Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark II 1970

Omega Watches

Since the company was founded in 1848, Omega has pioneered a huge range of innovations. Britain’s Royal Flying Corps chose Omega watches in 1917 as official timekeepers for its pilots and again in 1940, RAF Pilots watches were supplied by Omega. The 1940s also saw the first tourbillon wristwatch and the first of the famous Seamaster watches, whilst the 1950s and ’60s introduced the legendary Constellation, Speedmaster, Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Over these years, everyone from John F. Kennedy to Elvis wore Omega watches on official duties. What’s more, in 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra took his Omega Speedmaster into space on NASA’s Mercury Sigma 7 mission and in 1969 two Speedmasters landed on the moon, worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Omega was a pioneer of the wristwatch chronograph, releasing its first model, the 18′ CHRO, in 1913 making this one of the very first wrist-worn chronographs ever produced. These were sold as military watches with some of the first going to Britain’s Royal Flying Corps and used by some of the most famous wartime pilots and military personnel. Omega recently re-issued a heritage edition of this chronograph which has generated considerable interest in all of its original early chronograph models.

In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged, with the aim of marketing high-quality Swiss watches. Omega would maintain its position in the medium-high luxury segment and Tissot would target the medium market. Subsequently, in 1932 the company bought Lemania, a Swiss company specialising in the manufacture of high-quality chronograph movements, founded in 1884.

The Calibre 33.3 movement followed, designated 13CH by its manufacturer Lemania. It is a column-wheel movement, which was very advanced for the period and highly accurate and reliable. Later evolutions of this movement included the 33.3 CHRO T1, T2 – T6, becoming the Omega 170 in 1949, and the Omega 171. Such was the complexity and expense of this movement that only 13,700 were produced between 1933 to 1952.

A development of the Cal. 33.3, the Cal.15TL two-pusher chronograph movement is notable as the most long-lived Lemania movement and its first movement with a flyback function. This was adopted by military forces around the world from Czechoslovakia, Rhodesia, the British Royal Air Force, the French Air Force (Auricoste Type 20), the Swedish Air Force, the South African Air Force, the South African Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force etc.

In 1942 the Calibre 15TL movement was further improved to offer anti-shock and anti-magnetic properties. A new version for water-resistant chronographs spun off in 1949 before the end of production of the movement in 1952. In parallel, in 1949 and after a number of modifications to these predecessor movements, the Lemania Cal.27 was born. This calibre is known under a far more famous name: The Omega Cal.321. This was, of course, the movement used in the 1960s Speedmaster, chosen by early Gemini and Apollo astronauts and later adopted by NASA for use on the Apollo moon missions.

Description

In 1957, Omega were on a mission to create a robust chronograph that would be waterproof, easy to read, easy to use, and exceedingly precise. As a result, the OMEGA Speedmaster was launched and became particularly notable for being the first watch in the world to feature a tachymeter scale on its bezel.

Icon is a somewhat overused term these days but the Omega Speedmaster is certainly one of the most famous, if not the most famous chronographs ever produced. Everyone knows through Omega’s marketing, this is the watch which went to the moon, however the Speedmaster was not originally designed for space exploration. Instead, it was introduced in 1957 as a sport and racing chronograph following on from the early chronographs of the 1920s and 1930s.

Astronaut Walter Schirra was the first person to wear one in space in 1962 during his Mercury-Atlas 8 mission. The manual winding Speedmaster Professional or “Moonwatch” is the best-known and longest-produced; it was worn during the first American spacewalk as part of NASA’s Gemini 4 mission and was the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission which 600 million people watched from Earth. The Speedmaster Professional remains one of several watches qualified by NASA for spaceflight and is still the only one so qualified for EVA spacewalks. NASA’s tests included; Temperature cycling in near-vacuum: Fifteen cycles of heating to 160 °F (71 °C) for 45 minutes, followed by cooling to 0 °F (−18 °C) for 45 minutes at 10−6 atm. Also six 11 ms 40 g shocks from different directions.

The example here is from 1970 is fully original, unrestored and untouched and carries the highly sought after black dial. This Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark II is simply outstanding.

Key features of the Mark 2 include its robust and sporty design, characterized by a streamlined, tonneau-shaped case that diverges from the traditional round cases of its predecessors. The case is made from stainless steel and has a brushed finish, giving it a modern and rugged appearance.

The Dial

The main model Omega Speedmaster dial has remained pretty much unchanged since the first watch went into space 60 years ago. Such is the dial you see here, born for functionality, legibility, and nothing else. It is completely original, unrestored and untouched and is in tip-top condition.

During the operation of the chronograph, the right-hand register measures elapsed minutes up to 30 minutes while the bottom register measures elapsed hours, up to 12. The left-hand register counts constant running seconds, independent of the chronograph function. The outer seconds register is divided into fifths of a second, providing a more technical look.

One of the key design elements of the Mark II case is the inner tachymetric bezel. Unlike the external tachymetric scales seen on earlier models, the Mark 2 features the tachymetric scale on an inner bezel that is visible through the crystal. This design element adds a unique touch to the watch’s appearance and contributes to its functional capabilities.

The dial carries the Omega brand and signature and is also signed ‘Speedmaster’, ‘Professional’ and ‘Mark II’with ‘T Swiss Made T’ at the very bottom.

This is the original dial which remains unrestored and untouched. Considering its age and also that it remains unrestored, it is in amazing condition, free from any of the fading, pitting or scratches we usually see on older dials.

Generally, we restore the dials of a watches we offer here, but this is the kind of watch many Omega collectors like to acquire in original condition, so we felt it was best to leave it completely alone to retain the originality of this dial.

The Movement

The watch we have here is equipped with the Calibre 865, an automatic chronograph movement known for its reliability and accuracy. The Calibre 865 is a successor to the famous Calibre 321 and was developed with a focus on enhancing durability and performance. It features a column-wheel chronograph mechanism, which is prized for its smooth operation and precise timing capabilities.

One of the standout features of the Calibre 865 is its column-wheel chronograph mechanism. This provides a smoother start, stop, and reset function compared to other chronograph designs, enhancing both the functionality and the feel of the chronograph controls.

The Calibre 865 was developed to address the durability issues of earlier chronograph movements. It incorporates enhancements to the movement’s robustness, making it more resistant to shocks and wear, which is crucial for a watch designed for precision timing and demanding use.

It is in tip-top condition having been overhauled and serviced by our vintage chronograph specialist watchmaker. This means it has been completely disassembled to all its component parts, carefully inspected under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine Omega parts before careful reassembly and adjustment and calibration. The watch winds, sets and runs perfectly accurately and reliably and at the time of testing, immediately following its service, the test results were within +8 seconds per day. This is truly outstanding for any watch of this age and has been confirmed on our electronic watch timegrapher. The movement also has an exceptional power reserve of 48 hours.

The movement is correctly signed ‘Omega Swiss’ ‘Seventeen 17 Jewels’, and carries the Calibre 865, along with the serial number 329637602 which dates its manufacture to 1970.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Case

Please note, although the waterproof seals have been replaced and this watch was originally specified as waterproof when new, this has not been tested and it is not guaranteed.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap & Buckle

The watch has been fitted with a high quality black alligator calf strap and plain steel buckle. We think this suits the watch nicely. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock, in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin, but can also obtain most types and colours of strap from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with this watch, the reference numbers, markings, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1970.

Detailed particulars will be included with the receipt, along with our 12 months’ warranty*. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than totally authentic, or not as described, Vintage Gold Watches of London will offer you a full refund at any time”.

This watch comes complete with a high quality hardwood presentation box and the Omega booklets, as seen in the photographs.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% saving to you. Paying by bank transfer for a 3% saving will not affect your 12 months warranty. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and, unfortunately, out of our control.

We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London, and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

An exceptionally fine example of the iconic Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark 2 from 1970. Omega watches are highly collectable and respected, therefore icons, like the gold Seamaster, are sure to climb in value.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very best quality watches we can find before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach inevitably means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are a number of well known stores in West London which are very successful, charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept PayPal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you choose to pay by UK bank transfer, we will be pleased to pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Please contact us to reserve the watch and request our bank details. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or International Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges and if you have a watch or small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will be happy to Service, Repair, or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions, please call our landline 020 7727 7095.  If calling from overseas, please call +44 207 727 70.

We will be happy to answer any questions and offer advice about this or any of our watches listed for sale. If you would like some general advice regarding any aspect of vintage watches including buying, selling, or collecting, we will also be very happy to hear from you. We await your call!

Finally, please enjoy some time spent viewing our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.