hi everyone It's been a while .... saw all the excitement over the Speedy Tuesday watch, sorry I missed getting one.... Going back to the First Alaska project release.... I called "Jim " my friend who had a Omega dealership at the time to pre order one, sight unseen ... I was also talking with Chuck Maddox about about it as well and he also asked Jim to get him one as well... I then went to a industry watch show in NYC " Basel Fair NYC " ! As I walked the show floor I came across the Omega booth and they had a full Alaska kit on Hand . I was able to "play" with all the goodies they even had a black rubbler Alaska project strap ( which was never realsed with the kit only the white one was from what I remember ). I was excited to strap the watch on and as I was staring at it on my wrist ... I was underwhelmed , some looked really off about the watch. I could not put my finger on it at first. It just seemed unfinished.... After. I left the show , I called Chuck and we chatted about it , I later sent wrist shots to him. I bet if you google it you might find my posts on tz or purist ..... I later did figure it out , and shared with I found with Chuck , I canceled my preorder , and I think chuck did as well . Let me share with you what I shared with Chuck... Here is a photo of the Alaska See above how the dial seems to me unfinished... in comparison to the standard Speedy below .. FYI I just grabbed images while eating lunch with @gatorcpa a few weeks ago to make the point. Now take a look at this limited edition dial from a Speedy from I think was the Italian market.... See how the dial appears finished and not unbalanced.... The major difference between the Alaska and this watch is the black hairline frame around the hour marke lum. Made a world of difference for me... Just wanted to share... Ps the snoopy dial was done correctly ! Good Hunting Bill Sohne
See your point, but to me, the lack of outline on the lume makes the Alaska dial seem more understated, and less busy.
Yea Rolex did the same thing with the first generation of the Explorer II when it had the 18K WG surround on the lume plots, it wasn't really legible but then they modified it to give black bold surrounds in order to enhance the contrast. The Snoopy II and the Italian LE are both much better from that standpoint in being legible. What's even more interesting though is that the original Alaska Project which the LE was based on, DID in fact have the black borders around the lume plots which you'd expect given it was designed with high visibility in mind as a tool watch: (image courtesy of Fratellowatches)
100% with you. The Alaska is neat when you first see it with the huge red cover. After awhile it starts to sit oddly and the other white dials are just better executed.
Original Alaska is awesome. If only I knew about watches and bought the one from Antiquorum 2007 sale... also the White Apollo 13. Sigh
The original Alaska looks great with the lume surrounds, all 3 subdial hands the same and the radials. Very balanced, and quite attractive. The new Alaska LE omits all that and just looks strange IMO
I miss our old friend Jim, great to talk to, lovely stories from the past and Norman Morris days. I hope he is still well and enjoying retirement , relaxing on his boat
White Speedmasters are cool, even my old reduced The young man from Queens who stopped by Brooklyn an hour or so ago to take it off my hands agreed too . . .
Thanks for the kind thoughts John, lucky for me it was a fellow OF member (and moderator) I encountered today. Brooklyn is much safer these days, though I tell my wife and kids that I used to be a runner, mostly late at night while somebody was chasing me . . . with a knife ! "I am defeated all the time; yet to victory born" RWE
I think the Alaska Project LE is beautiful and appears finished. To each his or her (in this case) own. Differences of opinion and in taste make life more interesting, I suppose.
hmmm...I don't know. It doesn't appear unfinished to me. I actually prefer it over the LE version, I don't like the lines at all.
Newton's law: equal and opposite forces. The only criticism I could level at my white dial LE Apollo 11 35th panda is that the silver hands lack legibility. Sometimes I look at the Alaska and think, alas, legibility!
I think legibility is less altered by tone-one-tone hands vs hour markers… maybe it is only psychological though