As a kid the idea of being an astronaut was thrilling, and well… out of this world. As an adult the thrill comes from being able to own the astronaut’s toys. The Swatch Group and Omega have once again made this possible by bringing back an updated and improved Omega Speedmaster Mark II. Omega released the original Speedmaster Mark II in 1969, with thoughts of it being an improved replacement for the venerable Omega Speedmaster. Of course we all know how that turned out. You know the whole Speedmaster being worn by a man walking on the moon thing. But hey they still made a cool watch, just a little late.
Omega’s reissue of the Speedmaster Mark II isn’t all about changes. The Speedmaster Mark II retains its most of its original streamlined styling. The retention of the case shape and the distinct raised appearance of the tachymeter, that was originally printed on the inside of the crystal, give the Speedmaster Mark II the same lines and look of the original, with the bonus of a modern movement and some additional color choices on the dial, making sure this watch will be a modern classic. The case has a brushed finish adding to the vintage classic cool and help this handsome watch maintain it’s tough tool watch appeal.
The original Speedmaster Mark II came the hand wound calibre 861 movement, a solid movement at the time, but now sports Omega’s gem of a movement the automatic Co-Axial Calibre 3330. The addition of the co-axial movement alone would have made this an attractive watch for Omega fans. The co-axial escapement was invented by an English watchmaker in the mid 1970’s and was brought to market in mass production numbers beginning in 1999 as part of Omega’s calibre 2500. What makes the co-axial escapement important to consumers is how parts of the movement create friction between each other. The less friction the longer between needed cleaning and servicing of the watch, meaning less time off your wrist and in the shop.
Another update is an illuminated tachymeter scale. Omega went with a transparent tachymeter scale the is illuminated from behind by an aluminum ring that has been filled with Super-LumiNova, this makes for a well lit scale with a cool green hue. Also illuminated by the Super-LumiNova are the hour and minute hands. This watch is sure to be a shining light in the dark for a long time to come.
The fact that this watch didn’t make it to the moon is more of a function of the timing of the Speedmaster Mark II’s release than the quality of it’s form. And sure it looks like the old days of James Bond being in a Moonraker type movie may be as long gone as the 1970’s making Daniel Craig launching the reissue as part of his Omega Ambassador duties highly unlikely. But still there is no denying that this reissue of a classic watch will be a hit among collectors of cool, functional, and quite plainly, good looking watches.