Omega Dynamic

[tribe125]

They had a name - Dynamic - and they were going to use it. The first Dynamic (1968-72) was decidedly avant-garde, with an elliptical case and a one-piece synthetic strap that had a big round hole for the watch. The second Dynamic (1984-85) was odder still, with an inclined case that was thicker at the top than the bottom. The bracelet was a one-piece with a hole, echoing the strap of the first Dynamic. There was also a rubber strap, and the movement was quartz. Sales of both models were far from dynamic, and that might have been the end of it.

And then in 1997, there was a third Dynamic - that bore no relation whatsoever to Dynamic I or Dynamic II. Of all things, it was a flamboyant re-imagining of the RAF pilot’s watch of 1953. What? Surely such things are sacrosanct? The watch came packaged in a tall oval tin, with instructions for using the tin as a pencil holder. Frankly, it was bizarre. Stylistically, how do you get from Dynamic I and II to Dynamic III? You don’t, but regardless of that, nobody wanted to buy one anyway. Or so they say. It’s commonly said that no more than 8,000 were sold, but I have no idea if that’s correct - or if it’s a total for both variants of the watch. The Dynamic was an entry-level watch priced at CHF 1,550. Allowing for inflation, that would be £1,321 ($1,730) today - but watches have probably had their own inflation index over the last twenty years. Other information suggests that they were introduced at €1,000, but reduced to €750 when discontinued stock was sold off in 2000. The Dynamic is certainly more popular than it was twenty years ago. Perspectives can shift, and the Dynamic has acquired a cultish aura.

Stray fact: in French-speaking countries, the Dynamic III is nicknamed the ‘Boule et Bill’ because the font is similar to that used in a long-running comic strip.

There’s a chronograph version (CFR has a good example), and there was also a limited edition chronograph (that looks like a different watch altogether), but it’s the three-hander I like the best. I’ve been nearly buying one for years and it was time to give it a go. I lingered too long over one for sale on a forum, but that worked out well... because there was a new one in Germany, prepared for sale with a full service.



seller’s picture

Not brand new obviously, and the advert didn’t describe it as new old stock, but the dealer said that it didn’t seem to have been worn, and that’s the way it looks to me. It’s been in a cupboard for twenty years. The advert hadn’t mentioned a full service either, but that was revealed when I asked about cleaning and re-oiling. I had come across the dealer by chance, but have since discovered that he’s regarded as one of the best. Unlike some who make airy references to ‘our watchmaker’, he really does have one in the building, and she’s called Franziska. The dealer is Frank Miquel of Miquel Schmuck & Uhren in Bavaria - https://www.uhren-miquel.de/. Frank and his team speak excellent English.

Appealing shop too -





So I had to buy it. It didn’t come with the novelty pencil tin, but apart from that it was probably the best one anywhere, and the price was similar to that of tired examples with other dealers. The strap alone would cost £150 - without a buckle.





The Dynamic is a charming and distinctive thing, more Gallic than Swiss. It’s not big (36.5 x 9), but the size is right for the style and (notional) era, and the dial is wide. The numerals are the signature feature, and delightfully, the font is carried over to the date - although the two fonts are complementary rather than identical. The yellow seconds hand is tonally just right, but pleasantly quirky in detail, with a counterbalance arrow pointing the wrong way. It’s an unplaceable design that combines military exactitude with flair. On the wrist, it wears considerably bigger than the stated size suggests - more like 38 than 36.5. It’s old-style discreet (thinner than my JLC ultra-thin and more open-faced than a standard Datejust), but there’s always a reason to look at it. The strap is nubuck/suede and has clearly never been on a wrist. And there’s a curious thing about its character - while you know it’s an Omega, it seems to stand outside the brand.




on 7.5” wrist

The Dynamic could easily be called the Enigmatic, and it’s hard to know what was in Omega’s mind when they designed it. It came long before the dawn of ‘heritage’, and before the internet had created an interest in older watches (Omega would have been sketching the Dynamic before the first watch forum had got off the ground). If it was a tribute, it was an odd one (for a long time, even with good knowledge of the original, I didn’t realise there was a deliberate connection). Omega says that it was intended to appeal to younger buyers, but younger buyers would have had little awareness of its 1950s origins.

The rationale for the Dynamic might just be that somebody at Omega liked the RAF watch and thought that it would be fun to jazz it up - and the font could be called ‘dynamic’. Somehow or another, the Dynamic III was a phantasmagorical pilot’s watch from the 1950s - conceived in the 1990s. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did.





The time-warp condition, the diligent dealer, the fortuitous timing of my search... I think I got lucky with this one.

[happyscrappyheropup]

The time-warp condition, the diligent dealer, the fortuitous timing of my search... I think I got lucky with this one.

I agree. Great find and, as usual, an entertaining read.

-- Wayne

[tribe125]

I agree. Great find and, as usual, an entertaining read.

Thanks!

He goes the extra mile, Frank Miquel. Just found a guarantee card in the travel pouch -





How nice is that?

[geoffbot]

I rather like that. I shouldn't - it's flamboyant, and I don't do flamboyant, and I don't know why but I like it. It's cool. Very nice Alan.

[tribe125]

I rather like that. I shouldn't - it's flamboyant, and I don't do flamboyant, and I don't know why but I like it.

Very much my own thoughts over many years, and then - snap - and I was taking it seriously. Or more probably, I was taking watch choice less seriously.

[mlcor]

I love it. The fonts are great, it appears to wear very well on your wrist, and be in perfect condition. I happen to like a little quirky sometimes, and that watch just works. Congratulations, enjoy!

[tribe125]

and that watch just works

It does, and every little thing is right. If they had used a standard date wheel - pouff - it would collapse.

[CFR]

Being a fan of the Dynamic III series since they were launched, what can I say? Congrats, obviously.

Btw, assuming the strap is of the same quality as the original was, it is extremely durable and, in that sense, one of the best leather straps I've ever had.

[rodia77]

Enigmatic.

[skywatch]

It's really just good fun isn't it? It makes me smile, as I think it does for you.

Just please let me know when you decide you have too many watches again, because I could certainly imagine you'll get a Puritanical cleaning streak some time again in the future.