The perception of this watch as the Tiffany Trump in the Speedmaster line has always puzzled me. I have some ideas, and I would enjoy hearing your perspectives.

First, there is no need to recant the well-known movement accolades of this watch. First chronograph chronometer for Omega, and on and on. Easily found info, and always impressive. So that can't possibly be the reason for the lack of interest.

How about the price? As 125 guru @Andy K has pointed out, a great example can be had for about $3500. As much as that's kind of the price of a garden-variety, entry-level Speedmaster, that doesn't explain the relative shunning either.

So we are left with how it looks...and how it feels wearing it.

Aesthetically, this watch seems to divide a room. I personally like the 1970's design, that has a nod towards the futuristic. But crisp examples, which seem to be hard to come by, have their own beauty in the angles, bevels, and finishing:



So maybe it's in the wearing. Years ago, when I got interested in this model, I read what everyone else consulted at the time: the writing of the great Chuck Maddox. This is what he said, and keep in mind, he was not a small man:

"Describing how it feels to have the 125 on your wrist is fairly easy. It's like attaching an ingot of heavy steel on your wrist. This is not a watch for the weak of heart or limb. Having said that, it's not an uncomfortable watch to wear, but rather it is not likely you will mistake it's feel for any other watch you own. You get used to the weight but you always know that it is there. Did I mention it was HUGE."

Well, that was a no-go for me. Having a smaller end of the spectrum wrist diameter, I figured this could never be a good match. However, I came across a friendly-priced one about 20 years ago, and figured, well, at least I'll have this landmark watch in my collection, even it it's never worn.

To my surprise, it was incredibly comfortable, despite its weight. One nuance to explain this is a feature that many bracelet-wearing watch users experience: it's hard to dial-in the fit perfectly, because to keep the watch centered on the wrist, it sometimes has to be a bit on the snug side. This watch, likely as a result of its design, tends to nestle right in the wrist center with minimal shifting about with activity, even if it not so tight that you're loosing nerve supply to your hand.

So, for all the aforementioned reasons, I am a fan, a big one. But if you happen not to be, share why you feel that way.

 

A good 125 is on my hit list. To date I’ve had: a vintage 861 moonwatch (nothing rare), a cal 1045 mark 4.5, a mark II, an X33 2nd gen, and a Speedsonic. All of them owned for about a year and then sold them on, none of them really sung to me the same way old Seamasters and Constellations do, and each time I couldn’t help thinking that I paid for a chronograph that I’ll never use with money that would be at least 2 nice Constellations.

I tried on a 125 once though and it really does take that to suddenly like it. The ultimate acquired taste Speedy I guess. I like slab sided 70’s watches anyway but between the applied dial details and the chronometer movement, it sort of was halfway between a Constellation and a Speedmaster in that sense. I do see the prices on those a bit all over the place - same with Flightmasters and Ploprof 600’s though, I guess a lot of collecting focus has since shifted on to SM300’s and the incomprehensible rabbit hole of Moonwatches out there, so I suppose the time is right if I want one of those.

Only other Speedmaster that’s really sung to me was the aventurine dial moonphase model from a few years ago - entirely for different reasons, but I guess everyone has that random one or two “limited” edition Speedy that they like.

 

Well put, thanks.

 

I really would like one of the 125 Speedmaster’s
But the prices are so varied I’m struggling to where the price point is. I know with all watches it’s about condition and personal appeal but they market seems all over the place on these

 

As mentioned above, @Andy K, who specializes in these, figures about $3500 for a nice example. I would agree. Much over that is just unrealistic.

 

For me it is too chunky. Like the Mark 3 and 4.5 also is..

 

$3500 is a •nice• example. I’ve seen some that were original but with some mild honest wear going for less than $2500 at auctions, and then there’s set price/ Buy It Now ones that are asking like $6000. I’d be a little hesitant to buy one with a messed up crystal as I’ve heard those are a big specialized thing to replace, and if it needs a new bracelet then forget it for sure. I’ve also read that the whole idea that they only made 2000 isn’t true, which is believable to me given how often they’re out there for sale, but I’ve never really looked at any serial number ranges etc to investigate that anyway

 

It is true that watchmakers do not seem to be chomping at the bit to work on these. Regarding the bracelet, there is a less beefy but genuine replacement available, which some like because it reduces the overall heft of the piece, but the purists scoff at.

 

More pics, if you haven't been convinced that there is at least something to admire in this reference:

 

I bought my 125 as soon as I read Chuck Maddox article several years ago, I loved it at first sight and I don't know what are you talking about

 

I love them, but unless I get to meet an owner at some point to try one on my wrist I will continue to think it would be just taking things too far for my dainty wrist. I love seventies designs and have a few chunkers, this always looks like the real big daddy though.

This thread needs some wrist shots.

 

It's odd: for a watch that has a reputation for a lack of wearing comfort, there seems to be many examples out there with quite a bit of wear. Then there's the issue that you can always find one for sale, at any given time. One theory is that there were many more produced than the alleged limited edition of 2000; this seems to be true. But on top of that, maybe they don't stay in a collector's trove for very long? Another gratuitous shot of an NOS example:

 

Mandatory wrist shot (wrist size is 18cm or 7.1in):

 

@M'Bob I feel the same about the Speedy 125.

While handling one and comparing to other Omegas in my collection (e.g. Mark 4.5, Mark 40, Moonwatch), it feels that everything on this watch was dialed to 11.

The case is a massive slab of stainless steel. The bracelet links are thick and solid. The dial face is ginormous.

For its history (i.e. first limited edition watch made by Omega, with the exception of the Gold Moonwatches gifted to the astronauts, first automatic chronograph chronometer, etc) it certainly deserves more love from aficionados and Omega.

As I commented on my post (https://omegaforums.net/threads/the-best-way-to-heal-a-broken-heart.90439/), there is no photo in Omega's official website (https://www.omegawatches.com/watch-omega-speedmaster-125-st-378-0801), I would consider that as a good example of how it became the 'red haired' child in the Omega family.

I must confess that Chuck Maddox's review initially scared me away due to the description of its massive size. Eventually the curiosity got the better of me and I decided to pull the trigger.

Oddly enough, the speedy 125 wears pretty nicely, I think is a combination of case shape + thickness of the bracelet.

From a popularity perspective, I would position it as: Speedy 125 < Mark III < Seamaster chrono < Mark 4 < Mark II < Moonwatch.

Possible reasons to be less popular:
a) It is not the moonwatch. Sadly, but everything else Omega makes has to live under the shadow of the Moonwatch.
b) It is huge and heavy, definitely heavier than any other Omega chrono from the same period.
c) Design is really 70's (either a good or a bad thing, depending on who you ask).
d) Integrated bracelet and case design means no straps or third-party bracelets.

All that considered, I see this as something positive: odds are that the prices would be *way* higher for a 46 years old Omega *chronometer* chronograph if it was more popular.

 

I always dabbled with the idea of buying one but haven’t had the opportunity to try one on first. I’m curious how the 125 compares in comfort to its Big Blue cousin which I wear frequently.

 

One thing I particularly love about the omega calibers 1040/1041 and 1045 (lemania 5100) is the chrono central minutes hand.

Thanks to this design, it is way easier to read in a quick glimpse the chronograph minutes than in a regular tri-compax layout (i.e. small register with minutes).

Another really cool feature is that the minutes hands is continuous i.e. it won't just abruptly advance to the next minute when the chrono seconds hands completes 1 minute.

 

Well done, excellent assessment, and great point about not having any true accessory bracelet choices. And yes, totally agree that prices have to go up. It's interesting because there is always a discussion about what could be the next Omega diamond in the rough. I vote this...despite the aforementioned hurdles.

 

Another example of how Omega dialed the Speedy 125 to level 11: it doesn't use springbars, but instead, threaded bolts to mount the bracelet to the case.

Neat design, way easier to install/remove the bracelet and seems pretty robust when compared to traditional springbars.

 

@M'Bob I totally agree that the Speedy 125 seems to have huge potential of appreciating with time.

Another advantage of being less popular is that the odds of buying a 'fraken' watch are way smaller than other models (e.g. Seamaster chrono, moonwatch, etc).

 

Yes, I like that feature. Takes more work to muck up the case.