Description
Omega Ref. 196.0440 Art Watch Valerio Adami 046/999 circa 1987
Omega announced their new “Art Collection” watches in October 1986 with the first models officially released in 1987. The project was managed by Ernest Thomke the first CEO of the SME (Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie), later re-named the Swatch Group, of which Omega was a part. Prior to this, in 1980, Thomke had been CEO of ETA and had led the project to develop the Swatch watch. The watch cases for Omega’s “Art Collection” were designed by Hans Zaugg using a new scratch-resistant ceramic alloy. Gerhard Saner, head of Saner Metallisation AG, Studen, designed the artists’ medallion for the case backs. Omega commissioned a variety of artists to produce designs for the medallions, these included: Kenneth Noland, Valerio Adami, Max Bill, Richard Paul Lohse, Paul Talman, Camille Graeser, Fritz Glarner, Al Held, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Emilio Tadini.
Measuring 40mm in diameter, this is an especially large watch for the period of production. The art medallion to the case back of this model was designed by Valerio Adami (b.1935) an Italian artist greatly influenced by the Pop Art Movement. The monochromatic colouring the upper case contrasts dramatically with the colourful art medallion to the case back and the watch is set to an original special edition Omega strap with blackened metal pin buckle – there is some rippling to surface of the tongue side of the strap but the strap itself is clean and wearable. The date can be manually adjusted, when required, by pulling the crown out to its first setting and then rolling it towards the user.
Specifications
[M] Omega cal. 1433 (ETA 255.141) quartz movement, 6 jewels
[D] white, black baton hands, black date aperture
[C] black ceramic alloy upper body, steel case back with central medallion designed and signed by Valerio Adami
[B] black leather Omega strap with plain blackened buckle
[S] case, dial and movement signed Omega, artist’s panel signed Valerio Adami
Measurements
40mm diameter excluding crown
5.5mm depth to centre of crystal
20mm lug gauge/strap width
Accompaniments
One Year guarantee – fitted with a new battery
Black Bough box & Black Bough certificate
£885.00 [Sold]