912
Omega
Ref. CK 2998
Speedmaster 2998-6
An early, rare and attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Early, pre-moon Speedmaster
- Beautiful orange patina
- Late batch of the reference with era-matching bracelet
Before the Speedmaster was sent to space, the primary purpose of the watch was to aid auto racing teams and engineers, being the first watch to have a tachymeter scale on the bezel. The first Speedmaster CK 2915 released in 1957 had a short production run, it was soon succeeded by the CK 2998 in 1959. There were 8 case variants during the production years spanning from 1959 to 1963, with an estimation of 8,000 pieces produced.
The present CK 2998 is stamped with -6 on the interior side of the caseback, falling into the final batches of the production. It has a symmetrical caseband and straight lugs with a thin bevel between the top and the sides. The crown and pushers are also unprotected unlike later Speedmasters. As for the dial, this pre-moon Speedmaster does not have the “Professional” inscription. It has an applied metallic “Omega” logo with round “O” in the inscription. It features a long secondary minutes marker, and a “Swiss Made” inscription seemingly further away from the minutes scale. The hands are Alpha hands, with a baton style chronograph hand with an orange patina complimenting the patina on the hour markers. Like in early Speedmasters, this 2998-6 houses the legendary cal. 321 that is the iconic vintage Omega chronograph movement.
Kept in well-preserved condition, paired with the original bracelet made in 1963, this is a stunning and early example of the manufacturer’s Speedmaster legacy.
Omega
Swiss | 1848Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.