test: omega speedmaster broad arrow - Kenberg.DK

TEST: OMEGA SPEEDMASTER BROAD ARROWEven if the crown is pulledout it remains water-resistantto a depth of 100 meters.The push-pieces can also beoperated underwater.TEST RESULTSOmega Speedmaster Broad ArrowWristband and clasp (10): 9Massive, appealing metal wristband withfunctional clasp.Operation (5): 4Precise setting via the typical Omega-style crown.The crown and the chronograph push-pieces arenot screw-down, but are absolutely water-resistantnonetheless.Case (10): 8Beautifully crafted, massive steel case withscrew-down back; underside of sapphirecrystal has an antireflective coating.Design (15): 12Classical Speedmaster design. Elaborately designeddial, pleasantly broad hands.Legibility (5): 5Very good legibility of the time under allconditions.Wearing comfort (10): 9A sporty watch with a good level of wearingcomfort.Movement (20): 17Omega automatic chronograph Caliber 3303with column-wheel guidance. An interestingnew development without shortcomings.The adjustment system consists of a swinging,free, spiral balance-spring without a regulatorassembly.Results of running test (10): 10Perfect in all positions. Average deviation wasplus/minus zero seconds per day.Overall value (15): 13A classic with a superbly noble „motor.“A chronograph that shouldn’t be lacking inany collection. A great deal of watch forcomparatively little money.TOTAL: 87 points ★★★★could find nothing to criticize in the case’s impeccablecraftsmanship and perfect finishing.The insulation system for the non-screwdowncrown and push-pieces derives from theSeamaster Professional, where, as here, twoO-rings are arranged one atop the other toguarantee that nary a drop of water ever penetratesinto the case. The watch remains water-resistantto a depth of 100 meters, even ifthe crown is inadvertently withdrawn. The chronographpush-pieces can likewise be operatedunderwater without causing any problems.The sapphire crystal, the underside ofwhich has been treated with an antireflectivecoating, is pressure-fit into the case togetherwith an exceedingly special ”Isoframe” insulatingwasher. Perfect fit and total impermeabilityto water under all conditions are thusguaranteed for a very long time.There’s no ”window” in the back throughwhich to admire the movement. That’s a pity,but Omega has conceived its Broad Arrow as agenuine sports watch, and a glass back reallywouldn’t be appropriate. Beneath the fullythreaded, screw-down back, you’ll find an antimagneticcalotte, which provides the movementwith additional protection against thedeleterious influence of magnetism.Correctly CalibratedSubdivisionsWe were particularly pleased to discover thatOmega had heeded the criticisms we voicedearlier about the erroneous subdivision of thestrokes around the minute-circle on the dial ofthe Speedmaster Professional Replica. Countingthe intermediate lines between the secondsstrokes, we found that the Broad Arrowhas the correct number of subdivisions for acaliber whose balance oscillates at a pace of28,800 beats per hour. This watch would ideallyhave eight subdivisions between each ofthe seconds, but there simply isn’t enoughspace, even around the periphery of a relativelylarge dial like this one, so Omega dividedeight by two and subdivided each second intofour parts. That’s the reason why there are exactlythree short strokes between each of thelonger seconds strokes.While we’re on the subject of the dial, let’sconsider the Broad Arrow’s legibility. Against