The birth of a classic In 1982, OMEGA launched a watch which introduced a particularly radical and enduring design concept. The watch was the Constellation Manhattan and its now-famous “Griffes” or claws placed it among the ranks of the world’s most instantly identifiable timepieces. The Griffes were not only striking aesthetically, but were also highly functional in those days: they held the sapphire crystal and gasket firmly against the case, contributing to the watch’s water resistance.

While the Griffes were initially introduced for their functionality, their individuality played a greater role in the Constellation’s remarkable popularity than anyone could have imagined: they became the trademark which defined the watch line. A compelling argument could be made that if the dials were removed from most watches, only experts and enthusiasts would be able to tell them apart. Such was not the case with the OMEGA Constellation, which could be distinguished immediately from across a room and at any angle.

The new Constellations are both sporty and elegant. The re-designed family has been created in five sizes: 24 mm, 27 mm, 31 mm, 35 mm and 38 mm. The two smaller models feature the OMEGA quartz calibre 1376; the 35 mm watches are available either with the quartz calibre 1532 or with OMEGA’s Co-Axial calibre 2500. The 31 and 38 mm versions feature OMEGA’s revolutionary in-house Co-Axial calibres 8520/8521 and 8500/8501 respectively

Via: omegawatches /images: timezone