What is Speedy Tuesday? It all started in a sunny Cannes in 2012, where I stayed over for a holiday. I also remember it was actually in the Radison Blu hotel there, where I made a wristshot of one of my Speedmaster watches and posted it on-line saying “Speedy Tuesday” (it was a Tuesday). Then, […] The post Event Report – OMEGA X Fratello Watches Speedy Tuesday Event in Bienne appeared first on Fratello Watches.
What a surprise ! What an event ! What an attention we've got from Omega... it was a Blast ! As a humble watch collector with a certain bias for Speedmasters, I've obviously filled the form on that #SpeedyTuesday post, earlier on September 6th. To my biggest surprise, RJ contacted me same day and confirmed my name to be on the list among the others lucky winners - I can tell you, September and October were two longest months in my life ! I didn't know at all what to expect from such a day. I guess the only things I've been looking for were new contacts, good talks, infos about my favorite watches - Moonwatches - etc... Main goal : networking / all the rest : bonus and garnish. My expectations have been quickly exceeded and this happened already at the introduction speech of Raynald Aeschlimann, CEO of Omega. I quickly understood that this day was the first #SpeedyTuesday (and not the last !) event and HAD to be a blast (as per Mr. Aeschlimann), Omega hardly insisted on that and had the necessary means for that to happen. The visit of Omega archives was very interesting : incredible opportunity to literally touch the memory and history of a Brand like Omega was unreal. I've even got to find some binders related to my birth year and month - just so freaking cool ! Also pleased to personally meet Sir Alain Monachon, Omega Archives manager - fun to see we're almost neighbors and hadn't met each other yet Petros Protopapas always have crazy stories to tell and I could spend hours on listening to him. I appreciated the Museum visit with comments on Omega history and no word on Speedmasters - there was enough Moonwatch-related infos to come ! Petros, we need to elaborate on your first wristwatch for ladies theory, I got some other counter-arguments to share ! The venue or Jim Ragan was... .... .... .... to everyone in the room I guess. I loved to listen the story of NASA RFP for the race for space. I really could feel this man to be proud of his choice for Omega and - fifty years later - he still believes he made the right choice by allowing Speedmaster to become THE Moonwatch. Huge thanks to Omega for that forum session. It was full of information, an incredible gift for any Speedmaster nerd. I won't add much on the gifts we've all got. The engraved case back will stay with me forever - a gift of that kind was nothing anybody in the room would have expected to receive. Finally after all the official activities, the networking part I've expected from that day happened in a very pleasant location. A very nice dinner with other Moonwatch aficionados, obviously a lot of stories, experiences, watches, laughs etc. Thanks to all guys for sharing the passion, I've been very happy of that opportunity for putting faces onto nicknames and avatars - sharing a passion is even more exciting IRL ! This day was by far beyond my expectations and my warmest thanks go to Omega for having made this happen and to Fratellowatches for having allowed me to be part of it.
Exciting for OmegaForums that several of out members got to attend this wonderful event. Lonestar and TyrantLizardRex Jim Ragan with TyrantLizard.
Was an absoloute blast! From beginning to end, the surprises kept coming, from access to the archives, the custom caseback plaques, Jim Ragan(!!!!), and getting to handle the Alaska project goodies... so cool. Meeting @kov @Lonestar @speedy4ever @Robert-Jan ans putting names, faces, and personalities to online posts was priceless. Massive thanks to the Fratello Team, and everyone at Omega for looking after us. Expectations exceeded x1000000
A huge congratulations to everyone that was there and especially to RJ and the Fratello team! This looks and sounds like like it had been one amazing experience.
Hi guys, Thanks for the nice words and comments. Great write-up @kov , you should do something with that ;-) One minor correction, it wasn't the first SpeedyTuesday event, or the first SpeedyTuesday event we did together with Omega, but it was the first one at the Omega HQ and museum. Hopefully there are more to follow! Who knows, in the 60th anniversary year of the Speedmaster :-D Anyway, it was awesome to meet some of you (some I already met at one of the previous Speedy Tuesday events), it is great to put faces to names. When the nerves were gone (after my word of welcome), I enjoyed it to the fullest :-DDD RJ
Friends, Thanks so much to RJ &the Fratello crew for putting something so outstanding together and engaging the official Omega staff in the journey! It was such an absolute priviledge to be part of this! I'm still baffled by how well we got taken care of... My wife is beginning to roll her eyes all the time now as I've been telling her for 4 days straight how uber-cool this was and how lucky we were, because of the settings, the people, the knowledge, the drinks, Petros' anecdotes, the friendship, the eye-candy, the presents, the archives, the watches, Jim's stories, the dinner, and all the rest...Was fantastic to meet you @Robert-Jan, @tyrantlizardrex, @speedy4ever (@kov I was lucky enough to have met already!) No pics from me as I put all my money into watches and I don't have a proper cell phone / digicam to snap anything worthy, and neither do I have @kov's storytelling talents anyway. Since I've gotten back home my life has felt pretty boring, to be honest. When is the next one please? Oh - and an official pic from Omega's instagram!
No no, he was in the circle for sure. But perhaps they either photoshopped it or used a pic when he didn't stick his crown into the circle (that might sound weird).
Hope You all had a chance to tell Omega what we would like to see in a classic " 50th anniversary Apollo 11 " Speedmaster ... http://www.omegawatches.com/news/news-detail/3509/
Fantastic write up and was wondering how many times you changed your mind about which watch to wear to the event ?
Well, next great event must be the opening of the new "interactive" Omega Museum by June/July 2017... so get a 2017 calendar http://moonwatchuniverse.tumblr.com/archive
Dozens. Till the morning when I thought I was fixed when I left home to the office. Later got back home and made another change before driving to the event