Hello everybody!
The question is what if speedmaster was just a watch of omega without any space missions?
Do you believe that it would be still in production unchanged handwinding and with hesilate crystal??



Cheers

Mike

 

I've thought about that question myself. On just the watch's own merits, It seems unlikely that there would be much contemporary interest in a manual-wind watch with no date function, that has modest time-keeping ability (precision) and a plastic crystal.

 

What if I was 6' 4" tall instead of 5' 4" tall? What if I had a full head of hair instead of being bald? Would I have been in Ocean's 11 instead of Brad Pitt?

If "ifs" and "buts" were chocolate and nuts, we'd all own candy factories.

 

Wait, you're 5"4 and bald?

 

And what if Paul Newman had received a speedmaster instead of a Daytona as a gift?

 

I think Newman was pre-disposed to appreciate a Daytona more than a Speedmaster, as just the name "Daytona" carries a lot of meaning in the racing world. I actually watched Newman race in 1965, at a small airport near Santa Barbara. He crashed his car, but crawled out uninjured.

 

I'm actually not completely sure if it was a Daytona before he had it...? I actually don't know.

 

We already have that world - DOSTM, GSOTM, Speedy Racing, watches keeping the look, but none of the old charming aspects of the Moonwatch.

 

The name 'Speedmaster' doesn't resonate with the racing world?

 

I'm sure it does. In fact the very first print advertisement for the Speedmaster in 1957 shows two dudes sitting in an open-top sports car, with the passenger holding a Speedmaster while (presumably) the driver takes the car through a measured distance.

Here's the ad, as re-printed in the book "Omega - A Journey Through Time"

 

I mean, that's what it was made for

 

What do you like most ocean's 11 or Angelina?

 

Those early Speedmaster ads are great. If nothing else, it shows how the watch veered so sharply from its intended course and by a simple twist of fate, became accidentally famous.

 

Well not so accidental twist....they tested the shit out of it and other brands and it came on top.

 

True.

Accidental from Omegas perspective though. They designed a racing chronograph (albeit a brilliant, charming, sturdy one), and it became famous for a different use entirely.

It's easy to see how without the space heritage, the 'mk 1' would've been discontinued with the advent of the 70's and the mk2.

 

The Caliber 1861 can be fully adjusted, and frequently is. Just because its spec is pretty wide doesn't mean it sucks. They just don't spend as much time adjusting it as they could.

Tom

 

I think the Speedmaster is the greatest watch in the world since it's the only mechanical watch that has past NASA tests multiple times, whereas no other has. This is why the watch still sells, and while it still sells, there's no reason to stop selling it.

It doesn't matter much to Rolex though since they outsell Omega both in price and volume, both vintage and new.

 

I would have stuck with Jen. She's a cutie!

 

Maybe then I could pick up a nice pre-moon.... Errr ... An early 1960's example for a cool grand or something