The Globemaster might not be Omega’s most commonly referenced or recognized property, but it’s far from unloved — on the contrary, those in the know recognize it as a surprisingly well-kept secret in Omega’s “Master” generation of watches and a strong contender for one of the best all-day-every-day modern watches available. Fighting words for sure, but a quick survey of its competition reveal very few alternatives with a comparable feature set and price point. For 2019, Omega is giving the Globemaster a little more love, expanding the collection with a new black dial for its Annual Calendar reference, which was previously only available in white with blue accents.
Inside the new Globemaster, nothing’s changed; you’ve still got Omega’s cal. 8922 — a METAS-certified, anti-magnetic Master Chronometer (now par for the course on all of Omega’s 8900-series movements) with an annual calendar complication. This particular execution is somewhat novel, though. While most annual calendars use two separate apertures in the dial to display the month and date, the Globemaster takes a page out of the pointer date book, using a short central-mounted needle hand to point to one of the 12 months, which encircle the perimeter of the dial’s inner dodecagon “pie pan.” The cursive script used in the months was admittedly an acquired taste when the Annual Calendar made its silver-dialed debut back in 2016, but now that the watch’s dial is rendered in a more monochrome black with silver script, the whole thing feels a little more buttoned-up (in a good way) and probably what Omega should have led with three years ago.
Specifications:
Brand: Omega
Model: Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Annual Calendar
Dimensions: 41mm
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Case Material: Three references: Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel & Sedna Gold, full Sedna Gold
Crystal/Lens: Sapphire
Movement: Omega cal. 8922 (automatic)
Power Reserve: 55 Hours
Strap/Bracelet: Leather strap
Price & Availability: Starts at $8,450 in Stainless Steel (ref. 130.33.41.22.01.001) on leather strap, and it jumps to $10,600 for the two-tone model with the Sedna gold bezel (ref. 130.23.41.22.01.001) on leather strap, and $23,300 for the full gold variant (ref. 130.53.41.22.01.001) on leather strap. Available August 2019.
Like the standard three-hand version, the Globemaster is fitted with a distinctive “fluted” bezel, though before all the Datejust purists cry foul, it’s worth pointing out that the only thing the two watches really have in common is their respective cases as ultra-versatile everyday watches that transition gracefully between dress and sport. In person, the Globemaster’s bezel feels more akin to a coin-edge, and with its tungsten carbide composition (on the steel models) and sharp peaks and narrow valleys, it will be far less prone to scratches or marks compared to the Datejust’s crown-style facets. Omega’s announcements this year have been splashy and colorful, which is partially why the new Globemaster feels a bit more austere, but that’s absolutely a good thing. Learn more at omegawatches.com.
