial, a significant technical achievement in dial production that required extensive development to realise the precision of the dodecagonal form in ceramic. Three further references feature coloured dials with stamped groove facets.

Precision Milestones

1948 — OMEGA introduces the Centenary, its first chronometer-certified automatic wristwatch.

1952 — The Constellation becomes OMEGA’s first series-produced chronometer collection. From its beginning, every mechanical Constellation is a chronometer.

1999 – 2013 — OMEGA introduces the Co-Axial escapement, the first practical new escapement in 250 years, reducing friction for greater long-term precision. Fully anti-magnetic movements follow, using silicon, NivaGauss™, and non-magnetic components.

2015 — The Globemaster becomes the first Master Chronometer certified by METAS. Watches are tested as complete timepieces not only for precision and magnetic resistance, but also for power reserve and water resistance.

2023 – OMEGA establishes the Laboratoire de Précision, officially accredited as a measurement laboratory in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard.

2026 — The OMEGA Constellation Observatory Collection becomes the first two-hand collection tested by the Laboratoire de Précision, using an acoustic method that makes the seconds hand unnecessary in precision testing.