Basel Preview: Omega Speedmaster Mark II

25 March 2016

In 1969 the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph landed on the moon (on the wrists of the Apollo 11 Astronauts that is). In the same year Omega released the Speedmaster Mark II, a timepiece with a streamlined case that was powered by the same space-tested, hand-wound calibre 1861 found inside the ‘Moonwatch’.

At Baselworld 2014 Omega will be re-introducing this iconic watch with an updated automatic movement, Omega’s co-axial Caliber 3330, and a cleverly executed tachymeter scale that glows in the dark. For those of you that know this model you will notice that the 1970’s era tonneau-style case has remained unaltered, lending a retro look to this watch.

The polished and brushed stainless steel case is barrel-shaped and has a polished crown and pushers. A date corrector is located at 10 o’clock on the case. The dial is complete with the three recognisable sub-dials: a 30-minute recorder at 3 o’clock, 12-hour recorder at 6 o’clock and small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The transparent tachymetric scale on the sapphire crystal is illuminated from beneath by an aluminium ring filled with Super-LumiNova.

The version with a black dial – like the 1969 original – remains mostly monochromatic, with subdued white hour markers and hands set against a dark grey background. For those of you looking for an iconic design with a bit of colour, the grey dial features a fluorescent orange central chronograph seconds hand and a matching minute track. The brushed stainless steel bracelet boasts Omega’s patented extendable fold-over rock-and-pusher clasp

We have no doubt that all you Speedmaster fans will be over the moon (yes we said it) with the new Mark II as it perfectly blends a modern movement with a design that is very true to the original.