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What was the fate of the $3.3M Frankenstein CK2915-1?

rkny18
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Whatever became of the $3 million Speedmaster that Omega bought at auction, which turned out to be put together?

Obviously, it’s not the watch they thought it was, but it’s still a darn good looking watch with mostly original parts.

What happens to a watch like that? Was it destroyed? Archived? It seems a shame not to let someone enjoy the watch for what it is. Certainly collectors in the know will never pay anywhere near what Omega did. But would someone pay $20,000? $50,000?
 
Stini
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A little bit of discussion about the FrankenSpeedmaster came up in an authenticity discussion a little while back. "https://omegaforums.net/threads/question-how-authentic-is-authentic.180053/#post-2441223" and where it was left I commented about going to see if I could learn more of the back story.
Here is the article I used about it: "https://www.cnn.com/style/article/fake-omega-watch-record-auction-intl-scli/index.html"

It's been over 18 months since this article, so it is probably time to see what happened with the watch. My personal take is that it is locked away in the Omega collection vaults to somehow be a teaching piece.
 
watch_my_six
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Semantic question, but is it a "franken" if all of the parts are reference/period-correct?
 
Stini
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watch_my_six watch_my_six
Semantic question, but is it a "franken" if all of the parts are reference/period-correct?
From what I learned, yes. Check out the thread noted above. I got some good answers from the participants.
 
Stini
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From another article from Summer 2023 -- per your question, the article notes the franken status per Omega.

"A spokesman in the Bern prosecutor’s office confirmed receipt of the complaint, but declined to say whether a criminal investigation had been started in response. Omega has alleged former employees conspired with others to produce a so-called “Frankenstein” version of a vintage Speedmaster.

An amalgam of time-period correct and allegedly inauthentic components, the watch was sold by auction house Phillips in Geneva in 2021 for a record price of more than 3.1 million Swiss francs."

"https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/li...-complaint-over-us3-million-faked-speedmaster"
 
Tag0935
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Please someone correct me, but I think the bridge with the serial number was tailor made based on a plausible entry found in the archives.
 
Stini
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Tag0935 Tag0935
Please someone correct me, but I think the bridge with the serial number was tailor made based on a plausible entry found in the archives.
I somehow recall one of the group who created it had access to archives so was able to come up with a believable serial number, but I'll need to chase down the reference and link it. I have also (re) noticed that Omega is being pretty tight-lipped about the entire affair, and not simply because of the black eye they've been given with this fakery. I'm certain they don't want to explain precisely how this was done in order to make it harder for someone to try it again.
 
Stini
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Tag0935 Tag0935
Please someone correct me, but I think the bridge with the serial number was tailor made based on a plausible entry found in the archives.
Here was part of the group- a former employee at the Omega museum and brand heritage department appeared to have bird-dogged the piece for Omega. "The ex-employee reportedly told company executives that it “was a rare and exceptional timepiece that would be an absolute must” for the in-house collection.

The timepiece appeared to be a pristine, first-generation example of the iconic Speedmaster. The watch was distinguished by a tropical dial, a “Broad Arrow” hour hand, a metal bezel with a tachymeter scale, and an oval “O” Omega logo. But the wrist candy was, in fact, cobbled together using components from mostly authentic timepieces and other potentially fabricated parts. Omega alleges that the three ex-staffers who participated in the ruse may have been involved in the watch’s assembly.

omegarecord01-Franken57Speedmaster.webp


“Its false legacy allowed the profiteers to justify a highly inflated bid made through the intermediaries,” the watchmaker said."

"https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/omega-auction-fake-speedmaster-1234852416/"
 
watchyouwant
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watch_my_six watch_my_six
Semantic question, but is it a "franken" if all of the parts are reference/period-correct?

Franken is a nice area in Germany with plenty small breweries and very good Food. That Franken ?
 
rkny18
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watch_my_six watch_my_six
Semantic question, but is it a "franken" if all of the parts are reference/period-correct?
In this case, the parts were not reference/period correct.
 
rkny18
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hansaboy hansaboy
Here are 22 pages to read.....😉

https://omegaforums.net/threads/phillips-auction-speedmaster-a-3-000-000-fake.160146/ Fallout Boy
Thread 'Phillips auction Speedmaster - a 3.000.000-fake?' ·
Worth a registration at nzz.ch!

"Buy a chocolate dial and create the rest"

https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/krimin...aet-ld.1738561...
Fallout Boy ·

Are you implying that the answer to my question is contained in that thread? If so, that means you must already have the answer. So perhaps you could share it?
 
watch_my_six
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Stini Stini
From another article from Summer 2023 -- per your question, the article notes the franken status per Omega.

"A spokesman in the Bern prosecutor’s office confirmed receipt of the complaint, but declined to say whether a criminal investigation had been started in response. Omega has alleged former employees conspired with others to produce a so-called “Frankenstein” version of a vintage Speedmaster.

An amalgam of time-period correct and allegedly inauthentic components, the watch was sold by auction house Phillips in Geneva in 2021 for a record price of more than 3.1 million Swiss francs."

"https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/li...-complaint-over-us3-million-faked-speedmaster"
Ah, I forgot it had inauthentic components as well 👍

Back to what became of it...
Edited:
 
Evitzee
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Omega will never allow said watch to appear in public, they just want this fraud to go away. Doubt we'll see any more public statements from Omega. It will play itself out in the courts.
 
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