Are these constant Speedmaster Limited Editions, in your estimation, good for the classic Speedies? Not good? Or do they make no difference?

Some say they draw new people into the hobby, which pumps up the price of the better pieces...others say it just waters things down, and makes them less exclusive. What say you, oh horologically edified brethren?

 

Make no difference, they just detract away from people buying a regular new speedmaster. They just instead fork out a bit more and buy an LE.

If anybody is seriously interested in delving into vintage they will do so.

 

Hahaha! None of you will believe I, of all members, am going to say this, but I'd say Omega hasn't crossed that line as of yet with Speedmasters. They certainly are close though, and Speedies have been made so long the "watered down" aspect has come & gone already. Lots of space anniversary dates to market! They actually got some points from me for this latest LE done in conjunction with Fratello.

Now AP and their stupid ROO LE's.... well, just Google "Montauk Highway Royal Oak" and try not to get a little sick.

 

I'd say no - after all, nobody's making you buy all of them. Just buy the ones you like, if they come up with interesting variations all the better.

 

Yes. The new one is excellent but there are too many average ones in the mix that are too similar to the original or just plain crap. For every Speedy Tuesday, Gemini 4 or Speedyorite, there's an Apollo 17 40th, Moon to Mars, 50th LE.

Less quantity, more quality.

 

I was sure you were just joking. What do you think the Long Island Expressway limited will look like?

 

Beautiful @ulackfocus , had a good laugh thanks to you

 

In my humble opinion, Omega is doing it right with regards to distribution (online only- means less grey market and more control as to the environment in watch is sold / it is after all selective distribution). I work for prestige fragrances and this is actually a business model we are working on ourselves for our brands.

+1 also for keeping close to their web fan base who avidly scours the internet + social media for anything Speedmaster.

If I were Omega though, I would keep a VERY close eye on this forum, have someone from my social media/PR team as dedicated moderator and try to cash in design trends, requests, criticism. More than 30 members already bought this LE here. Thats huge. Hell I would even buy the forum if I were them. I might be overstepping myself here though.

 

The standard Speedy Pro itself has pretty much reached the end of the road in terms of technical evolution and had to be "frozen" as the benchmark model in order to maintain its heritage chops / link to the NASA story. Omega simply can't do a Rolex Datejust option and offer the Speedy Pro with a myriad combinations of dials, bezels, bracelets, configure to order...the Speedy would then lose its design essence/soul/raison d'être...with the LEs they can reinforce the heritage story with each "new design" and still milk new sales even for existing Speedy Pro owners.

The good/desired LEs carry on being desired post launch (I would include with obvious bias my Speedy XI-45 in that group), some even experience a price bubble effect (recent example Snoopy) until the next super desired Speedy LE comes along (Speedy Tuesday...Speedy 60th...Apollo 11 50th)

I would say that as the recent sequence of LEs have been rather good: XI-45, Snoopy, CK 2998, Speedy Tuesday...Omega has been putting apparently much more design thought into these LEs so that collectors feel justified to engage in multiple purchases (as we can see here in the OF). Is this bad? No...I did not like the Snoopy for example, but have reserved the Speedy Tuesday.

Are the LE releases too frequent? I suppose for collectors that own a LE the answer would be yes...if the releases were less frequent each "good" LE would hold value or a premium over a longer period of time. But for the collector that misses out on a given LE, would he/she be really "happy" waiting for, shall we say, five years for the next LE?

As long as you are not investing in these modern LE's thinking that they will go up in price in the long term, I say "embrace the diversity" (the trendy post-US election thing to say) and enjoy!

 

Jesus...but I like the blue

 

This newest one is different then the other LE's. It's pure fan service. As well as a tribute to a site that has elevated the pro, and has a history with the Alaska III project. The number of small details mentioned and not mentioned are huge.

1) radial dials
2) fully brushed case
3)AML
4)old school short "S" long "r" font
5)old logo crown
6)old style buckles on both straps

Then the lume and Niad case technology with the caseback only screwing in one way are a nice foot in the future for this watch.

I'll admit some of the LE's are phoned in with just case inscriptions. But the recent ones have been solid from the Alaska to the snoopy. Personally I'd love to see a silvered dial released as they look amazing on these watches. :::Hint Omega:::

 

I think to be a great limited edition, you have to offer something more than just creative window dressing, and minor case and dial alterations. It's like special edition cars, with rally stripes and a hood scoop, but with the same engine - it gives you a grin, but your eyes don't light up.

So for me, there is only one potential "wow" factor left: I gotta see a cal. 321 in one of these offerings one day.

 

Oh, I'm sure if somebody or some company came along with a check that had enough zeroes behind a crooked number, this place would be sold. That's not a knock on ownership either - that's just smart business.

I'm pretty good at telling funny stories, and even embellishing them for added impact, but not good enough to make something like that up.

 

I think it's great. There are huge followings around the Speedmaster, similar to the Sub and Daytona. If Rolex did a LE Sub for their hallmark years, they'd sell them by the truckload.

I've seen plenty of comments that "it's too expensive" but then you glance over at the Daytona in steel sitting at $12k+ and I have to scratch my head at those comments.


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so do you think we are .000001% closer to a forum watch yet? =D. ok ill shut up.

 

Omega are a business and I'm pretty sure they have a reasonable handle on the value of the Speedmaster name and image. They will continue to release limited editions and revisions for as long as they sell. Sure, they will get it wrong sometimes, but even I can see a reasonable coherent strategy at play with a core "Moonwatch" line and other models offered to address different tastes.

If you look at the Omega site, the number of Speedmaster models and variations may actually come as a shock, but as long as there is a demand, and that demand can be satisfied profitably, Omega will produce them

 

I'll take my speedy like I like my bourbon, straight with a splash of water. If I ever buy a new speedy it will be thus. Manual wind / no date. All else is line extension hell. (Apologies to the watch snob for paraphrasing.)

 

....but ......... but........ WATER?!?!?!