What is Omega to you? 007? Moon landing?
The Speedmaster is definitely synonymous to Omega. Among the many Speedmasters on the market, here are two of them which are very affordable but underrated on today’s market.
The Speedmaster 125 was released in 1973 to celebrate the brand’s founding in 1848. It was the first chronograph to receive an official chronometer certification. The structure of the watch was not often seen at the time it was released. It has a modular design featuring a massive outer case that can be separated from the inner case that holds the movement, dial and hands. The case shape and its mass is still very special in today’s watch world. It is one of the products produced in the 20th century Space Age. The bracelet is also one of a kind as it is very chunky but comfortable. It is made of curved square blocks. The design is both very retro and futuristic and you don’t see such design very often in other watches.
The functions of the timepiece include small seconds, chronograph,date and day/night indicator. I find the day/night indicator very useful when adjusting the time. The watch was made popular in Asia by Japanese star Kimura Takuya when he wore it in one of his popular TV drams. A Speedmaster 125 can be bought at around 20-30k HKD today. What can you buy today with that amount of money?
Another Speedmaster I recommend is the Speedmaster 1957 reissue which is part of Omega’s Trilogy Collection in 2017.
At 38.6mm, this is a loyal reissue of the 1957 Speedmaster Broad Arrow. The dial markers has faux patina which is yellowish and the dial has a matte tropical brownish color which is one of the best parts of this watch. You can see the dial color change from black to dark brown according to different lighting. The crystal is just like the original watch, it is a Hesalite crystal with a tiny Omega logo on it. The bracelet is comfy but loyal to the original bracelet while having a modern touch with a big chunky clasp that allows you to micro adjust the length.
While the original vintage 1957 Speedmaster maybe expensive to obtain, it is not easy to find one in good condition. This reissue fills this gap properly. It can be bought at around 50-60k HKD now. It is certainly a watch with a lot of value for that amount of money.