So, I bought a Calimero...Updated

[CFR]

Here's a late 30s Omega



I think the little arrow and the bezel are connected to the steel ring with the 12 hours (thank you to the photographer for moving it a click to the left so we can see that) - I suppose the bezel could be used either as a marker for the minute hand, so you can see how much time has elapsed in minutes, or for the hour hand, for longer flights?

Yes, thank you Der Amf.

As I said before, the rotating bezel - as you correctly assume is, indeed connected to the 12h ring - may be used to time intervals of time or a second time zone. That was pointed out by Omega in the original catalogue.

The watches - re-edition and original - are aesthetically identical, including the seize of the case. The obvious differences are the crown - the catalogue drawing had the exact same crown as the re-edition - larger on some production models and the hands, now with the cathedral shape. Nevertheless, during the original production time frame, these hands were also used.

The single difference - kept in all original production models and changed in this re-edition - is the longer marks on the inner minutes track, making the effective dial a bit smaller, but also more balanced.

Jazzmaster's question is still valid. Why the need for two parallel minutes tracks?! Still figuring that out...

[FuzzyB]

Jazzmaster's question is still valid. Why the need for two parallel minutes tracks?! Still figuring that out...

I will hazard a guess on that one.

The secondary timing functionality is assigned to the rotating bezel. Due to the imprecision of the rotating bezel, the scale associated with that arrow does not need to be as precise and the primary timing function (i.e., the hands).

Additionally, this is a pilot's watch and the hallmark of almost all pilot's watches is legibility. Because the bezel is most likely used in the fly, legibility is more of a primary consideration, so a simpler chapter ring for the bezel would be more desirable.

Using two chapter rings would allow for the precision of the primary timekeeping mechanism (the hands) while giving a cleaner, quicker to read chapter ring for the secondary timekeeping mechanism (the bezel).

What makes this watch unique, in my opinion, is the fact that the functions crossover, meaning the outer bezel uses the inner chapter ring and the central hands use the outer chapter ring.

I think this design is also a result of form following function. Larger markers (hands, bezel pointer) are easier to read. By crossing over to reach their respective chapter ring, both the hands and the bezel pointer can be made larger. If you think about the alternative arrangement, the hands and bezel pointer would both need to be shorter if the outer chapter ring was associated with the bezel and the inner chapter ring was associated with the hands.

Thinking of the design in those terms gives me a greater appreciation of the design.

[CFR]

Using two chapter rings would allow for the precision of the primary timekeeping mechanism (the hands) while giving a cleaner, quicker to read chapter ring for the secondary timekeeping

Thinking of the design in those terms gives me a greater appreciation of the design.

Your reasoning makes a lot of sense. I can't think of a better reason for these scales.

Thanks, Brian.