A Tale of Two Speedies: the “Speedy Tuesday” LE and a Basel Preview

As watch collectors all over the world await the newest watches to be released, Omega got a head start on their competition by announcing two new Speedmasters.

Omega recently unveiled the Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” limited edition, taking its name from the popular Instagram hashtag that features photos of Speedmasters every Tuesday. The project was a collaborative effort between Omega and Robert-Jan Broer, founder of Fratello Watches and the originator of #SpeedyTuesday.

Many of the Speedy Tuesday’s design features come from past Speedmasters, taking inspiration primarily from the original 1978 “Speedmaster Alaska III” model.

The professional stainless steel case–which includes the bezel, pushers and crown–is entirely matte-finished. The watch has a “reverse panda” dial, which features a black base and white sub-dials with lumed concentric circles. It also features a vintage applied Omega logo.

The limited edition watch is powered by a hand-wound calibre 1861.The case back is stamped with the iconic seahorse medallion and encircled by the words “SPEEDY TUESDAY ANNIVERSARY – A TRIBUTE TO ALASKA PROJECT III” as well as the limited edition number.

The watch comes with a special #SpeedyTuesday engraved watch roll, a black and white nylon strap and a strap changing tool.

Retailing for $6,500, “Speedy Tuesday” is limited to 2012 pieces, marking the year that #SpeedyTuesday began. All watches have since been reserved, so keep an eye out on the secondary market if you want to net one. Pieces are expected to be delivered by the summer.

The first major novelty from Basel has just been announced–the Speedmaster Moonwatch Automatic Master Chronometer. The latest in the Speedmaster family, the Moonwatch Automatic Master Chronometer is a vinatge-inspired design taking cues from past Omega references and highlighting the company’s motor racing heritage.

Stand out features include the distinctive racing-inspired minute-track with orange markings, the 18K white gold indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova and the brushed Liquidmetal tachymeter scale.

The 44.25mm case has been made thinner than previous models, thanks to–as Omega explains it–the “work done on the sapphire crystal.” And the sub-dials have also been slightly expanded for improved readability.

The Speedmaster Moonwatch Automatic Master Chronometer is driven by the calibre 9900, a 60-hour movement introduced last year. Both the watch and its movement have reached the Swiss industry’s highest standard of precision, performance and magnetic resistance, as approved by the Swiss Federal Institute of Meteorology. What that means is the watch is accurate between 0 and +/-5 seconds a day under all conditions and is resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss.

The watch comes on a black and orange leather rally strap. No pricing information from Omega as of yet.

For more information, visit Omega.