Lot 82

Omega

Constellation Electroquartz

An unconventional and charismatic, vintage wristwatch with early electromechanical precision tuning fork movement Electroquartz f 8192 Hz - first generation

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The first Swiss quartz watch was the result of a project for which Swiss makers such as Omega, Patek Philippe, Rolex, Piaget and others cooperated in the joint research centre "Centre Electronique Horloger" (CEH) to develop the so-called "Beta 21" series. After a one-year development period, the electromechanical tuning fork precision movement Beta 21 was ready for production in 1969 and introduced at the Basel fair in 1970. At the time when these timepieces were launched on the market, they were considerably more expensive than their mechanical peers.
Omega produced only approximately 6,000 timepieces fitted with the Beta 21 movement under the name "Electroquartz", which makes those very rare and highly sought-after on today’s market. They are considered an excellent investment for collectors and certainly constitute one of the major technological developments in that field in the 20th century.