OMEGA STORY:

The name Omega and its trademark were protected on Mars 10, 1894 and registered the next day. This brand, which is easy to read and also easy to pronounce in most major languages ​​in the world, has gradually supplanted other brands such as Louis Brandt, Gurzelen, or Labrador. The company's first wrist watches were manufactured at the turn of the century. These clockworks usually had sealed silver cases, 12-line movements, and adjustable loops for their leather strap . Soldiers in World War I needed wristwatches with metal guards over reinforced glass. The crown was either on the left or on the right. Most of these watches had large luminous numerals and large hands coated in luminous metal. Louis Brandt et Frères SA (LBF) sold its first wristwatches with movements minute strike in 1892. Lithographed posters bearing the names of the dealers prove that the brand was already producing and promoting wristwatches in 1910. If a collector were to come across one of these rare posters, he or she should absolutely buy it!! Omega first began participating in timing competitions in the late 1920s. The company's watches won first place in a competition in Nueunburg and Omega was similarly victorious at Kew-Teddington where the company broke all precision records in 1930. Omega did the same thing from 1932 to 1934 and almost continuously from 1941 to 1967. The winners were wristwatches with large calibers of the finest quality. They carried 23 rubies. Omega engineers were already working on the concept of waterproof wristwatches at the time. A few rare specimens of the famous “marine watch” can still be found in good condition today. This rectangular watch with its double case astonished experts, as did Omega's first sports watch, water resistant to 135 meters, the marine watch was not as suitable for deep dives as current waterproof watches, but nevertheless, the The fact that Omega was the first to produce one in the 1930s was a very important step. Here too, Omega specialists had already recognized which details would be important for future utility wristwatches. The same goes for the first chronographs. So to speak: if you have the chance to see one, buy it! And if you already have one, keep it! 

SPEEDMASTER, THE CHRONOGRAPHER PAR EXCELLENCE

It was in 1957 that the first Speedmaster was created, studied and built according to the needs of industry and sport. Equipped with caliber 321, created 10 years previously by Albert Piguet, technical director of sister company Lemania, this legendary chronograph will be the first to set foot on the moon. Among 6 manufacturers including Omega, Hamilton , Longines and Rolex, it was the only one to have passed the 11 tests, the details of which are as follows:

1/ Warm,

2/ Cold,

3/ Empty,

4/ Relative humidity,

5/ Corrosion and wear of the housing,

6/ Shocks,

7/ Acceleration,

8/ Decompression,

9/ Overpressure,

10/ Vibrations,

11/ Acoustic noise.

It was in 1965 that NASA chose Omega and on Mars 23, 1965 during the Gemini III flight, the Speedmaster was on the wrist of the two cosmonauts for the first time (as an official NASA chronograph but it was in 1962 that she went into space on the arm of Walter Schirra which he had just purchased personally).
In 2007, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Speedmaster, and I will not hide from you that there has certainly been an increase in prices on old and rare models like the one I am offering you today. This Speedmaster Mark II is “apart” from the classic model due to its slate gray dial with burgundy and orange timer, as well as its orange hands. It will increase in value in the years to come...

Modern life in its hectic manifestations is no longer satisfied with the minute or the second; she dissects the unit of time to be able to appreciate the tiny durations that she needs. It is therefore important to measure durations with greater rigor, and you who wear a chronograph watch on your arm, do you know the amount of ingenuity that a host of researchers and watchmakers had to deploy to adapt to a movement, these subtle mechanisms ready to obey your reactions in a fraction of a second??? Docilely, the hands start moving, they will count the minutes and hours for you and will stop at the chosen moment: their very positions will define the duration you wanted to evaluate.

DO NOT CONFUSE CHRONOGRAPH AND STOPWATCH:

The chronograph is a time device, in the particular case a watch, having a hand placed in the center of the movement. This hand, called the "second hand", can be turned on as desired: started, stopped, then returned to the starting point. These different “functions” are operated by means of a so-called “chronograph” mechanism. We often confuse the terms chronograph and stopwatch (however, a chronograph can also be a stopwatch, you will understand...). A chronometer is a watch which, observed in different positions and at various temperatures, gives sufficient adjustment results to obtain an official running certificate (chronology certificate generally issued by the COSC: Swiss Official Chronometer Control).

Morality, trust me… This Speedmaster Mark II is a chronograph.

DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Housing : It dates from the year 1969, which was a turning point for humanity. For the first time, man managed to free himself from the earth's attraction to explore unknown space territories. The pioneering astronauts who set foot on the moon wore Omega Speedmaster Professional chronographs on their wrists. The same year, Omega presented the Speedmaster Mark II model, equipped with a unique aerodynamic case housing the manually wound caliber 861, which had already proven itself in the famous “Moonwatch”. It is the second generation of the famous Speedmaster, modernized, with improved readability thanks to a flat mineral glass window, reference 145 014. The barrel-shaped stainless steel case with alternating polished and brushed surfaces is fitted with an original signed crown and polished pushers. Note that the case was manufactured by the famous waterproof case supplier COMPRESSOR (do not hesitate to ask me for information on Supercompressor), the Piquerez establishments. It is engraved with the “Cheval Marin” medallion. This sea horse was introduced in 1958, here is an interesting history of this medallion:

The seahorse used by Omega is inspired by the horses that pulled Poseidon's chariot. The story goes that it was in Venice that the decorator Jean-Pierre Borle had the idea of ​​using this symbol when he saw one of these sea horses drawn on a gondola. Jean-Pierre Borle is also at the origin of the Constellation medallion with the dome under the eight stars. The sea horse, symbolizing waterproofness at Omega, appeared as a medallion on the backs of Seamasters in 1958, 10 years after the launch of the Seamaster range. The first model concerned bore the reference 2975 and measured 19 mm in diameter, like that of this Mark II. Then came the 2846, the 2848 with a smaller format, 14 mm and finally the rest of the Seamaster range. However, the seahorse was already used in 1957 for the Seamaster 300 and the speed CK2998. It was not a medallion, but a light chemical engraving on the background.

Dimensions : width excluding winding crown 41.7 mm, total length 45.7 mm at the end of the handles, and 14.5 mm thickness including glass. model for men.

Glass : tempered mineral crystal, it is the first Speedmaster with a flat glass, it is screen-printed with the tachymeter scale.

Dial : slate gray with burgundy minute track and orange indexes, timer lines to 5th of a second, tritium baton indexes. It is punctuated by three counters: a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, a 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock and a small seconds counter at 9 o'clock. Decorated with a touch of color, this Speedmaster Mark II chronograph has the 3 orange-colored chronograph hands and the white hour hands with a luminescent central part. Observe the perfect condition for a timepiece over 50 years old, it has been carefully preserved by its owner.

Movement : caliber 861, mechanical with manual winding, serial number 30991306 (which allows me to date it to 1969 exactly), built by Albert Piguet in 1968 still manufactured today, anti-shock, anti-magnetic, 17 jewels rotating at 21,600 vibrations per hour with precision micrometric screw adjustment. Of course I have serviced it, checked it, it is in perfect working order and guaranteed for 1 year.

strap : Original reference "1159", the ends engraved "154", it is the first strap design with 5 domed oval links including 3 large satin and 2 small polished, buckle signed with the logo and inside on the deployant .

Signatures : winding crown, original glass, movement, dial, case (on both sides), strap .

Observations and highlights : The Speedmaster Mark II is one of Omega's most iconic watches. Its ultra-seventies design makes it immediately identifiable. With its imposing aerodynamic case (which has a tonneau shape), it's impossible to go wrong... You recognize it at first glance. Over time, this model, presented in 1969, has established itself as a collector's watch. And still today, a chrono very appreciated by watch enthusiasts. Intended for Omega enthusiasts and fans of the Speedmaster range looking for a unique design enhanced with a touch of color. What more can we say about this legendary chrono which was reissued by the brand in 2014, and which is gaining more and more value every year, it is becoming more and more rare, especially in this condition, entirely original and guaranteed.. .

CONDITIONS OF SALE

Paypal: I offer you the possibility of paying by Paypal, please contact me on 06 75 86 37 50 for all your questions.

If you would like further information or photos, do not hesitate to contact me every day:

Eric BALDIN “Ô Cœur du Temps…” (by message ask me on ocoeurdutemps at orange.fr).