Omega Caliber 8800

Manufacturer	Omega
Caliber Number	8800
In-House?	Yes
Movement Type	Automatic, self-winding mechanical
Display	Analog
Diameter	26mm
Jewels	35
Beats Per Hour	25,200 vph, 3.5Hz
Lift Angle	36 degrees (use Co-Axial compatible timing machine)
Power Reserve	55 hours (single barrel)
Shock Protection	Nivashock
Escapement	Co-Axial
Balance	Si14 Silicon, free sprung
Anti-Magnetic?	Yes up to 15,000 gauss
COSC?	Yes
METAS?	Yes (Omega Master Chronometer spec)
Hand-Windable?	Yes
Rotor Type	Ball bearing
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central sweeping seconds; date at 3:00 or 6:00
Hacking Seconds?	Yes
Finishing	Rhodium plated finish with Geneva waves in arabesque
Country of Manufacture	Switzerland, Swiss made
Known Models	Too many to list… (Add your watch in the comments below)

The Omega calibre 8800 is an in-house automatic movement that made a splash as the engine that powers the updated Seamaster Pro 300M (aka SMP) in March 2018 at Baselworld. It is Swiss made with 35 jewels. This movement features an anti-magnetic hairspring, Co-Axial escapement and single barrel with up to 55 hours of power reserve.

In Omega’s own words:

“Self-winding movement with Co-Axial escapement. Certified Master Chronometer, approved by METAS, resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss. Free sprung-balance with silicon balance spring, automatic winding in both directions. Rhodium plated finish with Geneva waves in arabesque.” –source

8800 Base:

The Omega 8800 serves as the base movement for several other calibers including:

• 8801 – Same specs as the 8800 with the main difference being an 18K Sedna gold balance bridge and oscillating weight (rotor)
• 8802 – Small seconds at 6:00, date
• 8803 – Same specs as 8802 but with an 18K Sedna gold balance bridge and oscillating weight
• 8804 – Small seconds at 6:00, no date, 60 hours power reserve
• 8805 – Same specs as 8804 but with an 18K Sedna gold balance bridge and oscillating weight
• 8806 – 3-hander (time only), no date
• 8807 – Same specs as 8806 but with an 18K Sedna gold balance bridge and oscillating weight

Omega 8800 vs 8900:

The caliber 8800 has a traditional time and date setting style, whereas the 8900 has a jumping hour hand. The jumping hour hand on the 8900 is convenient for changing time-zones or adjusting for daylight savings time without hacking the movement and changing the overall time. However, if you are more prone to changing the date on your watch (such as after not wearing it for a while), then the 8800 is equipped with a quickset date for faster calendar adjustments.

Another notable difference between calibre 8800 and 8900 is that the 8800 has a single barrel and the 8900 is equipped with twin barrels for more power reserve. The twin barrel (aka double barrel) design allows for an extended power reserve of up to 60 hours, compared to 55 hours for the 8800. Furthermore, the 8800 has 35 jewels vs the cal. 8900 with 39 jewels.

Anti-Magnetic Properties:

It used to be that the Omega caliber 8508 got all of the credit for being resistant to magnetic fields, but now most of the newer movements such as the calibre 8800 being discussed here, are anti-magnetic up to 15,000 gauss thanks to the silicone balance spring and materials that are not affected by exposure to magnetism.

Replacement Prices:

The Omega caliber 8800 is an in-house movement and not available for individual purchase, even for Swatch Group parts accounts. At the time of this post, the retail prices of the watches this movement powers ranges from $8,300 USD to $14,000 USD.

Video Action:

Additional Resources:

• Omega Seamaster 900M spec sheet (pdf)
• More Omega watch calibers

Image credit: Omega SA – if you have better pics of the movement in your watch, please submit them here.