The perfect and overlooked Speedy – the Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space | VARIO

When we speak of Omega as a brand, there are usually 2 sides of the story, some people see the brand from Bienne who is having a hard time keeping up with Rolex, to be fair in the last few years Omega has been silently copycatting almost every color scheme that Rolex has launched, and then there is the other side which appreciate Omega for its history and contribution to the watch industry, on this particular side you can find a subgroup of people who adore the Speedmaster and its legacy. Omega is a divisive brand, but no one can deny the quality of their products nor their illustrious history, so in a way Omega is a brand that hopefully always be around. Coming back to the Speedmaster topic and being a bit of a devils advocate, Omega has created a buzz around the mighty Speedy, there are as many Speedmaster variations as there are watch brands in Switzerland and when you start to appreciate the whole ‘’going to the moon’’ history plus the fact that is an iconic design, there is no simple way on how to choose the perfect one; would you go for the newest snoopy version (which is impossible to get), the Ultraman? Perhaps a classic version but would you choose hesalite or sapphire sandwich? Maybe you want the caliber 321 which went to the moon but wait, did it actually go to the moon, or it is just marketing? This is the kind of monster that you encounter when choosing your first Speedmaster, but I think I manage to get the perfect one for me: The Speedmaster First Omega in Space (FOIS), let’s begin.

The Specifications:

The Speedmaster FOIS solves many issues that every speedy lover has, the size. For comparison everyone in under the Daytona spell and part of that is because there is no real contender in the chronograph arena which has the heritage or classic looks that Rolex offers, the speedmaster could easily rival the Daytona but that 42mm diameter has always been its Aquiles heel. That is solved with the FOIS which is 39.7mm, it fits like a glove, very round with a great stance but not a pizza plate on my 6.5-inch wrist, I am being unkind as the Speedmaster Moonwatch is under 50mm lug to lug so it doesn’t fit that bad, but its big. The FOIS has all the great attributes of its bigger brother and adds some lovely details that the original one misses like alpha hands and sunken subdials, its really a classic look. Under the hood we have the same manual wind caliber 1861 which is the same you can find in the 42mm version, so we can enjoy that purity with ease.

On the wrist:

The watch feels comfortable and legible, lume is applied and longer markers makes it look more elegant, less tool like but put it on a 19mm grey nato strap and looks business. I have been enjoying it on a vintage green Olive nato strap, being such a monochromatic watch, it really becomes a strap monster. The Speemaster is one of the most legible watches I’ve own, and it is not a surprise and it was design to be this way, high contrast and simple to look at a glance, considering all the information that gives you, its an impressive design, it is definitely timeless.

Conclusion:

It is easy to understand why Omega is so divisive, they really use the Speedmaster history and that really bother collectors and enthusiast, for example the latest Moon x Swatch collaboration was as celebrated as it was hated, but one thing is true, it made the Speedmaster even more recognizable. I think every serious collector should own at least one and to me the FOIS is the one to go for, is discontinued now and I am sure with time (as always) people will start looking back and think, why didn’t I get that under 40mm manual wind speedy when I could? I am not so much of a chronograph person, but I think I would never let this one go, it really took me a lot of time to find a chronograph I can wear for a whole week and find details that I love every time I look at it, all that while it fits like no other watch I currently have, those Valjoux 7750 are really hard to pull. If I were you, ill grab one on the secondary market before is too late.

Omega Speedmaster Watch on Vario Veg Tan Italian Leather

Written by Robbie from Robbie & Watches

Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.

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