Every week we receive a lot of questions regarding Speedmaster prices. What s a good price for this Omega Speedmaster 105.012 or what should I expect to pay for a Speedmaster Snoopy Award or a Speedmaster Gemini IV?We already helped starting collectors a bit forward with our two-part Speedmaster Buyer s Guide here and here. However, we also thought it might be a good idea to create an Omega Speedmaster Price Guide.Speedmaster Price GuideTo be able to create a price guide, there are several data sources you can use. It eventually will make a difference as well, whether you are using the prices of an Omega sales forum or the bidding prices of auction houses. We decided to use data provided to ...
There are a few brands out there which have a huge group of collectors. These brands are significant not only in the watch world but often in another area of life like sports or science. I think Heuer needs no introduction. Even for a non-WIS the name (TAG) Heuer rings the bell. Early Heuer vintage models are pretty sought-after. In this article we will get to know one of their classic yet affordable versions and its?modern counterpart.Heuer 73473S Versus Autodromo PrototipoThe Heuer 73473 was released in the early 1970s (probably around 1971) same time many iconic car racing and races inspired Heuers like the Carrera. This however has a plain dial with only Heuer and Swiss written on it. Th...
During the week, we get a lot of questions by e-mail about buying an Omega Speedmaster. We thought it was about time that we made an article thats basically an Omega Speedmaster Buyers Guide. If you are already a Speedmaster collector, this might not be interesting to you, as I will cover some basic information as well. This is Part 2 of the Omega Speedmaster Buyer s Guide, with a focus on sourcing a (vintage) Speedmaster. Part 1 discussed the Omega Speedmaster collection briefly and can be found here.Buying a new Speedmaster watchSourcing a new Omega Speedmaster is not that difficult. You can either go to an Omega boutique, Tourbillon Boutique (Swatch Group concept), an authorized dealer or...
It s Speedy Tuesday! Recently we covered a lot of Mark series already during #SpeedyTuesday, like the vintage and new Omega Speedmaster Mark II comparison article of last week and the Speedmaster Mark III of world renown car journalist Ben Oliver. Perhaps you also remember the Omega Speedmaster Mark 4.5 of Porsche 911 guru Magnus Walker we did a while ago.Well, today we have a contribution from Omega Speedmaster collector Khoder who basically has all three mentioned Omega Speedmaster Mark series.Omega Speedmaster Mark SeriesKhoder – who also happens to collect vintage Seiko Bullhead watches – explains why he loves these Omega Speedmaster Mark Series so much:The [Omega Speedmaster...
Omega Speedmaster Mark II – 45 Year After Its IntroductionAfter the Omega Speedmaster Professional won the race to the Moon in 1969, Omega thought it was time to come up with a watch that perhaps was a bit more up-to-date and ready for the 1970s. Design wise that is, as the watch should be able to withstand the same abuse as the Speedmaster Professional ‘Moonwatch could handle. Somewhere in 1969 Omega introduced the Speedmaster Mark II. Actually, a Speedmaster Professional Mark II. The ‘Mark in its name stands for a new or revised/improved version, for the non-native English readers. It is like calling it a 2.0 version these days.The Speedmaster Mark II came with the same...
It s Speedy Tuesday! Today we have a contribution from Arthur van Grinsven who lives in The Netherlands. Arthur is a fan of Speedmaster watches, owning two Speedmaster Pro Mark II watches, a Pre-Moon Speedmaster Professional with caliber 861 (145.022) and the Speedmaster Pro in this article. A conversation maker, as he had the entire watch (and bracelet) treated with a DLC process. This Speedmaster Pro was bought by his father in the 1990s and given to Arthur in 2012.As you can see, the white baton hands have been swapped with a set of all-black hands as well. This does effect the readability of the watch according to Arthur, but it does look cool. However, after seeing the Omega Speedmaster...
It s Speedy Tuesday! This week we have a contribution from Ashley Budgen (co-owner and founder of the popular Australian based omegaforums.net website) about his very rare Omega Speedmaster reference 105.002. A straight-lugged Speedmaster from 1962 – only 1 year in production – and therefore one of the rarest references. Ashley bought one last year and shares his story with you.I had actually been looking for a pre-pro, straight lug Speedmaster for quite some time, either an ST105.003 or a middle to later series Speedmaster CK2998.? As all Omega (Lemania based) caliber 321 Speedmaster fans know, the earlier the watch, the harder it is to find an all original example, and for this...
Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...
It s Speedy Tuesday! This week we have an interesting Omega Speedmaster for you, the reference 105.003-63. That s right, one of the very first models of this reference number. The Omega Speedmaster 105.003 is considered to be the 3rd generation of Speedmasters, as the CK2915 and CK2998/105.002 (basically the same watches) are its predecessors.The interesting part about this particular Speedmaster is that it still has the Alpha hands that were also on the CK2998 and ST 105.002 references. Most of you will know the 105.003 as the first watch with the white baton hands, as pictured below. However, these official database results from the Omega website also tell you that the 105.003 was delivere...
It s Speedy Tuesday! Admitted, I rarely discuss my own watches here. Once in a while I mention a purchase briefly, but I am not keen on addressing my personal collection of watches. For this Speedy Tuesday, I am making an exception as I was blown away by the many enthusiasts reading and responding to the write-up of our friend Christopher Beccan just a few weeks ago. This week I will talk about my Speedmaster 3594.50 – also known as Replica or Re-edition – that I got from my wife (and daughter) in 2013.Omega Speedmaster 3594.50As some of you know I became the proud father of a little daughter (Charlotte). To celebrate my first Father s Day, which was not long after the birth of C...
It s Speedy Tuesday! This week we have this wonderful Omega Speedmaster 105.003 from Georg from Germany and it just returned from the watch spa. He bought all of his watches between 1984 and 1987, merely because he liked the look of them. As this was definitely a period where mechanical watches were out-of-fashion, he was able to pick them up for unbelievable prices. At least for today s standards. When mechanical watches tended to became a bit more main stream, when the first watch magazines popped up as well, he stopped buying them. It wasn t until recently that he started checking details on his purchases from 20 years ago.One his 1980s purchases is this beautiful Omega Speedmaster pre-Pr...
It s Speedy Tuesday! After our in-depth hands-on review of the new Omega Speedmaster 57 Caliber 9300 and introduction of the new Speedmaster Mark II on last week s Speedy Tuesday, it is time to give some vintage love again. One of our loyal Speedmaster readers and fans, Santosh from the USA contacted us a few months back to tell us he had a non-working Speedmaster LCD caliber 1620 reference 186.0005 (we covered the Speedmaster LCD in the past, here and here). He already had been in touch with a service center, but the movement was just dead and there was no way it could be fixed. Our suggestion was to find a ‘donor watch on eBay or other source of vintage watches and swap the movemen...
It s Speedy Tuesday! This week we present to you our review on the Omega Speedmaster 57 Co-Axial Caliber 9300 Chronograph that was introduced to us last year in Basel. A modern Speedmaster that we already compared to the original Omega Speedmaster from 1957 and the Omega Speedmaster 57 Re-edition (click here). This review talks about this straight-lugged Speedmaster 57 with its subtle nods to the original Speedmaster timepiece. We had it on our wrists for quite some time and we d like to share our thoughts and experiences with you.Omega was so kind to lend us this Omega Speedmaster 57 reference?331.22.42.51.01.001, the stainless steel and red gold combination on a brown leather calf stra...
Somewhere last year, I was invited to come over to Richard Mille in Switzerland to visit their watch case factory and their HQ in Les Breuleux, Switzerland. With a small group of watch journalists, we arrived at the Richard Mille boutique in Geneva to have a look at all the (new) models they have. A great way to start the factory visit, as I have to admit that I wasn t familiar with most of their models or reference numbers. Although I witnessed their presentation of the Richard Mille collection in SIHH, the brand wasn t really on my radar. After this visit to Richard Mille in Les Breuleux, I have to say that they are definitely on my radar. Keep on reading.In the Geneva boutique, located in...
It s Speedy Tuesday! When you buy a new Omega Speedmaster (Professional), you can either choose between a stainless steel bracelet or a leather strap. However, there are many more ways to wear your Speedmaster in a cool way. From simple NATO straps to high-end alligator straps or even using a NASA-like velcro strap. In this article we show you how you can wear your Speedmaster. The straps can really change the entire appearance of your Speedmaster, giving a new Speedmaster a vintage look or make it a very classy watch using an alligator strap.Omega OEM calf strapWe kick-off with a brown calf strap from Omega. This strap (reference 98000195) is also issued with the chocolate brown Speedmaster...
Back in 2010, when Cartier introduced their Calibre de Cartier I would have never thought that it would be possible to create a diver s watch based on this model. Even though the Calibre de Cartier was more masculine than most other Cartier timepieces – with the exception of the Santos 100 models perhaps – I still classified it as a dress watch. Now, December 2013 and just a few weeks before the SIHH exhibition will start in Geneva, Cartier prepares us for a diver s version of the Calibre de Cartier. Let s have a look at this early introduction.For starters, Cartier made sure that this Calibre de Cartier Diver Watch met all requirements according to the ISO 6425 standards. This I...
Are you looking to buy an Omega Speedmaster but don t know where to start? We re here to help! Over the past 65+ years, Omega has created many variations of one of the world s most famous chronographs. The classic 42mm Moonwatch has been in the collection since 1965, and to the novice eye, little has changed since then. But if you look a bit closer, you will find that the Speedmaster evolved quite a bit in the decades that followed.In this Speedmaster guide, we ll give you an overview of the most important references of the Speedmaster (Professional) and some of its variations. Although this article isn t meant as a pricing guide, we will give some hints, of course. If you re already a knowl...
The OMEGA Speedmaster CK2915!Just recently, I got in touch with a watchmaker by the name of Sampo from Finland. He mainly collects Omega watches from the 1950s and 1960s? and works for one of the Omega Service Centers. His main interest goes into the Seamaster 300 watches, Railmasters and Speedmasters from that era. Only two years ago he decided to go vintage and sold his new watches and bought a beautiful Speedmaster 105.012-66, Speedmaster 105.003-63, a Ranchero CK2990, Railmaster 2914-1 and two Seamaster 300 CK2913 models.? An incredible collection so far, but he recently added a Speedmaster CK2915 as well. The very first Speedmaster from 1957.Omega Speedmaster CK2915By coincidence, he fo...
The GMT-Master (II) finally stepped out of the shadow of its diving brother, the Submariner. With the introduction of the ceramic Pepsi and Batman (on Jubilee) recently, the hype is real. Long waiting lists and market prices far over retail result in disappointed customers, but that doesn t seem to slow down the demand. On the contrary.I can imagine why the GMT-Master II is so much in demand. It is a great daily companion, with the added value of an extra timezone. I had my share of GMT-Master watches, including a few vintage 1675s and a GMT-Master II 16710. When I was ready to purchase a GMT-Master II ‘Ceramic or ‘Batman in 2017, I was confronted with the above-mentioned dem...
Dutch Speedmaster GTGIt s Speedy Tuesday! As you probably know, the first steps on the Moon were set by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong on July 21st at 2:56 (UTC time) in 1969. 44 years later, a perfect date to have a GTG with Speedmaster enthusiasts to have a lunch.Gerard Nijenbrinks of the in2watches.com watch blog and I invited some Speedmaster collectors and enthusiasts to meet in The Hague, The Netherlands. Some of the attendees just have one Speedmaster, others had dozens. The love for the Speedmaster was very much the same though. From vintage to new, all kinds of Speedmasters were brought to the table.To give an impression of the meeting (or GTG), we show you some pictures taken that d...
