Introducing – The Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 “Ultraman” (But It’s Sold-Out Already)

Back in January 2017, Omega teamed up with our good friends and fellow watch journalist FratelloWatches to create the Speedy Tuesday limited edition – a watch that was intended for true Speedmaster collectors who gather under the #SpeedyTuesday community. This first edition was based on the Alaska Project watch, with a radial/panda dial. Now, it is time for the Omega Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 and this time, the “Ultraman” Speedmaster is back. Again a 2,012-piece limited edition sold online (and apparently sold-out).

8 years ago

Hands-on – Speake-Marin One & Two Academic – Elegantly Eccentric

Many Speake-Marin aficionados were wondering – and were rather legitimate in being worried – about the future of this independent watch brand since the departure of its founder. Well, the good news is that the models unveiled at SIHH 2018 are well thought-out and more than convincing. Among these, the One & Two Academic is quintessentially Speake-Marin but with some discreet and worthy updates. Overview of these discreetly eccentric watches.

8 years ago

BREAKING NEWS: Is the Omega Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday II” going to drop today?

In January 2017, Omega announced, with zero fanfare, a limited edition Speedmaster, made in collaboration with Fratello Watches, called Speedy Tuesday, named after the popular hashtag. Four-and-a-half hours later, all 2012 watches were gone. Well, hold onto your hats and get ready to flex those credit cards, because it looks like it’s about to happen again. The watch-oriented corners of social media have been buzzing with this intriguing image, part of what looks to be an email signed off by Omega President and CEO Raynald Aeschlimann. This image is also on Fratello’s Instagram with a single word caption: “Wait.” And as for the possible watch itself? Well, based on the image, speculation is leaning heavily in favour of the so-called Speedmaster Ultraman, a 1971 design made with an orange chronograph seconds hand. It’s a hot and somewhat controversial model much loved by Speedy fans. In short, the perfect choice for Speedy Tuesday II. I guess we’ll have to wait a few hours to find out. Our bet would be noon in Switzerland, which is 8PM AEST.

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8 years ago

VIDEO: Hang on, Omega have put century-old movements in ‘new’ watches, and you can actually buy them?

It started with a conversation. Two guys shooting the breeze. One of them, the Omega Museum Director, Petros Protopapas; the other, a publisher of content about watches — me. We were in Sydney, at the launch of the Australian flagship boutique in Martin Place, which is incidentally the largest Omega boutique in the world. I remember it was a beautiful summer’s day that was on the verge of becoming a midsummer night’s dream, starring Cindy Crawford and a harbourside mansion. An idea was forming about staging a “night at the museum”, at the Omega Museum, in Biel, Switzerland, opposite the ever-expanding Omega manufacture. Perhaps it was the cinematic ring to the name, “night at the museum”, but it caught the ear of Omega President Raynald Aeschlimann. Or that we’ve done two similar events in the past. First, the ‘Night of Omega firsts’. And then, ‘Her Journey Through Time‘, both starring Petros, who is an electric, eclectic M.C. “We should do this,” Mr Aeschlimann said. “We should definitely do this.” True to form, 18 months later, we did indeed. This time last week, to the minute just about, Omega invited a small number of international media, collectors and guest-speakers — around 30 in…

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8 years ago

LIST: Auction madness – 6 watches you could have bought at the Jerry Lewis estate sale for less than $10k

Famed comedian, actor and director Jerry Lewis, AKA the King of Comedy, died in August 2017 at the age of 91. He left behind the legacy of an incredible career that spanned over 60 years. Known for his slapstick humour, Lewis rose to fame in the ’40s and ’50s as one-half of comedy duo Martin and Lewis, with the equally legendary singer and actor, Dean Martin. He also left behind a substantial estate, filled with objects, both precious and pedestrian, that marked key milestones in his life. On June 22, Julien’s Auctions in Las Vegas sold an extensive 409-piece catalogue of Lewis memorabilia and personal effects, including his watches and jewellery collection. This auction proved that not all celebrity sales achieve the astronomical results we’re used to seeing through the might of Phillips, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, with what can only be described as underwhelming hammer prices. After a lifetime of achievement, Jerry’s own series of five Lifetime Achievement Awards brought in a lowly US$1600 for the set, and aside from two key watch sales — the LeCoultre gifted and inscribed by Dean Martin (achieving US$37,500) and the Patek Philippe gifted and inscribed by Sammy Davis Jr (achieving US$32,500) — the majority of…

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8 years ago

Review – The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005

Few watches can claim to be real icons. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch is definitely one of them. This WWII-inspired pilot’s watch needs no introduction anymore. Of course, the one that everybody knows is the classic black dial version with white indices (Ref. IW500912). But there are more editions offered by the brand – including my favourite, the “Le Petit Prince” ref. IW500916 – with or without complications. Recently, the brand added a new, vintage-like subcollection in the Big Pilot line dubbed “Heritage”, which includes the watch we’re about to review, the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage Bronze IW501005. Patina is about to hit the sky!

8 years ago