Covid limited the
Production in 2020 (low hundreds I got told) which understandable, I’m pretty much covid aside, they will start to roll out soon

 

You are totally missing my point. I don't mind the actual back complication in and of itself, and never said it needed to be to be extremely accurate or complex. "Problem" is when omega starts marketing the 14 seconds as if they had specifically designed the complication with this in mind. Ok great, now it seems to be less gimmicky because of the mission significance and connection...but when you frame it like that and can't execute properly, it loses meaning.

The lunar module is going the wrong direction around the moon and the 14 seconds in this watch is totally arbitrary. It times the LM from some random point behind the moon to some point over the earth. It's quite a stretch to connect these points with the actual 14 second DSP burn used for a mid-course correction approaching re-entry. The only thing that's accurate here is that it's heading towards the right planet lol. All they had to do was shift the frame of reference on the caseback image a bit. Not hard to do at all, but the designer likely had the same attitude as you did - no one cares about the actual mission significance, so lets just add snoopy, make it cute, and add in some random language about 14 seconds to market it.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, but the whole 14 seconds aspect doesn't really add any value to the significance of the watch or its ties to the mission. I view the back complication more closely to the original sentiment I had, which was fun and a bit gimmicky.

 

I was placed on a waitlist in Malaysia and was told that I’ll likely to get a call in early to mid Nov.

 

Just wondering what is the expected production run in units for the snoopy? I know it is not a limited edition. I saw posts saying thier AD mentioned 5,000 total production. I just wonder if omega will produce too many and dilute the collectability of this watch. We all want to collect something special. I knows it not always about money but just knowing you have something unique and limited makes collecting more enjoyable. Just hope omega keeps units low to satisfy watch collectors.

 

I'm not sure what case you're trying to make here. First, the space-travelling Snoopy is tied to the chrono hand, so it can only travel one way, no? Also, IMO the case-back complication may be understood as an affectionate take on the original A13 event, not a graphical recreation or literal retelling, so it's really neither here nor there which view of the earth is represented, or how precisely, or whether Snoopy is hovering over the correct region of moon or earth, etc., any more than most moon-phase watches are invested in accurate representations of lunar regions or relevant star fields. I also think it's a stretch to presume that the watch's designer half-assed her/his brief and settled for a cute Snoopy going nowhere in particular among the stars for a completely random period of time that just happens to be 14 seconds depending on where you have Snoopy start and stop, knowing that these cavalier design decisions might frustrate and appal; Moon Watch purists- I mean, really?

Here's what Omega says:

On the caseback, Snoopy appears inside his Command and Service Module (CSM) on a magical hand. When the chronograph seconds hand is used, Snoopy takes a trip around the far side of the moon, which has been decorated on the sapphire crystal using a unique micro-structured metallisation. There is also an Earth disc, which rotates once per minute in sync with the watch’s small seconds hand.

A trip round the far side of the moon. Can't we take them at their word? Snoopy appears in his CSM, and takes a trip round the moon, a journey that is also a knowing homage to one of the mission's best-known historical facts, the 14s, which non-coincidentally was timed on the Speedy Pro that was the basis for the Silver Snoopy awarded bu NASA to Omega, an award for a watch that has been crucial to the survival and success of the brand and for which they are justly proud.

So yeah, maybe the designers were lazy and crap, and maybe Omega has engaged in a purely cynical marketing exercise here and will chortle all the way to the bank. But maybe they also wanted to produce a commemorative watch with an engaging complication without massively adding to the cost and complexity of the watch, that its owners could take or leave. And if so, they seem to have succeeded, IMO.

 

From your post, it seems like you understood, or at least reiterated my point pretty well.

I understand there are technical limits on what can be done, and again I don't really have a complaint about the complication itself. But there's no need to market this whole 14 seconds thing when it makes no sense to what's actually being showcased. Fun complication fine, but why need to add in the 14 seconds bit between 2 random points? If you've seen the video, the product manager explains that it's the time from behind the moon to over the earth. Seriously, what is the significance of timing these 2 random points? It would've been better if the lunar module was only visible for 14 seconds. I mean, the majority of the 14 seconds snoopy spends behind the moon where you can't even see him lmao.

We'll see how it does, I'm not the only one who thinks the back is a bit gimmicky. I think marketing attempted to make it a bit less so, but it just doesn't really have much substance when you start thinking about it.

 

On the other hand you could say that at design stage they wanted to incorporate the 14 seconds somewhere and also wanted to do a special caseback.

For the Snoopy module to be completely centred over the earth it would be at 15 seconds, making the module small enough to be completely over the earth at 14 seconds was maybe a “quick win” for them, hence the marketing.

 

My initial reaction was wow, I want, I want, I want.

Since that initial announcement I have had time to consider, I have seen a number of videos, looked at plenty of images and read lots of commentary all of which have done little to keep me enthused about the watch. In all honesty the watch is leaving me a little flat, nonplussed and generally underwhelmed.

At the moment I'll leave my deposit where it is and see how my feelings are in a few weeks, but they have to change if the purchase is going to go ahead.

 

Its all speculation, OB's don't know as yet when stock is arriving, my guess is that the first shipments will go to the USA purely because of the NASA connection, so expect to see VIP's in the States proudly showing off their new watches before Christmas.

 

I think that first pieces will arrive firstly at Europe.

 

They could, a certain company beginning with 'f' may get the first one.

 

F..., fr...
I can't think

 

Random points?
Am I wrong or were the famous 14 seconds necessary to correct the trajectory of the module?
And am I wrong or the instruments were off, they could only use the clock?
And am I wrong or, since the instruments were off, they could only rely on sight to align the trajectory with the Earth (I'm not an expert but I remember something like that in the movie LOL).
So, here we have a watch; you push the start button and then, you stop it at 14 seconds; then you turn around the watch and see the back, finding the module aligned with the Earth.
If so, it doesn't seem very random to me.

(if I remember the movie wrong, I apologize) LOL

 

Thanks for this. I hear you, though for me it's more the pricing, which is well above what I'd usually spend on a piece for a non-special occasion and the departures from the Ideal Speedy I've built up over the years -- and there's so many fine watches available at that piece point, including the JLC Master Calender, etc. But I do want to actually see and handle one before deciding, if possible.

 

The pricing also made me gasp! My deposit is down and I'll wait to see the watch in the steel but suspect I will go ahead.

IMHO I believe this is the new price point for Omega if you look at recent releases such as the A8, A11, 007 Seamaster, cal. 321 and now the Snoopy 3...

 

You're right, there are so many great watches around at the price of the new Snoopy, I could wait buy the Snoopy and then flip it, I would then be looking at the next price band for a watch but I detest flippers so this is not a route that I want to take, I would rather pass on the watch and let someone else who wants the watch have that opportunity.

I am hoping that my OB will get a watch before Christmas and let me have a look at it before it goes to its new home, if this happens then I will know one way or another what i am going to do.

 

And this is my concern, for this large outlay I have to be 110% certain that I want the watch, I cannot afford to simply splash the money on something that doesn't make me smile and grin from ear to ear. I passed on the A8 as I cannot live with the dial, the overall look of the watch is fantastic but I find the dial hard to read so have passed on the watch. The 321 is another that isn't singing to me at the moment so another Omega that I may not chase.

 

Exactly, there are a couple more Omega's I would 'like' to own but I can't really justify the finances, at least for now...

I may end up more vintage in the future or grey/2nd hand if I really want something modern... as previously mentioned, my next may be a sub for a dive watch and at RRP is cheaper than most I've listed above, its jumping through the hoops which I detest.

 

Another hands-on review, this time from Monochrome:

https://monochrome-watches.com/omega-speedmaster-silver-snoopy-award-50th-anniversary-review-price/

 

hands on video