A Timely Invention

An escapement is a device in mechanical watches and clocks that transfers energy to the timekeeping element (the "impulse action") and allows the number of its oscillations to be counted (the "locking action"). The co-axial escapement is a type of modern watch escapement mechanism invented around 1974 and patented in 1980 by English master watchmaker George Daniels. OMEGA watches commercialized the escapement in 1999 when it introduced the first mass-produced watch incorporating the technology.

The OMEGA Co-Axial calibers were built to provide perfect working conditions to the co-Axial escapement which had been introduced in 1999 as the first practical new watch escapement to be invented in some 250 years. The components in OMEGA’s Co-Axial escapement differ considerably from those of the Swiss lever escapement which had long been the industry’s mainstay: it consists of a balance roller carrying a pallet and an impulse pin, an anchor with three pallets, and a three-level coaxial escapement wheel comprising the co-axial wheel, the co-axial pinion and the gearing/transmission pinion, with which it is connected to the intermediary wheel and the gear train.

Also, it is used in conjunction with a free sprung-balance. The timepiece’s rate can be adjusted by modifying the moment of inertia of the balance wheel instead of repeatedly changing the active length of the hairspring. Micro screws embedded in the circular balance wheel make the adjustment. This design improves shock resistance and avoids the disturbances caused by touching the hairspring.

The great inventor of this timely invention, Master Watchmaker George Daniels, ended his time here last year, sometime in October. It is most likely he left this earth knowing he left a lasting legacy in his co-axial escapement invention. In one of his last interviews, he said this:

“When it becomes more widely known to consumers that watches with Co-Axial escapements have better chronometric performance than their counterparts with classic lever escapements and that the Co-Axial watches have longer service intervals, the demand for Co-Axial calibers will accelerate dramatically. But it has another major role: it will extend the popularity of mechanical watches into the 21st century and beyond.” –George Daniels, Master Watchmaker (19 August 1926 – 21 October 2011)