: That Omega's pretty funky! Does it attract the same sort of price
: premium as the Speedmaster with Lemania 5100? Which I've never
: really understood; nice watch and all that but I think there are
: plenty more classic and attractive Speedies...

Hi Mark, I do confess that I have come to learn that tastes do vary over years, yet some things remain the same and have a timeless fascination. The L5100 Speedmaster Automatic, ref. 376.0822 (aka Chuck's "Holy Grail" or "Automatic in Pro case)seems to me to fit squarely in there, alongside of course with the 'real' Moonwatch which is the chronograph IMHO for all the love I have for Heuer.
So what's so special about the HG and make it so desirable for a lot of collectors? A whole lot of stuff indeed:
1. It has the best Speedy case and design, i.e. the same as the Moonwatch.
2. It has all those features that the Moonwatch lacks: day and date, automatic winding, 24-hour indication
3. It has the diamond-shaped chrono second (trotteuse), so iconic and yet so often dropped in other Speedies
4. It is so rare: less than 1800 made, only for one year, just advertised in a single brochure.

It's a bit like the Autavia Diver P100 in a lot of senses.

Overall, it's really something so special: not a coincidence it was the favourite of a cognoscente like Chuck! And before you ask: yes, I'd love to own one myself but it's way beyond my reach...

Cheers.
Fabrizio

PS But then apart from the Moonwatch which are the 'more attractive' Speedies?! Maybe we could switch this discussion to Zowie...