97th Auction
2018/5/12
Lot 148
Omega "Speedmaster Pre-Moon", Movement No. 18949634, Ref. 2998-62, Cal. 321, 39 mm, circa 1962
A rare wristwatch with chronograph, 30 min. and 12h counter, auxiliary seconds and tachy bezel
Case: steel, srew back with Speedmaster logo, anti-magnetic protection cap, "Omega" steel bracelet (later original). Dial: black, later original Omega hands.
The famous Omega Speedmaster was launched in 1957; it was the result of a creative cooperation between Pierre Moinat, then head of Omega's "creative" department, Claude Baillod, who designed the case, and George Hartmann, who built the prototype of the watch. It was supposed to be "for men who reckon time in seconds", for example race drivers, athletes, engineers and scientists; the tachymetre scale is on the bezel and allows for extremely fast calculation of speed - which gave the watch its "Speedmaster" name. Only later did the course of events turn the Speedmaster into the "Moon Watch".
Reference 2998-61 was launched in 1961 and was the first Speedmaster to officially feature a black aluminium tachy bezel. It is graduated to 500 km/h and its most prominent characteristics are of course the spear chronograph hand and the calibre 321 movement, which is protected by an anti-magnetic soft iron cap. The "stepped" dial features the applied metal "Omega" logo as opposed to the usual printed version and the slimmer "Omega" signature in a different fond where "O" and "G" are almost oval in shape. Another distinctive feature is the simple "Swiss Made" below 6 o'clock, without "T" designation.
Mercury 7 astronaut Walter Schirra wore the updated ref. CK 2998 during his space walk.
The Speedmaster has always been one of the most iconic watches on the market. At the time of its launch in 1957 it was most certainly a cutting-edge design. The fact that the tachymetre scale is on the bezel as opposed to printed on the dial makes the dial far more legible and simplifies the calculation of speed. This groundbreaking feature was embraced by most other watch manufacturers soon after its introduction; Rolex for example used it in their famous "Daytona" model in the 1960s.
A rare wristwatch with chronograph, 30 min. and 12h counter, auxiliary seconds and tachy bezel
Case: steel, srew back with Speedmaster logo, anti-magnetic protection cap, "Omega" steel bracelet (later original). Dial: black, later original Omega hands.
The famous Omega Speedmaster was launched in 1957; it was the result of a creative cooperation between Pierre Moinat, then head of Omega's "creative" department, Claude Baillod, who designed the case, and George Hartmann, who built the prototype of the watch. It was supposed to be "for men who reckon time in seconds", for example race drivers, athletes, engineers and scientists; the tachymetre scale is on the bezel and allows for extremely fast calculation of speed - which gave the watch its "Speedmaster" name. Only later did the course of events turn the Speedmaster into the "Moon Watch".
Reference 2998-61 was launched in 1961 and was the first Speedmaster to officially feature a black aluminium tachy bezel. It is graduated to 500 km/h and its most prominent characteristics are of course the spear chronograph hand and the calibre 321 movement, which is protected by an anti-magnetic soft iron cap. The "stepped" dial features the applied metal "Omega" logo as opposed to the usual printed version and the slimmer "Omega" signature in a different fond where "O" and "G" are almost oval in shape. Another distinctive feature is the simple "Swiss Made" below 6 o'clock, without "T" designation.
Mercury 7 astronaut Walter Schirra wore the updated ref. CK 2998 during his space walk.
The Speedmaster has always been one of the most iconic watches on the market. At the time of its launch in 1957 it was most certainly a cutting-edge design. The fact that the tachymetre scale is on the bezel as opposed to printed on the dial makes the dial far more legible and simplifies the calculation of speed. This groundbreaking feature was embraced by most other watch manufacturers soon after its introduction; Rolex for example used it in their famous "Daytona" model in the 1960s.
Sold
estimated
15.000—25.000 €
Price realized
17.400 €