Watches Worn By Elvis, JFK And James Bond Highlight Omega Exhibition

Presidents, astronauts, athletes and celebrities have all had relationships with Omega watches. In many cases, these timepieces have served them during moments of historical importance. In daily use, Omega watches are used for fun, fashion and vital work throughout the world. Now this long, diverse and important narrative will be the subject of an exhibition in New York.

The “Planet Omega” exhibition will be held at the Chelsea Factory performing arts space from November 9 to 19. It will contain some of the most innovative and notable Omega timepieces, along with stories from the Swiss watch brand’s 175-year history.

The exhibition is filled with milestones from an iconic watchmaking journey. Some of the highlights include the first Ladymatic from 1955 and the Omega wristwatch worn by Elvis Presley, featuring 44 brilliant-cut diamonds. Also on view will be the Omega slimline timepiece worn by John F. Kennedy at his presidential inauguration ceremony in 1961.

The exhibition will be split into five distinct areas related to Omega.

For Sports and Olympic Games, the brand celebrates its legacy as the official timekeeper of a growing range of competitions, from America’s Cup sailing to professional golf and swimming—not to mention its long association with international Olympic Games. Watches on display include one of the original split-seconds chronographs used to time the Olympics in 1932. This heritage piece has since become the motivation behind the brand’s groundbreaking new Chrono Chime watch, which is also on display. It contains the most complex Omega movement ever made.

For the Ocean section, the exhibition looks into Omega’s diving expertise and history of sea-inspired designs. This includes an original 1932 Marine—considered the first divers’ watch available to amateur divers. Its double-case design was a revolution for explorers at the time. In a study of contrasts, the exhibition includes one of the recent Seamaster “Ultra Deep” watches, allowing visitors to view firsthand the advances Omega has made in how a dive watch operates. In 2019, the first of these models reached the deepest point ever recorded in the ocean. The model on display is an adapted version available to customers. It is water-resistant to an astonishing 6,000 meters (20,000 feet).

The James Bond section is dedicated to Omega’s relationship with the movie franchise, in which Omega watches have been worn in every film since 1995. Watches in the exhibition include the Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition from Daniel Craig’s final appearance in No Time To Die, as well as two timepieces that were crafted for the franchise’s 60th anniversary. The animations on the casebacks of these models replicate the famous James Bond opening sequence.

Finally, there’s the Omega space display. Ever since the Speedmaster Moonwatch was qualified by NASA in 1965 for all manned missions, Omega has played a critical role in some of history’s greatest explorations, including the first lunar landing in 1969. Visitors will be able to see the same Speedmaster CK2998 model worn by astronaut Wally Schirra in 1962 aboard Mercury’s Sigma 7 mission. Known as the “first Omega worn in space,” it represents the first chapter in the brand’s story beyond Earth.

The “Planet Omega” exhibition represents a rare chance to see some of the most prized Omega watches outside of the Omega Museum in Switzerland. It will be held November 9 to 19 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Chelsea Factory, 547 W 26th St.