Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: XV Geneva Saturday, May 7, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: Circa 1995
    Model Name: Speedmaster "Monza"
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 1861, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet stamped "812" to the endlinks, max length 180mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped "1479"
    Dimensions: 40mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed

  • Catalogue Essay

    “Prototype”. The word is enough to make any collector’s heart beat faster, and with good reason. Prototype watches are usually not commercialised and realized as piece unique - or, in the best case scenario, in series of few pieces - thus making them by definition immensely scarce. From a technical and marketing standpoint, prototype pieces offer an invaluable insight into the commercial logics of a company, showing what was in development and when - allowing collectors to hypothesise the why. Finally, under a collectability point of view, prototypes never fail to surprise even the most jaded collectors as they either are the archetype of a production model or even better - such as in this case - the only examples produced of a discarded project: true unobtanium in its purest form.

    Indeed, the present watch is one of such hallowed prototype pieces. Donning a white dial, this Speedmaster is set apart from all the rest by a never-before-seen red “Monza” signature at 6 o’ clock. The parallelism with the Daytona signature on the Rolex chronograph is immediate: both are sports chronogrphs direct competitors, and indeed the Daytona Cosmograph takes its name from another town with strong automotive links. It is not impossible that the “Monza Speedmaster” was considered as the new-millennium competitor of the Daytona Cosmograph. Whatever the reason for its creation, it goes without saying that the present piece can be considered one of the ultimate Speedmasters, a true unicorn of the field.

    Furthermore, while no extract can be produced for the watch as it bears no serial number - no serial number is a common occurrence in most prototype watches - Omega confirmed to us, via email, that indeed the Monza Speedmaster was a project undertaken by Omega during the 1990s but eventually aborted. Furthermore, after looking at pictures of the watch, they state a lapidary “everything looks correct”.

    We are deeply indebted to the Omega Archive for their invaluable support in researching the present piece.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    Omega'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.

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A most probably unique, never commercialised and extremely collectible stainless steel prototype chronograph wristwatch with white "Monza" dial and bracelet

Circa 1995
40mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF30,000 - 60,000 
€29,500-58,900
$31,900-63,700

Sold for CHF252,000

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022