There seems to be a great deal of excitement regarding this new, hard to source, Limited Edition Silver Snoopy Apollo 13. Frankly, I don't get it.

I guess I'm a traditionalist when it comes to Professional Speedmasters. I like, but do not own, the first Apollo13 Snoopy from 2003. I do own a few other LE Speedies however.

This new reference puzzles me as it appears to pay homage, mainly, to a movie.

The two inscriptions on the dial:
"Failure is not an option". Gene Krantz never said it. The term was coined by the movie screenwriters.
"What can you do in 14 seconds?" This term was coined by Omega.

What's not on the dial? Any reference to Apollo 13 or the 3 brave astronauts.

Seems to me if there had never been an Apollo 13 movie, this watch wouldn't exist.

 

I also love the traditional Speedmaster Moonwatch. As a new owner I still admire its simplicity and clarity of design, pretty much unchanged since 1963. The embellishments on the Silver Snoopy dial certainly leap out when viewed on a computer screen, the image blown up to the size of my head. However at wrist distance my middle-aged eyes can barely make out "Omega Speedmaster Professional" clearly, let alone the tiny script and thought bubble or the little sleeping Snoopy.
I'll need a loupe to notice any of that stuff, or else have somebody hold the watch beyond arm's length.
As for homage to a movie, 007 Seamaster, anyone?

 

I agree. I don't think it's attractive and imo, looks almost like a toy. We're clearly in the minority though.

There's no shortage of models that almost everyone appears to like and lust after. One that splits opinion is no bad thing (especially if it means I don't have another hard to find watch to add to the list!).

 

I'm not a fan either

 

Precisely my sentiment....

 

I still have some pent up issues with those candy stripe NATOs to get started on snoopy on a watch.

 

After recently purchasing a new SM300 the one thing that I discovered was that, you really don't know if you will like a watch until you have tried it on. I was convinced that I would by the SM300 spectre edition but when I tried it, it just didn't work for me so I bought the standard one which I love.

 

I have not tried it on yet, but based on what I have seen off the internet so far, the only thing I like about the watch is the caseback!

 

Caseback with a cartoon dog...hmmm...not for me.

 

I could live with the caseback. The quotes and the snoopy on the dial, no mater how small kill it for me.

 

I'm not huge on the Silver Snoopy either, but it is a new colorway for the Speedmaster Professional. Were it not for the cartoon and the 14 seconds stuff on the dial, I think I could get into it. But generally I'm not a fan of white or silver dials as much as I am black - I tend to prefer a style that flies under the radar, especially with expensive watches, and this is just too visible on the wrist.

As to Omega making a watch to commemorate a movie - "Apollo 13" was one of the finest movies of the 1990s, and still holds up fantastically today. As has been pointed out earlier in the thread, better that than another mediocre action movie that just happens to use a character named Bond (as opposed to a true Bond movie, the likes of which they just don't make anymore)!

 

It's not my cup of tea but I'm genuinely excited for those who've been eagerly waiting to acquire one. And when they finally put it on their wrist they'll get a big Congratulations!!! from me

 

I know this is cynical but I wonder how much of the excitement is people hoping the price will go up so they can turn a quick buck. Reminds me of when the Wii came out

 

Love white dial and black ceramic bezel.

Even like Snoopy taking an afternoon siesta.

The "failure is not an option" (which the guy never even said in real life) and the "what could you do in 14 seconds" are complete overkill IMO and clutter the dial.

I'm very happy to see so many people excited about it but Omega could have used a lesson in restraint here.

 

I think its a handsome watch, but very gimmicky and goofy.

 

It's not a crime not to like it, in the same way it's not a crime to love it, as I do.

 

Even more cynically, the growing voices against it may be hoping the price may go down so they can pick up a cheap one from a remorseful buyer? If this was a stock-tipping forum we'd have the regulators all over us

 

I completely agree with your sentiments in regards to not liking the inscriptions and how they reference non-factual quotes when the watch should be celebrating the heroism of the men and the mission of Apollo 13. If any extraneous text was included on the dial I would have preferred it to be in homage to any of the astronauts or mission heads that helped avoid a tragedy. However, I really don't think it's fair to judge the total package based solely on the text and I'll explain why.

-As mentioned above the text really isn't noticeable when the piece is worn on the wrist. Viewing on a computer screen when the dial is blown up to 10x the actual size is not a fair assessment.
-A big reason why people are going gaga over this piece is that factory original white dial Speedmaster Pros are very rare. And barring the text, the dial, hands and markers on this piece are stunning no matter what the viewing distance or size. Tons of lume (long a Speedmaster weak point) large raised markers, incredible legibility for a white dial due to the contrasting elements.
-The caseback - looks great in pictures but is immaculate in person. Assuages the "solid caseback" purists while implementing a truly new aesthetic
-The ceramic bezel with lumed text is a first for a Speedy Pro, although it's not the first for a Speedy (GSOTM, SOTM other releases).
-The cordura strap with the white stitching really suits the rest of the piece. A lot of people have been yearning for an Omega cordura strap in 20mm size to use with their excellent deploy clasp, when before the only ones available were either 19mm or 21mm, and neither with contrast stitching.

While your complaints about the text are very well-grounded I think the majority of the fawning is due to the other design elements which in person are much more noticeable and up front than the irksome writing.

 

No possibility I'd EVER be interested in this watch. What I am interested in knowing is if the bezel can be purchased separately and fitted to my 3570.50.