outta_gas
·Hi All,
New member here. I recently purchased a vintage Speedmaster with a 1450 bracelet that was too small. At the time, I did a lot a of research on the watch head, but very little (about none) on the bracelet. I really wanted the numbered 3592.50 Hesalite sandwich, so all my searching focused on finding that and the bracelet turned out to be a bonus. I realized quickly that I wasn’t going to be able to easily find extra links to size it to my nearly 8” wrist, so I decided to use Uncle Seiko links (post here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/an-experiment-aftermarket-links-on-a-1450-bracelet.147048/). To be honest, this works really well, but I wanted to find vintage 1450 links and that lead to a deep dive into the 1450 details and variants described below. For truth in advertising, I realize that there are likely people on here that know more about this than I do, and I hope they provide/correct any info below, as needed.
If you are going to buy a 1450 bracelet, you can expect to pay probably between $2000-$3000 USD at the time of writing. This is more than many gently used Speedmaster reduced models sell for, so I hope that a dive into the minutia here might be helpful to someone who is after the Holy Grail bracelet or bracelet parts.
If you take a look at my post (https://omegaforums.net/threads/an-experiment-aftermarket-links-on-a-1450-bracelet.147048/) you will notice that the arrows on the US links and the Omega links point in opposite directions. When you look at 1450 items up for sale (links or bracelets) you will find Omega links with arrows pointing both directions also, so I want to “define” some terms. The following two pictures show 1450s with arrows pointed in different directions on the links.
Keeping the clasp so it can be read (not upside down), I will define these links as clockwise (CW):
And these as counterclockwise (CCW):
It is important to note that the links can’t simply be turned over or the clasp turned around to make the CW links point in the same direction as the CCW links and this is because the links are non-superimposable mirror images of each other like your left and right hands. This results from the removable pin always being on the clasp side of the link and the fixed pin on the watch head side. Take a look at the pins in this side-on view:
It is conceivable that these could be reversed, and this would mean you could assemble the link either way, but the fixed pin seems like it is intended to be just that, fixed.
These things said, I needed CCW links, but the Uncle Seiko links are CW:
Unfortunately, I don’t have the Moonwatch Only book, but found this image that clearly shows the 1450 as a CCW 1450.
But this doesn’t seem to be a definitive end. Examination of images of 1450 bracelets and links reveals that there seems to be almost an equal number of CW and CCW 1450s out there:
And finally, in a Watchuseek post from 15 yrs ago discussing the use of extra Omega links (which apparently are produced wider than the clasp so that they can be fit to the bracelet), there is correspondence from Omega stating:
“Well, I exchanged a few emails with Omega, sent photos, and finally received the following response:
It seems that several versions of this bracelet have been produced and that only one type of link has been produced.
Therefore depending on the type of bracelet you have the links must be adapted. Please feel free to contact our representatives in the USA for further assistance:
The Swatch Group (US) Inc.”
So apparently Omega produced more than one type of 1450, and perhaps this accounts for both the CW 1450s and CCW1450s that one might encounter. However, I can only surmise that they mean that only one type of extra link, likely 114ST1450.
Interestingly, few have both CW and CCW links, although this variation can be seen:
Presumably from someone sizing the bracelet with whichever links they could find, much in the same way that I did with the US links.
Here is another image. I suspect that the CW arrow is the extra link, the 114ST1450, and the others are original to the bracelet. Not that the arrow shapes are also different. The CW arrow is much thinner than what I believe to be the original Omega arrows found in most of the pictures in the post. The US links (pictured above) are easily distinguished with the thickest of the arrows seen.
Other Link Pictures:
I guess my questions are:
Am I missing any important facts/information here?
Can someone confirm that the thin arrow links are the 114ST1450?
Aesthetically, should one stick to exclusively CW or CCW links? Does this matter to the community? For some reason, it seems to matter to me…even though only the wearer will see this detail.
After looking at all these things, I would conclude (guess) that both CW 1450s and CCW 1450s have been produced and are equally authentic, but I could be wrong on this. Happy to hear people’s opinions or to see additional data posted.
Sources
Images:
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/brac...k-speedmaster-holy-grail--id24031733.htm#gref
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/brac...50-holy-grail-moon-watch--id23751424.htm#gref
https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/a-r-...let-ssteel-20mm-ref-1450-808-super-rare-.html
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-1450-bracelet-with-808-end-links.85564/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-professional-1450-bracelet.68864/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234396212323
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/braceletstrap-speedmaster-1450-bracelet--id24903810.htm
With Moonwatch Book:
https://brusselsvintagewatches.com/en/produit/rare-bracelet-ref-1450-for-vintage-speedmaster/
-Links:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-1450-bracelet-links-nos-3.96974/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/144655762338
https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/a-r-...ay-date-profesionnal-holy-grail-3760822-.html
-Discussion on extra links being a little wider:
https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/a-little-note-to-1450-owners-and-fans-update-from-omega.60370/
-Not Shown, but here's a very nice bracelet comparison:
http://www.omega-addict.com/reviews/bracelets/index.html
New member here. I recently purchased a vintage Speedmaster with a 1450 bracelet that was too small. At the time, I did a lot a of research on the watch head, but very little (about none) on the bracelet. I really wanted the numbered 3592.50 Hesalite sandwich, so all my searching focused on finding that and the bracelet turned out to be a bonus. I realized quickly that I wasn’t going to be able to easily find extra links to size it to my nearly 8” wrist, so I decided to use Uncle Seiko links (post here: https://omegaforums.net/threads/an-experiment-aftermarket-links-on-a-1450-bracelet.147048/). To be honest, this works really well, but I wanted to find vintage 1450 links and that lead to a deep dive into the 1450 details and variants described below. For truth in advertising, I realize that there are likely people on here that know more about this than I do, and I hope they provide/correct any info below, as needed.
If you are going to buy a 1450 bracelet, you can expect to pay probably between $2000-$3000 USD at the time of writing. This is more than many gently used Speedmaster reduced models sell for, so I hope that a dive into the minutia here might be helpful to someone who is after the Holy Grail bracelet or bracelet parts.
If you take a look at my post (https://omegaforums.net/threads/an-experiment-aftermarket-links-on-a-1450-bracelet.147048/) you will notice that the arrows on the US links and the Omega links point in opposite directions. When you look at 1450 items up for sale (links or bracelets) you will find Omega links with arrows pointing both directions also, so I want to “define” some terms. The following two pictures show 1450s with arrows pointed in different directions on the links.
Keeping the clasp so it can be read (not upside down), I will define these links as clockwise (CW):
And these as counterclockwise (CCW):
It is important to note that the links can’t simply be turned over or the clasp turned around to make the CW links point in the same direction as the CCW links and this is because the links are non-superimposable mirror images of each other like your left and right hands. This results from the removable pin always being on the clasp side of the link and the fixed pin on the watch head side. Take a look at the pins in this side-on view:
It is conceivable that these could be reversed, and this would mean you could assemble the link either way, but the fixed pin seems like it is intended to be just that, fixed.
These things said, I needed CCW links, but the Uncle Seiko links are CW:
Unfortunately, I don’t have the Moonwatch Only book, but found this image that clearly shows the 1450 as a CCW 1450.
But this doesn’t seem to be a definitive end. Examination of images of 1450 bracelets and links reveals that there seems to be almost an equal number of CW and CCW 1450s out there:
And finally, in a Watchuseek post from 15 yrs ago discussing the use of extra Omega links (which apparently are produced wider than the clasp so that they can be fit to the bracelet), there is correspondence from Omega stating:
“Well, I exchanged a few emails with Omega, sent photos, and finally received the following response:
It seems that several versions of this bracelet have been produced and that only one type of link has been produced.
Therefore depending on the type of bracelet you have the links must be adapted. Please feel free to contact our representatives in the USA for further assistance:
The Swatch Group (US) Inc.”
So apparently Omega produced more than one type of 1450, and perhaps this accounts for both the CW 1450s and CCW1450s that one might encounter. However, I can only surmise that they mean that only one type of extra link, likely 114ST1450.
Interestingly, few have both CW and CCW links, although this variation can be seen:
Presumably from someone sizing the bracelet with whichever links they could find, much in the same way that I did with the US links.
Here is another image. I suspect that the CW arrow is the extra link, the 114ST1450, and the others are original to the bracelet. Not that the arrow shapes are also different. The CW arrow is much thinner than what I believe to be the original Omega arrows found in most of the pictures in the post. The US links (pictured above) are easily distinguished with the thickest of the arrows seen.
Other Link Pictures:
I guess my questions are:
Am I missing any important facts/information here?
Can someone confirm that the thin arrow links are the 114ST1450?
Aesthetically, should one stick to exclusively CW or CCW links? Does this matter to the community? For some reason, it seems to matter to me…even though only the wearer will see this detail.
After looking at all these things, I would conclude (guess) that both CW 1450s and CCW 1450s have been produced and are equally authentic, but I could be wrong on this. Happy to hear people’s opinions or to see additional data posted.
Sources
Images:
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/brac...k-speedmaster-holy-grail--id24031733.htm#gref
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/brac...50-holy-grail-moon-watch--id23751424.htm#gref
https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/a-r-...let-ssteel-20mm-ref-1450-808-super-rare-.html
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-1450-bracelet-with-808-end-links.85564/
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-professional-1450-bracelet.68864/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234396212323
https://www.chrono24.com/omega/braceletstrap-speedmaster-1450-bracelet--id24903810.htm
With Moonwatch Book:
https://brusselsvintagewatches.com/en/produit/rare-bracelet-ref-1450-for-vintage-speedmaster/
-Links:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-1450-bracelet-links-nos-3.96974/
https://www.ebay.com/itm/144655762338
https://www.chrono-shop.net/en/a-r-...ay-date-profesionnal-holy-grail-3760822-.html
-Discussion on extra links being a little wider:
https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/a-little-note-to-1450-owners-and-fans-update-from-omega.60370/
-Not Shown, but here's a very nice bracelet comparison:
http://www.omega-addict.com/reviews/bracelets/index.html
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