- Posts
- 447
- Likes
- 843
wouter van wijk
·Dear OF,
Yesterday I was fortunate to attend the Speedy Tuesday event in Frankfurt. It was really exciting.
The day before I arrived coming from Amsterdam to attend at the cocktail meeting. That was soo cool to meet fellow enthousiasts. Meeting each other on the internet is cool but to talk to each other in the metal is way better! Everybody flashing speedy and double wristing like crazy.
We had some nice drinks in this cocktail bar where we even drank a moonlanding cocktail that was invented in 69. Great speech by Michael Stockton and met several really cool people. It feels a bit like being a smurf and meeting other smurfs all geeking out about being smurfs!
Next day we had an event in the center of Frankfurt in a really nice venue at the Main river. Everything was arranged and taken care of into the finest detail. Main event was a speech and a meet and greet with Charlie Duke.
Charles Moss "Charlie" Duke Jr. (born October 3, 1935) is an American former astronaut, retired U.S. Air Force officer and test pilot. As Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 16 in 1972, he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon.
Charlie was properly introduced by Robert Jan. Robert Jan is really passionate about the Speedmaster and the whole legacy as we all know here. He explained us a bit about Fratello and how Speedy Tuesday turned into a community. Always very nice to hear this story in person than rather reading it.
Charlie went of telling about how he became fighter pilot turning into an astronaut and how the whole process went until lift off and the landing on the moon. It was amazing how vivid he could tell his whole story. It really grabbed you. As being Dutch we are quite no nonsense but I was completely caught by the stories of this 84 year old legend. Really impressive. It are stories from a bygone era, the space race. Told by one of the last remaining astronauts. It was funny, but completely understandable to see grown up men acting like little kids in the vicinity of Gran Duke ( the nick name of his grand children). He pulled of an impressive meet and greet, signing several Omega goodies, books and even the case of one of Mr Fratello RJ Boer his Snoopy watches!
After this speech from out of space we had lunch. Good to have a time out to reflectand discuss. It was a really tasteful and classy lunch. Chapeau for that! It was soo nice to have a really cool conversation with guys from Omega, the Fratello team and several attendees. It made it a really memorable lunch one I will remember for a long time.
During the after noon session no other than Jean-Claude Monachon who serves as Head of Product Development and Vice President at OMEGA SA did a presentation about the history of the Speedmaster models. This was to warm the crowd up for the 50 year anniversary model line up and the display of the 321 caliber. It is really nice when you get like all of the insights from the product king pin of Omega. It’s really cool that he takes the time and effort to talk to the potential clients and explains all the challenges and details of the new products. I think Omega collectors are really into this details and they love this particular info about the design process and the production challenges. He was very frank and open about some of the design decisions of the Apollo XI and phasing out of calibers. I was quite surprised about the openness and warmth of the Omega people. That was really impressive and they made everybody feel more than welcome.
The watches. I think they hit a home run with the golden Apollo XI. It’s crazy good. It oozes quality and I forking love it. With the solid links it’s heavy and that adds an extra dimension on it since you not only visually experience it but you also feel the watch due to its weight on your wrist. The ceramic (!!) crater box is the first box I actually like to own since it’s small and durable. IMHO complete next level.
The steel Apollo XI. In all honesty I was a bit reserved about it. Too much happening etc. But it changes and starts to grow on you when you wear it. Pictures don’t do justice since the different levels are impossible to capture in a flat frontal picture. The dial and case and bezel have different kind of fields of color that really work out darn good if you twist it into the light. The matte and glossy black parts combined with the different metal layers: brushed and polished steel and polished and matte moonshine gold are really refined and gentle. Its not so into your face as aneighties Datejust, it’s more complex and subtle.
Then the last thing was the 321 caliber. They won’t limit it but there will be only capacity to build 1000 or 2000 pieces per year. So this will be a nice way to keep it really special. Jean Claude Monachon explained that they went to Breguet who have the rights of Lemania or are able to produce the Lemania caliber ( correct me if I am wrong) to ask if they could 10.000 pieces of the 321 caliber but they completely freaked out by that questions since they only produce 20.000 pieces themselves (please correct me if I am wrong here).
It’s cool to see the movement. Especially when you compare it with the new co axial movementalong side each other. One step forward and one step back but still the same family sharing the same core. Jean Claude Monachon also told two interesting things. He considers the parts will be exchangeble with the older movements. And second the power reserve will be 63 hours instead of 55 hours (please correct me if I am wrong o did not take notes).
After his speech the crowd dove on the watches as we all could try them on. The Speedy Tuesday event ended with saying goodby to each other after a memorable day and we all a really cool goodie bay with a great wooden souvenir with a super dope moon dial and case attached on it.
Thank you Omega and Fratello for having me it was such a pleasure. And all of the attendees that I have spoken with, it was really nice meeting you!
Best, Wouter van Wijk
Please kindly correct me if I am wrong or if you mind sharing some of the pictures, so that I can change it
Yesterday I was fortunate to attend the Speedy Tuesday event in Frankfurt. It was really exciting.
The day before I arrived coming from Amsterdam to attend at the cocktail meeting. That was soo cool to meet fellow enthousiasts. Meeting each other on the internet is cool but to talk to each other in the metal is way better! Everybody flashing speedy and double wristing like crazy.
We had some nice drinks in this cocktail bar where we even drank a moonlanding cocktail that was invented in 69. Great speech by Michael Stockton and met several really cool people. It feels a bit like being a smurf and meeting other smurfs all geeking out about being smurfs!
Next day we had an event in the center of Frankfurt in a really nice venue at the Main river. Everything was arranged and taken care of into the finest detail. Main event was a speech and a meet and greet with Charlie Duke.
Charles Moss "Charlie" Duke Jr. (born October 3, 1935) is an American former astronaut, retired U.S. Air Force officer and test pilot. As Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 16 in 1972, he became the tenth and youngest person to walk on the Moon.
Charlie was properly introduced by Robert Jan. Robert Jan is really passionate about the Speedmaster and the whole legacy as we all know here. He explained us a bit about Fratello and how Speedy Tuesday turned into a community. Always very nice to hear this story in person than rather reading it.
Charlie went of telling about how he became fighter pilot turning into an astronaut and how the whole process went until lift off and the landing on the moon. It was amazing how vivid he could tell his whole story. It really grabbed you. As being Dutch we are quite no nonsense but I was completely caught by the stories of this 84 year old legend. Really impressive. It are stories from a bygone era, the space race. Told by one of the last remaining astronauts. It was funny, but completely understandable to see grown up men acting like little kids in the vicinity of Gran Duke ( the nick name of his grand children). He pulled of an impressive meet and greet, signing several Omega goodies, books and even the case of one of Mr Fratello RJ Boer his Snoopy watches!
After this speech from out of space we had lunch. Good to have a time out to reflectand discuss. It was a really tasteful and classy lunch. Chapeau for that! It was soo nice to have a really cool conversation with guys from Omega, the Fratello team and several attendees. It made it a really memorable lunch one I will remember for a long time.
During the after noon session no other than Jean-Claude Monachon who serves as Head of Product Development and Vice President at OMEGA SA did a presentation about the history of the Speedmaster models. This was to warm the crowd up for the 50 year anniversary model line up and the display of the 321 caliber. It is really nice when you get like all of the insights from the product king pin of Omega. It’s really cool that he takes the time and effort to talk to the potential clients and explains all the challenges and details of the new products. I think Omega collectors are really into this details and they love this particular info about the design process and the production challenges. He was very frank and open about some of the design decisions of the Apollo XI and phasing out of calibers. I was quite surprised about the openness and warmth of the Omega people. That was really impressive and they made everybody feel more than welcome.
The watches. I think they hit a home run with the golden Apollo XI. It’s crazy good. It oozes quality and I forking love it. With the solid links it’s heavy and that adds an extra dimension on it since you not only visually experience it but you also feel the watch due to its weight on your wrist. The ceramic (!!) crater box is the first box I actually like to own since it’s small and durable. IMHO complete next level.
The steel Apollo XI. In all honesty I was a bit reserved about it. Too much happening etc. But it changes and starts to grow on you when you wear it. Pictures don’t do justice since the different levels are impossible to capture in a flat frontal picture. The dial and case and bezel have different kind of fields of color that really work out darn good if you twist it into the light. The matte and glossy black parts combined with the different metal layers: brushed and polished steel and polished and matte moonshine gold are really refined and gentle. Its not so into your face as aneighties Datejust, it’s more complex and subtle.
Then the last thing was the 321 caliber. They won’t limit it but there will be only capacity to build 1000 or 2000 pieces per year. So this will be a nice way to keep it really special. Jean Claude Monachon explained that they went to Breguet who have the rights of Lemania or are able to produce the Lemania caliber ( correct me if I am wrong) to ask if they could 10.000 pieces of the 321 caliber but they completely freaked out by that questions since they only produce 20.000 pieces themselves (please correct me if I am wrong here).
It’s cool to see the movement. Especially when you compare it with the new co axial movementalong side each other. One step forward and one step back but still the same family sharing the same core. Jean Claude Monachon also told two interesting things. He considers the parts will be exchangeble with the older movements. And second the power reserve will be 63 hours instead of 55 hours (please correct me if I am wrong o did not take notes).
After his speech the crowd dove on the watches as we all could try them on. The Speedy Tuesday event ended with saying goodby to each other after a memorable day and we all a really cool goodie bay with a great wooden souvenir with a super dope moon dial and case attached on it.
Thank you Omega and Fratello for having me it was such a pleasure. And all of the attendees that I have spoken with, it was really nice meeting you!
Best, Wouter van Wijk
Please kindly correct me if I am wrong or if you mind sharing some of the pictures, so that I can change it
I think a few must have also raided the goodies bag to use the Magazine. As I had left straight from work in Hamburg on Monday evening the only thing I could think of that I had with me that Charlie could sign was my special ID pass fabric neck band....which he managed to sign. What I found most valuable though was the chance to chat with both Charlie and his wife about their experiences and daily life during the Apollo program period; she was rather scathing about the accuracy (or lack of) in the film The First Man. 
