Omega - The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT Geneva Saturday, November 10, 2018 | Phillips

Create your first list.

Select an existing list or create a new list to share and manage lots you follow.

  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1959
    Reference No: CK 2915-2
    Movement No: 16'648'304
    Model Name: Speedmaster
    Material: Stainless Steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, max length 250mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp
    Dimensions: 38mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by an original Omega Speedmaster red fitted presentation box. Furthermore delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1959 and its subsequent delivery to France.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Speedmaster is unequivocally Omega’s most historically important model to date. Having enjoyed a variety of dial, bezel, hand and bracelet variations, its history spans almost sixty years with the very first Speedmaster launched in 1957.

    The Speedmaster line features a remarkable evolution, but the first model, reference CK 2915, is considered by collectors as “the grail” for a number of reasons. In terms of design, it was the first chronograph to feature a tachometer scale (or, as Omega called it at the time, the Tacho-productometer scale) on the bezel, rather than on the dial.

    This made the dial much cleaner and therefore easier to read, and Omega believed it would allow wearers to quickly reference the scale for measuring speed. The new design proved very popular and other manufacturers would soon follow Omega’s example, but it is important to remember the Speedmaster initiated that particular aesthetic.

    In terms of movements, Omega did not go for a brand new caliber, turning instead to caliber 321, an extremely reputable and reliable column-wheel chronograph, which it recognized as the best available option for its new Speedmaster. Together with the novelty of its tachymeter bezel, the watch was undoubtedly the best chronograph on the market.

    What made it special, beyond the intelligence of the new design and the quality of its movement was the toughness of the watch. The watch was as close to unbreakable as Omega could make it. It was anti-magnetic, shock-proof, and waterproof up to 60 meters, qualities that would remain the foundation for all subsequent Speedmasters.

    The present example, from 1959, is preserved in overall excellent condition. It even displays a perfect matt black dial and full, even lume. A reference 2915-2, the present watch, displays all correct features from the second generation of the reference. The first is the 'Base 1000' bezel, followed by the dial configuration. The Omega signature features the iconic 'fat' O followed by the slightly longer 'r' in the Speedmaster signature.

    Further enhancing its appeal is the complete nature of this wristwatch, which comes accompanied by its presentation boxes, guarantee, and product literature, making it an exciting trophy watch for a collection of vintage sports watches.

  • 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.

    View More Works

114

Ref. CK 2915-2
A fine, early, very rare and highly important stainless steel chronograph with bracelet

1959
38mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF150,000 - 250,000 
€132,000-220,000
$154,000-256,000

Sold for CHF225,000

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Sale
+41 22 317 81 89
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: EIGHT

Geneva Auction 10-11 November 2018