While the Omega Speedmaster was originally designed as a racing watch, with its chronograph function and tachymeter scale, this aspect has largely been forgotten over time. Today, the Speedmaster is far more famous for its space exploration ties. Known as the ‘Moonwatch’, the Omega Speedmaster Professional made history by being the first watch flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions, and it became the first watch worn on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
As a result, the Speedmaster has become a cult icon in the watch collecting world, and it's hard not to see why, as collectors can now buy into such a great story and with a generation that grew up idolising space travel and astronauts, this watch would certainly have to be one of the most important chronographs ever made.
Fast forward to today, and one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram for watches is undoubtedly #SpeedyTuesday. Created by the influential watch blog Fratello Watches in 2012, it began as a series of articles, where they featured different variants of the Speedmaster each week. Over the years, the hashtag gained traction on Instagram, and now, every Tuesday, Speedmaster collectors would post their #SpeedyTuesday shots. In fact, the phenomenon became so popular that it caught the attention of Omega, leading to the creation of this: a 2,012-piece limited edition ‘Speedy Tuesday’ Speedmaster, marking the inaugural collaboration between Omega and Fratello Watches. When it was first released, it sold out rapidly and became an instant classic, fetching high premiums in the second-hand market.
For a limited edition Speedmaster, the Speedy Tuesday is packed with intriguing little details that all come together seamlessly. At its core, it retains the visual characteristics of a modern Moonwatch, though with some subtle variations here and there. Despite these differences, the watch remains instantly recognizable from a distance, which is especially important given Omega’s extensive collection of limited editions.
Starting with the case, the Speedy Tuesday comes in a 42mm asymmetrical stainless steel case, featuring a Hesalite crystal and a classic black aluminium tachymeter insert, all of which embody a straightforward, utilitarian design. The watch uses Omega’s standard lyre lugs, but unlike most other Speedmasters, the entire case is brushed rather than combining brushed and mirror-polished finishes. This reduces the ‘bling’ factor slightly, which I think perfectly complements the rugged, functional spirit of the Speedmaster. Other notable features include a sandblasted winding crown, tucked between the crown guards, and adorned with a retro-style Omega logo cast in relief.
Moving to the dial, the Speedy Tuesday showcases a striking ‘Reverse Panda’ configuration, with several other noteworthy details. For example, there’s an applied retro-style Omega logo at 12:00, along with a brushed steel handset, both of which pair beautifully with what I consider the highlight of the dial: the concentric, recessed sub-dials in white opaline, filled with luminous material and encircled by radially placed numerals. Omega and Fratello have stated that these elements were inspired by the radial sub-dials of the 1978 Alaska Project III Speedmaster. Every element on the dial has been carefully considered, making this, in my view, one of Omega’s best-limited edition Speedmasters to date—a sentiment I'm confident many Speedmaster enthusiasts would agree with.
Powering the Speedy Tuesday from within is the venerable manual-winding Cal. 1861, Omega’s in-house, manual-winding chronograph movement that is the descendant of the legendary 861 movements used in Speedmasters since 1969.
As a Speedmaster fan myself, I truly believe the Speedy Tuesday Speedmaster has a fantastic story, a great design, and stands out as a limited edition—and the market agrees. Omega has always excelled at creating special Speedmasters, and collectors are driving up prices for all types of limited editions. Some notable examples include the original Alaska Project, the Apollo Soyuz Meteorite, the Japan Racing, and the Snoopy Award. Looking ahead, while the Speedy Tuesday Speedmaster is already commanding a premium, I have no doubt it will become one of the most collectable modern Speedmasters out there. Period.
