United Kingdom · Patented in the 1970s–1980s (Daniels developed and refined the mechanism over several years); adopted by Omega from 1999
Co-Axial Escapement
Partially verifiedThe first fundamentally new escapement to reach large-scale serial production in generations, and a case study in the difficulty of commercialising escapement innovation within an entrenched industry.
Daniels's co-axial escapement uses radially separated impulse and locking surfaces across two or three escape wheels/pallet levels, delivering impulse with a mostly radial (sliding-free) action intended to reduce the sliding friction — and hence lubrication dependency — of the conventional Swiss lever escapement.
After years of Daniels offering the design to Swiss manufacturers, Omega licensed and industrialised it from the late 1990s, first appearing in production Omega calibres from 1999.
Background
The co-axial escapement was commissioned by Seth G. Atwood during the quartz crisis to improve the performance of mechanical watches. While Daniels is credited with the invention, his peer Derek Pratt contributed intellectually and physically to the process. The design functions by separating the locking function from the impulse to minimize sliding friction, a known shortcoming of the traditional lever escapement. By replacing sliding friction with radial friction, the mechanism is intended to theoretically reduce the need for lubrication and enhance long-term accuracy.
Written from the encyclopedia entries listed under Sources; each statement was checked against the cited text.
How it works
- The mechanism utilizes a system of three pallets that separates the locking function from the impulse.
- The co-axial escapement is considered a modification of the lever escapement that incorporates features of the detent escapement.
- While lubrication is theoretically unnecessary, a small amount is used on the pallet stones to minimize impact corrosion.
Later history
- Omega SA commercialized the technology in 1999 by introducing the first mass-produced watch featuring the escapement.
- The initial Caliber 2500 movement operated at 28,800 beats per hour, which was later reduced to 25,200 beats per hour in the Caliber 2500C.
How to verify this yourself
Daniels's patents can be searched by inventor name in the UK Intellectual Property Office database and the European Patent Office's Espacenet search tool; exact publication numbers are not asserted here pending that direct search.
Manufacturers known to have used it
- Omega (licensed, from 1999)
Photographs
Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Coaxial escapement, Wikipedia (English), retrieved 2026-10-28 (text CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Daniels, G., All in Good Time: Reflections of a Watchmaker (autobiography)
- Omega company published history of the co-axial escapement
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.