101.00009-66, CALIBRE 320 CHRONOGRAPH, SILVER DIAL

$3,750

An Omega chronograph, ref. 101.00009-66, dating to around 1966 and powered by the manual-wind calibre 320.

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An Omega chronograph, ref. 101.00009-66, dating to around 1966 and powered by the manual-wind calibre 320. The silver dial is laid out with two registers, small seconds at nine and a 30-minute counter at three, leaving the centre open and calm. The stainless steel case measures 35mm and just 11mm thick, topped with an acrylic crystal that softens the light at its edges. It is a dress chronograph in proportion and in spirit, closer to a shirt cuff than a cockpit. It is fitted to an aftermarket leather strap with an original Omega tang buckle. Wind the crown each morning and the column-wheel movement inside comes to life.

The calibre 320 belongs to one of the most respected chronograph families of the twentieth century. It shares its architecture with the calibre 321, the column-wheel movement that powered the early Speedmasters, both built on the Lemania 2310 base. Where the 321 adds a 12-hour counter, the 320 leaves it out, giving the dial a cleaner two-register layout. Omega placed it in slim, elegant cases like this one, made to be worn with a suit rather than a racing helmet. Pieces like this come from the years just before De Ville became its own collection in 1967, and they carry that line's dressier instincts. Today they are among the most direct ways to own early Omega chronograph mechanics in a dress watch.

We sourced it for what sits under the dial. The calibre 320 is the two-register sibling of the 321, built on the same column-wheel architecture that collectors now chase in early Speedmasters. Start the chronograph and the pusher answers with the crisp, positive action that column-wheel movements are known for. Then look at the proportions: 35mm, 11mm thick, two registers, and a silver dial with room to breathe. It has a restraint that most modern chronographs forgot. You get the same early Omega chronograph DNA in a thinner, dressier package that wears nothing like a Speedmaster. Curated with intent.