Lots of 125 discussion here lately. I like it!
👍👍
Some quick thoughts:
Bracelet
One thing I admire about this watch is that everything about it was intentionally done by Omega to make it look and feel special. The movement, size, weight, high level of detail and finishing, and futuristic design all speak to this. The integrated bracelet was still a relatively new concept back then, and the bracelet is one of the things that sets it apart from the other items in the product family at the time. The 125 was part of the 176.xxx family, and the Speedmaster family, and when you hold one of the bracelets those watches came on in one hand and the 125 bracelet in the other, the 125 feels like a modern bracelet and the other bracelets feel kinda cheap. I have like 10 1162 bracelets with folded, rattley parts, and the 125 is heavier, with solid links and construction, and just feels up to modern finishing.
Why no more love
This is the answer. Ugly is a subjective term and I disagree 100%, but this watch (and a lot of large, daring designs from Omega in the 60s and 70s) has as many or more detractors as fans. I happen to love the fact that you can look at certain watches and knowing almost nothing about it say "I'm 100% certain that watch is from the 19__s". The 1040 family as a whole had such a short shelf life that you can pin it down to about 5 years just from looking at the back of dial (no other dial had the 1040/1041 layout, not even the Lemania 1340/1341). But others see them and think these designs are best left in the past and there were good reasons the design was abandoned. Maybe people will one day have a fuller appreciation of the 125, but I don't think it will ever have the broad appeal (and demand) of watches with less daring designs.
Size
This watch is actually smaller than most of its contemporaries in the 1040 family in almost every measure. It's heavier on the bracelet than the other 1040s but balanced (less top-heavy) because the bracelet accounts for a lot of the weight. It is still less heavy, shorter, and less diameter than a modern steel Planet Ocean. However, I agree its design makes it look and feel bigger, and there's no way to photograph it in a way that doesn't make it look huge.
