My Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Collection (Apollo 8, Snoopy & More)

This is the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 model and it's more moon than watch because it's just popping to burst with moon details with the dial and the main plate and bridges of the movement decorated to resemble the surface of the moon. The texture has been created with laser ablation to resemble that lunar cragginess and this watch is a tribute to the Apollo 8 crew, the first humans to see the dark side of the moon from their Saturn 5 rocket seen here charmingly recreated in titanium and used as the running second hand on this watch and it's been decorated with white varnish and laser blackening. There's also a varnished yellow chronograph hands and grand foy enamel numerals on the tachymeter scale on the bezel. At the rear of the watch you can view the chronometer caliber 3869 movement and read the engraved words of astronaut Jim Lovell, we'll see you on the other side. This was the last message to ground control before the crew traveled to the far side of the moon and with all these lovely moon details and the striking 44 millimeter case in black ceramic, this is a very special Speedmaster and the Speedmaster Professional is arguably one of the greatest watches of all time and while you can't improve on perfection, you can certainly iterate on it and in this video I've rounded up some of the coolest Speedmasters out there. Let's take a look. Looking to buy, sell or exchange a luxury watch? Then visit watchfinder.com or why not pay us a visit in store in our new boutique in Soho, New York on Spring Street opening the 8th of September. Come visit our biggest physical collection of pre-owned watches with over 400 watches in store. Check the link in the description for more details. Next up we have a favorite among Omega aficionados. This is the Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project. This is a Speedmaster that comes with its very own space suit. Here we have a classic speedy housed in an outer anodized aluminium thermal shield and that's designed to protect the watch from the extreme temperatures of space and the lunar surface with protection against temperatures ranging from minus 148 Celsius to plus 260 Celsius and despite this ability to resist extreme colds and its crisp white dial, the name Alaska Project has nothing to do with any ambition to take this watch on a mission to Anchorage. Alaska was in fact Omega's chosen code name for everything that involved NASA and was always deemed top secret. The watch is actually based on the Alaska 1 prototype designed for use by NASA and the white dial was added to better reflect the heat of the sun. This is a limited edition reissue of just 1970 pieces released back in 2008. It's a classic Speedmaster and it has a vintage style hesalite crystal with the Omega logo in the center and a red chronograph hand and sub dial hands shaped like the conical re-entry capsule for increased visibility during turbulent space flights. The outer shell also features a pusher system that allows for chronograph activation while wearing bulky space gloves and it also means you can wear it over your coat in winter. Pre-owned this watch goes for around £15,000. Next we have the Omega Speedmaster Anniversary Series. This is a watch that commemorates the 50th anniversary of Omega receiving the Silver Snoopy Award. Awarded to Omega from NASA in 1970, seven months after the Speedmaster helped rescue the crew of Apollo 13 by timing the engine burn needed to correct the course of the shuttle during re-entry. This model comes in a 42mm stainless steel case with a blue ceramic bezel and tachymeter scale in white enamel and there's blue PVD hour markers and hands on the dial which is made from silver and designated with an engraved AG925 in the center. There are blue sub dials and the one at nine o'clock features an embossed silver medallion of Snoopy. While on the back you can see him orbiting an engraved moon in a dinky little command and service module whenever the chronograph is activated. There's also a rotating earth which is in sync with the running seconds hand and the whole thing is just basically a work of art. Pre-owned this watch costs around £13,000. Now we have a Speedmaster with an unexpected twist. So just at a glance this looks like the coolest Speedmaster ever with popping orange details on the dial and bezel and a black and orange NATO strap to match. But shine the special UV torch included with this watch onto the nine o'clock sub dial and you'll reveal a hidden silhouette of 70s Japanese TV superhero Ultraman. Now you probably weren't expecting that were you? Other nods to Ultraman includes the chronograph minute sub dial which marks the first three minutes in orange as Ultraman was only able to stay in superhero mode for three minutes. The orange color itself matches the suits of the show's heroic monster attack team and the small second hand is shaped like Ultraman's beta capsule. The magical baton he holds aloft to transform into Ultraman or something. Now this is a rare and limited edition of just 2012 pieces and when they first released back in 2018 they sold out in under two hours. You can however still find them on the pre-owned market though where they cost around £10,000. Now this is the real deal Omega Speedmaster Professional that's just pure moon. This moon watch is driven by a reprised version of the legendary calibre 321. The only calibre to have played a part in all six lunar missions. So if it went to the moon it was the 321 calibre. It features a manual winding chronograph movement complete with Breguet balance spring and 18 carat Sedna gold PVD coated finish and it's just stunning to look at. The watch itself is 39.7 millimetres in diameter and features a bezel ring in polished black ceramic and a flat link bracelet inspired by the third generation Speedmaster worn during America's first spacewalk in 1969. It comes with the familiar moon watch hands and also the vintage style Omega logo which reminds me a bit of Tracy from Hairspray. Do you know what I mean? Now when the Speedmaster first launched in the late 50s it was a racing chronograph designed to time motor racing hence the name Speedmaster and Omega still celebrates its racing heritage with a line of Speedmaster models designed just for the track. They feature two sub-dial counters instead of the usual three and have a minute track around the outside of the dial. This particular model here honours both the Speedmaster's racing heritage and its space heritage with a distinctive checkerboard pattern minute track. While somewhat resembling a checkered flag or the red and white racing curbs found on F1 tracks the pattern is actually directly inspired by the red and white pattern found on Tintin's rocket. So this Speedmaster, nicknamed Tintin, references a cherished volume of Tintin the little fella with the big quiff and the bigger heart or something where he goes to the moon in a rocket. I've not read it but I imagine hilarity ensues. The watch also features other classic moon watch stylings like the triple sub-dial counter display a Hesalite crystal and on the back you'll find the flight qualified by NASA wordage only this time in red. This is a really cool Speedmaster and due to its fairly short run before discontinuation it's highly collectible and pre-owned they'll run you around £9,000. This is the Omega Speedmaster Legends Edition. It was made to honour the accomplishments of legendary Formula One driver Michael Schumacher who still holds the joint record for most F1 championships having won seven in total two with Benetton and five with Ferrari. A long-time ambassador for Omega this watch was released in 2003 to commemorate his sixth F1 title victory for Ferrari. It features the familiar moon watch case in 42mm while on the back is an engraved case back honouring Schumacher in bold red lettering that matches his famous Ferrari livery. The dial is a high contrast white with sub-dials in black and vintage stylings. There's a minute track around the outside blocky indexes tipped with dots of loom and sword-shaped hands. It's a special look that is reminiscent of that oh so famous of Rolex Daytonas favoured by another legend of motorsport films actor and professional racing carman Paul Newman. Comparatively speaking though this one doesn't cost the earth and pre-owned you can find them for around £6,000. This is the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Blue Side of the Moon. Taking inspiration from the dark blue sky this model features a dial in a aventurine glass befleckled with shiny specks resembling the stars in the sky. Relish the splendour. On the dial at six o'clock is a moon phase display with a moon accurately depicted in 18 carat sedna gold and the moon phase disc is also rendered in blue aventurine. The dial also features 18 carat sedna gold indexes and hands that really pop against the deep blue and there's a date hand with a red crescent moon shaped tip. The case is 44 millimetres in diameter in blue ceramic with a blue ceramic bezel featuring an incrustation, Omega's words, of 18 carat serra gold numerals for the tachymeter scale. Now this is an opulent watch but it's still true to that sporty Speedmaster aesthetic and this dream watch is powered by the Meta certified calibre 9904 and pre-owned it costs around £9,000. Inspired by the very first Speedmaster released in 1957 this is the Speedmaster 57 and it retains its original sporty motor racing aesthetic but executed to modern and exacting standards. With a 40.5 millimetre stainless steel case with a flat bezel with a brushed finish there's a black dial with a grainy texture and two recessed sub-dials. The hour markers have been cut out to reveal the vintagey faux patina superluminova beneath and there's broad arrow hands and a small date window at six o'clock and inside is the automatic calibre 9300. This original style model has a character and a charm that's unique while still distinctly Speedmaster so if you like the pioneering spirit of the 50s design and like cars but hate the moon this is probably the Omega Speedmaster for you. Pre-owned this one costs around £5,000. Finally we have another Speedmaster with its own unique charm this is the Mark II model. So the Mark II model was the first redesign of the Speedmaster that happened back in 1969 and it featured enhanced readability with a racing style minute track internal tachymeter bezel and a streamlined barrel shaped case and it also ditched the Hesalite crystal in favour of sapphire. Now I'm not sure what this one is about oh yeah Rio 2016. So Omega's triple triad of coolness is of course the moon, Bond, James Bond and also the Olympics for which it has acted as official timekeeper since the Los Angeles games back in 1932 and this model is a limited edition of just 2016 pieces to commemorate the games in Rio and in honour of those games the three sub-dial counters are ringed in glorious gold, admirable silver and also ran bronze. You can find the Mark II Speedmaster pre-owned for around £3,000. So there you go that about wraps up my list of the top 10 ultimate Speedmasters. I hope you enjoyed it and if you're on the lookout for a Speedmaster then why not head over to watchfinder.com and browse all the best watches from all the top brands and find your next pre-owned luxury watch. Check it out and I'll catch you next time. Goodbye!