Last night, Omega dropped what is sure to be one of the most talked about releases of the year, the Speedmaster Chrono Chime. Of course, any new watch with the word ?Speedmaster? in it is going to be discussed and endlessly analyzed by the watch community, and almost certainly lusted after by a large percentage of us. But thinking through recent Speedmaster releases, genuine watchmaking innovation hasn?t really been part of the formula. As with most big Swiss brands curating their marquee product line, we get incremental, small updates. An X-33 with Mars time functionality, for example. The Speedmaster Chrono Chime, however, is a true watchmaking flex, and a reminder of what Omega is capable of. It also shows us something we?ve never seen in a watch before: a minute repeater that chimes a chronograph?s elapsed time. 
To begin to understand this watch (and Olympic 1932 Chrono Chime, another watch announced by Omega last night using the same impressive caliber) it?s worth taking a step back to consider the inspiration behind it. This pair of releases celebrates two key moments in Omega?s long history: the production of the world?s first minute repeater wristwatch in 1892, and the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, when the use of Omega pocket watches marked the debut of the brand as the official timekeeper of the games. Omega?s involvement in the Olympics is more than just ceremonial. From the beginning, it has driven real innovation in timekeeping, from the develo...