Article contributed by E.M. Maximilien:replica omega Planet Ocean 42 is known for being the brand with the first watch (Speedmaster) on the moon, however, the best selling Omega watch might be the Seamaster series; which includes the very watch worn by secret agent 007 since 1995 and more recently in the 2008"Quantum of Solace" James Bond movie. In 2012, omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow replica is marking the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise. The result was the release of a limited edition James Bond Seamaster. However, the older version remains an excellent entry-level diver watch that is a great value and is almost perfect for its class. With the worldwide success of the Seamaster, and especially the James Bond edition, http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-seamaster-300m-chronograph.html has steadily improved the base Seamaster 300M range, adding complications, different sizes, offering various color dials, and increasing water-resistant depth ratings. The one I review today is similar in style with the one that 007 wore in the 2006 "Casino Royale" movie; this one has the blue dial, is 300 meters water resistant, and includes a GMT second timezone complication. It's the reference 2535.80.00. The first thing one notices is the beautiful blue dial. It has a wave pattern that hardly distracts from the well marked hours and the 24 hour GMT subdial markers. The red GMT hand moves around the dial in 24 hours with each hour marker advancing the second timezone by two hours. The movement in this Seamaster GMT James Bond is the Omega caliber 2628 with 44 hours power reserve, it is a modified ETA-2892-A2 that includes the famed Omega co-axial escapement. Once you unscrew the well protected crown, the hours hand can be quickly changed accurately while the seconds, minutes, and GMT are still functioning. Pulling the crown once more stops the seconds hand and allows the minutes hand to move along with the GMT hand. There is a hacking seconds feature that allows the time to be set more precisely.Unlike most other James Bond Seamaster watches, the Seamaster 300 M GMT Professional contains a display caseback showing the rhodium-plated decorated movement with the Omega logo and name inscribed on the automatic rotor. The GMT Seamaster comes with a steel bracelet with alternating brushed and satin polished lugs. There are nine total links with four small polished ones. Once adjusted for length, using pushpins (not screws, as is now common), the bracelet is easily one of the most comfortable steel bracelets I own. I never experienced any pinching or arm hair getting stuck between the lugs. The bracelet size is not small but also not large enough to make this watch wear big. It feels just right given the ability to micro adjust.

According to Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-planet-ocean-42mm.html they were the first wrist watch brand to place a tourbillon escapement based movement into a wrist watch. This was back in 1947. I am by no means going to discuss what a tourbillon is or its history in this article. Suffice it to say however that the ancient complication designed by Breguet back in his lifetime was originally meant to be in pocket watches. It was not until the mid 20th century that tourbillons found themselves in wrist watches. For omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow replica , it was a limited production piece that only had 12 movements ever placed in cases and sold. The 1947 movement was designed as a competition movement for the Swiss Observatory Chronometry competition. It was thought that applying a tourbillon to a modern movement would help further increase its accuracy and give it that edge to win the famous competition where brands would submit movements to see which was the most accurate. replica omega Seamaster 300m won that year with its tourbillon based watch movement (which oddly enough had more in common with older pocket watch movements as opposed to more modern wrist watch movements). Like I said, a few (12) were actually put in cases and sold to customers. One of those pieces is shown here in this article. A simple looking watch, it just says ��Omega Tourbillon�� on the dial and rest should be up to the wearer to understand. The movement itself is nothing fancy in appearance. It is a very industrial looking movement �C super accurate and with a tourbillon. It was called the Omega caliber 30I and the tourbillon made one revolution each seven and a half minutes. Seeing (and wearing) it in person was a thrill. Later in wrist watch history tourbillon-based wrist watch movements became the popular thing for the wealthy elite. Not so much because of what they offered performance-wise, but more because of their visual appearance and complicated nature. Omega was actually at the cusp of the neo-tourbillon watch crazy that seemed to start in the early 2000s, but actually started a bit earlier. Omega��s first modern tourbillon movement was released for sale in 1994. I had no idea it was that early. Since then Omega has steadily produced a handful of tourbillon watches each year. And by handful I mean it. If my recollection serves me right Omega��s tourbillon watch production is something like 10 watches per year. That is almost nothing compared to the brand��s larger production volume. So why do they do it? According to Omega they like to keep the tourbillon production workshop open to continue part of the brand��s history and offer something special. It is a passion department as sale of the tourbillon timepieces aren��t really a money maker for the brand. The watch makers who produce these timepieces have their own area at Omega and really just do their own thing in comparison to the other ��volume production�� areas of Omega.

Baselworld 2014: Welcome yet another replica omega Seamaster 300m for you Omega fans out there, the Omega Speedmaster '57 Co-Axial Chronograph is a vision of the past with new guts. It seems several items to be unveiled at Baselworld were posted on Omega's site yesterday a bit prematurely and quickly taken down. We told you yesterday about the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, as we were able to grab some of that info before Omega pulled it from their site, and today we have enough info on another release from that "leak" - I went to that release page today, and in spite of getting George Clooney's face on the error page of the omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow replica website staring at me... ...we have another Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-planet-ocean-42mm.html variation to tell you about with timeless appeal that will certainly speak to more people.Take a look at the Omega Speedmaster '57 Co-Axial Chronograph, most obviously a refresh of the very first Omega Speedmaster that came out in 1957. Yesterday, we had the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, obviously a forward looking watch very much for modern times. Today, we have Omega looking back to its history and looking to its pre-Moonwatch roots when the Omega Speedmaster was first conceived as a sports and racing chronograph.At the time, Omega probably only saw the Omega Speedmaster as a watch for use on earth and not really anywhere else, as 1957 was a full eight years before NASA qualified the Omega Speedmaster for space. As a part of the Omega Speedmaster story however, this watch is certainly very important, and the updated styling is surely welcome to Omega Speedmaster fans. The '57 distinguishes itself most notably with not having a black bezel as seen on the Moonwatches. This imparts a more traditional chronograph look and in many ways, bears a more than striking resemblance to the Rolex Daytona. This is especially so when paired with the flat bracelet with brushed and polished links. I would go with this version of the Omega Speedmaster if I were more inclined to a traditional chronograph look and was not attracted so much to the bolder Moonwatch variation. Movement-wise we have the same in-house co-axial calibres 9300/9301 equipped with a silicon balance spring which is impervious to magnetic fields. This is a movement that I have looked at before and am personally a big fan of, as it allows a more streamlined dial look, reducing the three sub-dials of the original 1957 version to a more balanced bicompax layout. Of course, Omega will be bringing out this watch in quite a number of different variations. For example, black or white dials, blued hands and a choice of case materials ranging from red or yellow gold, titanium, two tone red gold/stainless steel or in plain stainless steel. You will have a choice of getting this watch on a leather strap or a matching bracelet. I am informed by my sources that the case size will be the 41.5mm, which is smaller than the Moonwatch variations at 44.25mm. This is something to keep in mind in case you were expecting the larger case size. Also of note, there is no Broadarrow hand set like in the original 1957 Omega Speedmaster. This is quite unfortunate as the Broadarrow hands were what distinguished this watch, looks-wise. Still, this gives room for Omega to launch another version with the right hands. More concrete details on this watch will follow as always when the official release is made "official"...

Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-speedmaster-broad-arrow-gmt.html isn't officially talking about the Omega Aqua Terra Chronograph GMT yet so we didn't get the precise size. Though, it is about 45mm wide, wearing large on the wrist but a bit thinner than say, the Planet Ocean Chronograph. I personally prefer the Planet Ocean in its three-hand or GMT form, and believe that if you want an Omega with a chronograph, it should be an Omega Aqua Terra or Speedmaster. Using the GMT complication on the replica omega Planet Ocean watch is just as you'd expect in other GMT watches, only the hand is smaller and in the subsidiary dial. It does make it harder to read, but Omega does do a good job of offering legibility. Though with the small subdial and markers versus Arabic numeral scale for the 24 hour indicators, you won't likely be able to read the second time zone at a simple glance. On some models the GMT hand is red, while on others it is gold to match other details. Design wise, the replica omega Seamaster 300m is pretty much what you'd expect from Omega. At launch in a few months, a few versions will be available including both gold and steel bracelets. At the high-end, there is a solid 18k red gold model, as well as a two-tone version with a steel case and 18k red gold bezel, crown, and pushers. Most will probably opt for the all polished steel models though. The case is water resistant to 150 meters, and of course it has a sapphire crystal. Dial construction is unique as Omega uses a plate on the face that offers the appearance of recessed subdials while adding depth and texture. Dial colors come in both a deep gray and off white and overall, the face is very legible. Overtime the Seamaster became an icon and important watch for Omega - especially as the brand continued to focus on a range of important high-intensity activities from racing to diving, and everything else where sturdy and reliable watches were needed (not to mention space travel). Flash-forward to now and we have an incredibly wide range of Seamaster watches, and its higher-end cousin the Seamaster Planet Ocean. For review I am checking out two 2011 Seamaster Planet Ocean Co-Axial Chronometer watches which well represent where the collection and brand are at today. My first Omega chronograph love will always been the Speedmaster, but as a second choice I would happily take the dressier and more visually modern Omega Aqua Terra Chronograph GMT. The addition of the GMT complication is useful, and helps Omega round-out their market offerings all the more.

Continuing with our special coverage of the 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, we are now going to call your attention to two very special replica omega Seamaster 300m that we've written about before. One of them was a prototype designed to actually replace the original Speedmaster Professional as a faster, lighter, and more energy effecient model to be worn to the moon (which NASA rejected post development). The other is a solid gold commemorative Speedmaster made in limited numbers that was given to NASA astronauts but also then President Dick Nixon and VP Spiro Agnew. Unfortunately for replica omega Planet Ocean, Nixon and Agnew turned down the very expensive watches. Original Alaska Project Speedmaster: Even though the Speedmaster Professional had successfully made it to the moon and back, Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-speedmaster-broad-arrow-gmt.html wanted to create an even more durable specifically for space travel. The result was the Alaska Project Speedmaster. Gone was the black face because it absorbed too much heat, the large second hand was now red, and the chronograph hands were replaced with triangles to support directional focus in difficult situations. The outer case, made of red anodized aluminum, has a temperature range of over 400 degrees and is protected by a US patent. Recently Omega paid tribute to this protype model with a limited edition modern upgrade. 1969 Yellow Gold Commemorative Speedmaster Pro: The 1969 Moon Landing was clearly a monumental event for NASA, the United States, and Omega. To commemorate this accomplishment, Omega released a very special and limited run of solid gold Speedmaster Professionals. Numbers 3-28 were given to the active members of NASA, while #1 and #2 were given to then President and VP Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew. However, these watches were ludicrously expensive ($1340 when the steel version was only $185) and the reigning powers felt it would not reflect well on them owning such valuable items. They turned down the offer from Omega for the watches and #1 and #2 reside in the Omega Museum in Switzerland. However, some people wanted to get their hands on these valuable and rare Speedmaster so Omega increased production to about 1000 of them through 1973. We of course happened to find one for sale (link above) for around $30,000. While we have seen these watches sell for close to $30,000, the recent estimates have been considerably lower (~$15-20K). However, it is very difficult to find this watch for sale so for some people out there, $30,000 a fair price for those chasing this elusive Speedy. Be sure to follow the links above for the full story on both of these rare Omega Speedmasters.

In 1969 replica omega Planet Ocean introduced the Speedmaster Mark (Mk) II as an updated version of the outgoing Speedmaster. It happened to be in the same year that Omega also had a few of its older generation Speedmasters make their way to the moon in the NASA Apollo 11 mission, but that of course is another story. With a newly formed case that would become an iconic symbol of the brand as well as the era, the omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow replica will be re-introduced by Omega this year in 2014 with a modern movement but a design that is very true to the original. We even have the price below - which is lucky given how early this is being announced. As a pre-Baselworld 2014 release, Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-seamaster-300m-chronograph.html has given aBlogtoWatch a glimpse of the upcoming "mid-range" priced Omega Speedmaster Mark II models that will arrive in at least two forms. Those with a love of the more colorful Speedmasters will enjoy the Omega Speedmaster Mark II with a red/orange and gray dial that is an homage to the vintage ref. 145.014 Omega Speedmaster Professional Mark II. There is also a more monochromatic version in black and white accented with the green of luminant. In fact luminant is a big part of the design. The original models had tachymeter scales printed on the inside of the crystal. It isn't totally clear if the new models have scales on the precise reverse of the sapphire crystal or if there is some space between, but they are raised up a bit from the dial. However, the aluminum scales for the tachymeter ring are filled with a lot of SuperLumiNova to allow for bright illumination of the tachymeter scale. This is admittedly very cool, and the next step is to actually get people to use their tachymeter scales. Omega has not yet announced the precise size of the Omega Speedmaster Mark II case. I have a feeling it will be at least 42-44mm wide. There is a good chance the 2014 models will be the same size as the original which was about 42mm wide - a great size for 1970s as well as today. The case is water resistant to 100 meters and done in brushed steel with a finish that warmly emulates the originals. They come with a matching bracelet that should make original Mk II owners proud. Those that know these models are aware of how comfortable they are and how good they look on the wrist. If there was ever an Omega that really lived up the "Professional" part of the Speedmaster name it was the Mark II.

More than an icon, more than a legend, the Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-seamaster-300m-chronograph.html is one of the most popular and desired watches around the world. For over 40 years the sport watch that has been on the moon and on our minds, has also had a place on countless wrists. It has represented quality, durability, and adventure to many people. Omega has maintained and grown the collection over the years with all manners of variations, limited editions, and unique versions. All in all, the Omega Speedmaster for many people is the quintessential sport chronograph. Purists love the omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow replica watch. Like the originals from 1969, these pieces replicate today those watches worn on the moon years ago. Of course they are cool, but much of the time I lust for more modern timepieces. The new for 2011 Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph is the most modern Speedmaster to-date (and I first covered it here). Up to 44.25mm wide, it features a slick design, improved legibility, and a fantastic movement made in-house by replica omega Planet Ocean. Even with all that, it still retains the charm and timeless design of the original. For review, I have one of the high-end models offered in Omega's special "orange gold " (ref. 311.63.44.51.01.001). Similar to 18k rose gold, this gold alloy is a bit more orange in tone. I love the warmth of it. For more images of the steel Omega Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph watches you can check out this previous post here. I actually discuss the movement in more detail than I do in this review - so check out that article if you haven't already in the past. By the way, this watch is also known as the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Chronograph. I am not sure whether to include the "Moonwatch" part when discussing it, but you will see that part of the name a lot when searching for the watch. Something very unique happened in the course my reviewing this Omega watch. Omega decided that they wanted to change the dial on the gold version of the Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph watch. This caused a very long delay in my release of the review, because I wanted to show the retail version. The original dial choice for the 18k orange gold version was a ceramic dial. Omega then - and probably properly so - decided to go with a black enamel dial. I believe that the black enamel dial is standard on the platinum cased version of the Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph and Omega decided it was a good choice for the gold version as well. The bezel is also different on the enamelled dial version. After having had both watches to review, I decided to give you images of both mixed into this article. The ceramic dial version isn't every going to be commercially available as far as I know - but it is good for you to see what "might have been". Once again, note that only the black enamel dial is on retail versions of this Speedmaster Co-Axial Chronograph watch.

The Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-speedmaster-broad-arrow.html watch released in 1994 (the Omega calibre 1170) was interesting for at least two reasons. First, it is a central tourbillon. This means that the tourbillon carriage is placed in the center of the dial. Second, the Central Tourbillon is an automatic. If I had to add a third special quality it would be that the hour and minute hands are applied via metallization to sapphire crystal discs (think something similar to Quinting �C though I think Omega��s practice predates them). So the seconds via the tourbillon were at the center, and the minute and hour hands were applied on spinning sandwiched sapphire crystals. The replica omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow GMT watches are all placed in DeVille cases (this far) and are in precious materials. From 1994 �C 2010 Omega released about seven variations of the tourbillon movement. In 1997 the movement grew up a bit to become the Caliber 2600A. What really changed was the application of the automatic winding system that was now part of the movement itself. The watch designs were of course changed as well. In 2002 after a bit of a break replica omega Seamaster 300m came out with the Calibre 2600B. This movement improved upon the 2600A by having it be COSC Chronometer rated. Later in 2004 the Calibre 2600 was skeletonized for the Caliber 2633A Omega Central Chronometer Skeleton Tourbillon watch. Moving forward in 2007 Omega��s technology of today met its tourbillons by including the Co-Axial Escapement as part of the tourbillon. That step really helped thematically integrate the Central Tourbillon with the rest of the brand��s in-house made movements. That was the Caliber 2635A and was placed in a watch with an amusing name called the Omega Central Chronometer Co-Axial Tourbillon Chocolate (because of the dial). Last, as I am sure you can guess, Omega once again added a skeletonized look to the most modern Omega Central Chronometer Co-Axial Tourbillon watch with the Caliber 2636A for the longest named watch (these names just keep getting words added to them), the Omega Central Chronometer Co-Axial Skeleton Tourbillon watch. And there is our brief history of Omega��s Central Tourbillon watch. So what is this piece all about? Of course the main idea was to create a symmetrically pleasing dial that featured a tourbillon mechanism. Doing that made it impossible to have centrally mounted hands. This meant that the hands would have to be mounted elsewhere �C hence whey the sapphire place system is used. The plates sit around the tourbillon and are driven by a small ring-like gear around the bezel of the watch. This also seems to cause a complication in how you adjust the time. Pretty much everything about this watch is uniquely quirky.

On Thursday, the anniversary of Apollo 11's launch, we recapped seven "space" watches that we've covered here on Hodinkee. Today, the 40th anniversary of the actual moon landing, we are going to be talking about just one; The Omega replica omega Seamaster 300m Professional. The Speedmaster Professional is a manual wind chronograph that is is not too flashy, not all that expensive, and yet universally regarded as one of the watch world's masterpieces. Even those true watch snobs who would never consider purchasing something as plebeian as an Omega replica omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow GMT respect the Speedy Pro. Really, how could they not? Even before the Speedmaster Professional was dubbed the "First Watch on the Moon", it played an integral role in another first in exploring. The Speedmaster Professional was the watch worn by Ralph Plaisted on his famous trip to the North Pole. In fact, Plaisted and his team, who rode only 16 horse power snow-mobiles for over 43 days, used only a sextant and an unmodified Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-speedmaster-broad-arrow.html Professional to navigate to true North. Even when temperatures reached -50 degrees Celcius, the Speedmaster kept ticking. When Plaisted's team finally made it to the North Pole, the US Air Force team in charge of monitoring them radio'd down with the words "Gentlemen, from where you stand, everywhere is South." We actually found one of the Speedmasters used in this expedition for sale not too long ago. So, even if the Speedmaster hadn't made it to the moon, it would've been known as a great explorer's watch. However, it did, and it one of the few watches that has transcended into popular culture because of that. The actual watch worn to the moon was Omega Speedmaster Professional reference 145.012-67. The 67 on the end of course means it was manufactured in 1967, a full two years prior to the moon landing. This confuses many people and often times those looking for a real "Moon Watch" end up buying a Speedmaster from 1969. The problem with this is that by then, Omega had changed the movements inside the Speedmaster from a .321 Caliber to a .861. So, the Speedmasters made around the time of the Moon Landing were not actually the same ones used by NASA. If you want a watch that is identical to the one worn by the Apollo Astronauts, you want a .321 Speedmaster. Guess what, that is exactly what we've found for you today. This 1967 Speedmaster Professional features the very same reference (145.012-67) as those worn by the Astronauts. On top of that, it is in excellent condition, and comes with the original box and store tags. It also comes with the original steel strap and a new leather strap. It is very rare you find a complete Speedmaster Pro .321 with original box and store tags, mainly because this watch was only made for two years (1966-1968) and because everyone wants them. These Speedmasters are poised to make a big move in price in the years to come, and yet this one is priced reasonably at around $3300. However, this price is certainly negotiable, as is stated in the watch's description. On this 40th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, there isn't a more perfect watch to own than this particular Omega Speedmaster Professional. Forget that it comes with the original box, tags, and bracelet, forget that it is getting increasingly hard to find. You want this Omega because it's very same watch that made it to the moon. It doesn't get much cooler than that.

Not too long ago, three of our favorite blogs ran a piece about a limited edition Omega http://www.speedroc.com/replica-omega-speedmaster-broad-arrow-gmt.html called the Alaska Project. The watch was a rare modern day Speedmaster with a white face and a red-anodised aluminium outer case that would protect it in temperatures anywhere from -148F and +260F. These three articles (which all tell you much of the same information as one another), can be found on Men.Style.Com, JoshSpear.com, and of course Gizmodo. Three big blogs felt this watch was big news, and we agree completely. It is a really interesting watch, no question about it. However, we would now like to show you the watch that inspired the modern-day Alaska Project replica omega Speedmaster Broad Arrow, one that was actually designed by Omega to replace the the original Moon Watch. Yes it's true, the original Speedmaster Professional had made it to the moon and back, but Omega being Omega, they wanted to produce a Speedmaster even more durable than the current model. They handed the project to a man named Pierre Chopard (no, not of THAT Chopard). Chopard and his team worked tirelessly to develop a replica omega Seamaster 300m that could withstand the greatest limits of galactic exploration, resulting in a patent in 1973 for the outer-case design. They also got rid of the black face (which absorbed heat) and replaced it with a white one. The classic hands of the Speedmaster were also revised. The chronograph seconds hand was replaced with a red one and all other hands were black (in lieu of the traditional white). To allow for even better readability and contrast, the chronograph minute and hour hands introduced a new feature: their lower ends featured a large triangle that helped to increase ��directional focus�� for example when a user is forced to take readings at a glance in difficult conditions. Shaped like the NASA Space Capsules, these hands became known as ��Apollo Hands�� (though some will point out that they do indeed look more like the Capsules used in the Mercury and Gemini Projects). After the patent had been granted and Chopard's team had completed all testing, they submitted the new and improved Speedmaster to NASA for review. NASA said "no thanks, we're good." Basically, NASA was content with using the existing Speedmaster Professional as is, and the Alaska Original Alaska Project Patent Filings Project was officially called off. It was not until just this past year that people even really spoke of the Alaska Project again, when Omega released their tribute pieces which all the blogs picked up. But, what happened to the original Prototype Alaska Project Speedmasters from the early 1970s? Well, here's one of them. Coming to us from Antiquorum's most recent auction, this is an original Alaska Project Speedmaster with the red outer-casing. The pre-sale estimate for this original prototype was 40,000CHF-60,000CHF, but ended up selling for a bargain price of 33,000CHF, or roughly $27,000. This probably one of the coolest Speedmasters ever made, and we would like to congratulate whoever picked up this amazing piece of Omega (and NASA) history just this past week in Geneva.