The Omega watch recently auctioned by Phillips has fetched the highest-ever value for any Omega watch, hammering for an outrageous 3,115,500 Swiss Francs; thus, the Speedmaster CK 2915 pictured above has far exceeded the 80,000 to 120,000 Swiss Francs estimate.
What made lot 53 highly coveted is either its history and design. The Omega Speedmaster CK 2915 was the brand’s first-ever Speedmaster released and part of a Trilogy of watches, including the Seamaster 300 and the Railmaster, back then. The sample sold was produced on November 22, 1957, as proved by an extract from the Omega archives.
From an aesthetic and design point of view, the CK 2915 model stands out for being the first Speedmaster to adopt the tachymeter scale engraved on the steel bezel. Additionally, it adopted Broad Arrow hour and minute hands and a quirky Omega logo featuring an oval-shaped “O” letter. The “Tropical Broad Arrow”, auctioned by Aurel Bacs in Geneva between 5 and 7 November, comes with a bold and plain chocolate-brown patina, with luminescent hands and markers turned to a dark gold-tone instead.
Inside the symmetrical case with straight lugs and pump-pushers is the first-ever manufactured Omega calibre 321. The timepiece’s case back is a class of its own, too, with the “Speedmaster” engraving placed on the outer edge rather than in the middle, as exemplified by later product releases. The Speedmaster CK 2915, here in its first CK 2915-1 edition, was Pierre Moinat and Claude Baillod‘s brainchild. We hope Omega will somehow extend its 321 product range by releasing a tribute edition paying homage to what the watchmaking community universally considers the “Grail” Speedmaster.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Omega)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
