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Omega Memomatic: "The only wristwatch in the world with a self-winding alarm"

 

I would like to share with you few photos of a watch that I re-discovered very recently following a change of its strap:

The Omega Memomatic

 

 

 

The Memomatic is an alarm wristwatch issued by Omega in 1970, as you can guess from its 70s funky style.

It is the first (and until now the only) watch produced by Omega with the alarm feature.

 

 

 

It belongs to the Seamaster line although it is waterproof to a depth of only 200 feet / 60 meters. However, it is just enough for someone like me that wears it with a leather strap.

 

 

The movement of the Memomatic is the Omega 980, created in 1968 by Raoul-Henri Erard and produced from the following year by Lemania. A total of 35 000 units of this movement were built.

This movement has some very specific features:

  • Doubly automatic, as written at that time! It has a self-winding alarm that is operational only one hour after having been used. Only one barrel for both time and alarm.

 

  • It is also first model where the alarmtime could be set to the minute. This precise setting relies on a couple of moveable discs. The central disc with 2 parallel bars enables to point the minute. The triangle of the second disc is for the hour.

    On the photos, the alarm time is set for 7:20.

 

There is no doubt regarding its 70s origin: black and grey dial, orange second hand, oversized case with a tonneau shape. Groovy baby!

And please note the nice effects of the various types of polishing, in particular the nice sunbrushed bezel. Sunny baby!

 

 

Concerning the sound of the alarm, I must admit that it is not loud enough to wake me up. The sound is produced by a hammer that strikes a gong attached to the plate of the movement, not to the caseback. Omega admitted it and even better, decided to communicate on it. As mentioned in the advert :

« The Omega Memomatic rings like a miniature alarm clock, it rings discreetly to remind you of your next appointment – until you shut it off with a push-button control.

So when it happens during a meeting your colleages won't fall out of their chairs. They will, on the other hand, begin to see you as a man for whom the minutes count

 

A riddle to conclude: the album used in background is also from 1970... Any idea? smile 

 

  

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