Hello everyone, I'm writing to ask you experts about an omega speedmaster that I would like to buy. The watch is a day date (or triple date) with a brown dial. I have two questions:
1) I've never seen this model (stainless steel case) with a brown dial...it was really produced perhaps in less quantity than the blue or cream dial? Could someone tell me the correct reference number?
2) The numbers on the bezel are not in black color > could it be due to time?

Thanks a lot!

 

I can’t help (sorry) but I am curious to hear from the group.
The sub-dials and hands seem off?

 

To me it looks like a fake...crown, 24h markers, hands...and of course the brown dial

 

That is a Mark 40, with a non-chronometer movement:
https://watchbase.com/omega/caliber/1151

Unless I'm mistaken, looks like the hands of the blue soleil model with a weird brown dial.

I wouldn't buy it.

 

Check this:
https://watchbase.com/omega/speedmaster-automatic-quartz/3520-50-00

And this:
https://watchbase.com/omega/speedmaster-automatic-quartz/3523-80-00

 

Looks like a ref 3521.80.00. Blue dials are known to age like the one posted by OP.

 

Dial looks faded IMO. I have never seen a brown one. Here are a few pictures of my black dial Triple Date:








Does the seller have any photos of the movement?

 

Looks like a dark grey dial massively aged.

 

Thanks everyone for the answers! I'll try to get pics of the movement and show you. So far, the only other day date with a brown dial I saw is this one:
https://www.chrono24.it/omega/speed...aph-herrenuhr-vintage-tropical--id9742835.htm

Thank you for the pics, looks like the same dial of the watch I'd like to buy but in black. Can you please tell me which reference is this watch? The only day date with a black dial I saw were the 3520.50, 3220.50 and the 3523.50 (not talking about those with white numbers or racing flag, for example) but they all had different layout of the subdials, indices and day and month white on black background.

 

What is the serial number?

 

Hi Archer, the serial number is 54311498. I can just tell it's from 1994...is it possible to know any other information from it?

 

Yes, I can look it up and tell you what the model is, so I've done that:

Serial number: 54311498
Article ref: 35218000

So this watch began as a blue dial that has faded to brown as Norm (X350 XJR) has correctly pointed out above.

So now you know this isn't a brown dialed model that you can't find, just a blue dial that has faded very badly.

Cheers, Al

 

For reference, here is how my 1999 Triple date blue dial looks like:

 

Thank you Archer, that's exactly what I wanted to know! And thank you all guys for the useful info & pics

The seller lives in my area so I'll ask to see the watch in person. It comes without box & papers but with 1 year warranty. Do you have any suggestion about what to look in this specific model? I own another Omega but never had a day date.

 

Odds are that if the dial is so beaten up, the movement won't be in a much better state...

Due to the pushers, chronographs are prone to suffer water damage given bad maintenance/no proper servicing.

 

If this was a Speedmaster professional from 1967 the comments would change from crap dial to uber cool tropical dial.

 

Indeed.

That being said, there is almost 30 years separating the 1967's speedy vs the Mark 40 (1994).

There are better exemplars in the market for Mark 40s.

 

Wouldn't a better analogy be if it was a blue sunburst Speedmaster (like this) that had turned brown? That would have lost nearly all it's value compared to the pristine one...

 

What causes this color change? I cannot seem to find anything regarding what may cause it. Too much sun exposure or moisture maybe?

I just found this listing on ebay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/OMEGA-Spee...1-80-Blue-Dial-/223420529853?oid=282723937905Purchases made through these links may earn this site a commission from the eBay Partner Network) and it is listed as a blue dial and it most definitely does not look blue, at all.

I like the way mine looks, it is why I bought it and wear it. Based on how much the white and blue dials are going for, I believe I paid what a "discolored" blue dial of this reference would cost. It is so strange that when I found the one I purchased on ebay I looked everywhere for another watch that resembled it or could help make sense of it and could not find anything. Now, in less than a weeks time there is this post and the listing I just found on ebay… Odd coincidence I guess.

 

Actually I like the brown color of the dial, given that it's original. My worries concerned exactly its originality and also the condition of the movement. Anyway, as soon as I get pictures of it, I'll show you guys.