COMPARISON: Master Chronometer VS Superlative Chronometer.

Comprehensive comparative analysis of Comparison Master Chronometer and Superlative Chronometer models: Case finishes, movement precision, dial details and production tolerances are examined in detail with Saat Detective expertise standards.

Let's compare the Omega Master Chronometer and the Rolex Superlative Chronometer

Thanks to such a comparison, you can decide for yourself which one is better. But first, let's answer the most frequently asked questions on this topic for those who need it.

What is Chronometer? (pronounced chro·NOM·e·ter, similar to the pronunciation of thermometer) In a way, it is like a title of nobility; It is awarded to highly accurate mechanical watches and some quartz watches by a chronometry institute called COSC.

What is the difference between a chronograph and a stopwatch? A Chronograph is not a title granted by the COSC. On the contrary, it is a mechanical feature (or a complication as it is called in watchmaking) that gives a watch its stopwatch function.

What is COSC? It is the official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute and its French name is an abbreviation for Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres. It is an impartial and independent laboratory that measures the precision of a watch and ensures that it meets very high standards.

What is Master Chronometer? It is a combination of two titles, one given by COSC and the other by another laboratory called METAS. It is currently only found in Omega watches and shows that the watch has not only high precision but also high standards in many important factors.

What is a Superlative Chronometer? It is a combination of two designations found only on Rolex watches, one given by COSC and the other by Rolex.

Now let's look at how the watches with these titles are similar to each other. Simply put, both must be certified chronometers and pass the standard COSC ISO 3159 testing before moving on to additional testing. COSC testing only covers the movement/caliber of the watch; The mechanisms are tested continuously for two weeks at three different temperatures and in five different locations.

When the mechanism received the title of chronometer, it reached an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day. Rolex and Omega, who were not satisfied with this standard, thought that they could further work on precision after COSC certification. While Omega has made an agreement with another independent laboratory called METAS, Rolex is of the opinion that if you want something done right, do it yourself. This means that they do this work in-house rather than an independent laboratory until they get the results they want. Read on to find out what this entails and what level of precision you can expect from both manufacturers.

Rolex Superlative Chronometer

Rolex took the chronometer to the next level with an extra round of review and fine-tuning. Once the watch movement returns to the workshop, Rolex inserts the caliber into the case and performs a series of tests designed to mimic the watch's use on the wrist in "real life"; then fine-tuning until -2/+2 sensitivity is reached. That's at least twice as accurate as a COSC chronometer!

Once this is achieved, the watch is ready for shipment with the new title of Superlative Chronometer.

The first Rolex movement to pass the Superlative Chronometer test and receive this new, improved prestigious designation was the Rolex 3255 movement housed in the Rolex Day-Date 40 mm.

Rolex has since decided to extend this extremely stringent ±2 test to all of its watches. From that day on, every watch they sell that meets this standard of precision and accuracy is affixed with a seal that reads "Superlative Certified" on one side and "Rolex SA Geneve" on the other.

OMEGA Master Chronometer

Eager to rise to the challenge, OMEGA embarked on a journey to proclaim its superiority in chronometric precision with a new chronometric precision title called Master Chronometer.

The first OMEGA watch to be given the title of Master Chronometer was the Globemaster, part of the Omega Constellation series. Once the watch has received COSC certification, a testing organization called the Federal Metrology Institute, or METAS, conducts the tests.

METAS laboratories take watches and test their mechanisms from a number of angles to achieve an accuracy of at least 0/+5 seconds per day.

The first of these tests measures how the watch responds when exposed to magnetic fields of 1.5 Tesla / 15,000 gauss while in two different positions. The caliber is then placed in the case, mounted on a watch, and tested to see how it resists magnetic fields of the same fifteen thousand gauss. Then they expose the watch to 15,000 gauss for a full 24 hours and measure its precision daily to see if there are any deviations. They then look at the clock's average daily hit over a 96-hour period by varying locations and environmental conditions such as temperature fluctuations. The power reserve is then examined to ensure that the watch operates at full performance during the predicted capacity. Then they look for a deviation in sensitivity at any of six different locations. The watches are then tested again in 6 positions to see if there are any chronometric time differences when the power reserve is between 33% and 100%. The waterproofness of the watch is tested by immersing the watch in water and increasing the pressure until it reaches the targeted waterproof depth.

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