You, me & a lot of other Omega Customers...
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Was hoping for a c.321 edition Posted By: Kelly Mackey Date: 4/4/07 08:56 GMT
In Response To: Velociphile Blog: Ticking Lemons? Speedy 50th *LINK* (Chicagoland Chuck Maddox)
Thanks for sharing the link Chuck. I am happy to share...
I was hoping that Omega would release a SS edition with broad arrow hands and the c.321. The folks over at the TimeZone Omega Forum [myself included] have been talking about what they'd like to see in a 50th anniversary Speedmaster for years. All sorts of excellent and interesting ideas have been conceived, posted and discussed there over the years. Unfortunately, while TZ itself is up this morning, it's forums appear to be down [accessing them return a blank page] so I can't link to some of the discussions which have occured. But among some of the ideas that have been advanced:
- A "truer" 1957 re-issue (with a straight-lugged case) and/or c.321 movement inside.
- Since the 1957 [and "Broad Arrow" hands especially] have been done, a CK2998 re-issue
- A 105.003 re-issue [preferably with a "straight-lug" case]
- A c.321 Re-issue [of any sort, but preferably with a "Straight-lug" case]
- A model with improved water resistance.
- A Titanium cased model.
- A model with a GMT hand [c.910 or c.911 Lemania based]
- A Silver or White Dial model [aka the "POUR L'ITALIE, BIANCO" Lot 238 ]
- A version of the "Alaska Project" Omegamania Lot 211 or the Prototype model on Eric So's
Personally, my choice would have been to honor the elder models with a combination of features culled from the above into a great new model which would be an advancement for the product line...
I'd start out with this: 
And equip it with a c.910 or c.911 movement. I'd prefer the c.910 and have a nifty AM/PM subdial at 9 but I'd include more 24-hour markings than the c.910 flightmaster.
I'd make the external bezel rotate in either direction and have a 12/24 hour bezel for use with the c.910 movement's GMT hand. Which would be useful for keeping track of GMT or Houston Time, etc.
Since we have a GMT hand controlled via an external crown, it'd probably make the most sense to keep the twisted lug case. But why not offer a Titanium case, after all, every gram counts when trying to blast oneself out of the earth's gravity well?
Finally, since the sticking point for many people over the years has been water resistance... Since the c.33xx based Speedmasters have 100m water resistance in a case which supports operation of the chronograph underwater it's high time to bring that capability to the moonwathc line. So I'd include that.
So we'd end up with a 50th Anniversary "Proto/Alaska" model, with c.910 AM/PM indication and GMT hand, available in both Stainless and Titanium (if Omega wants to do Gold that's fine too), with a 100m W/R case with underwater pusher operability. At least that model would be worth the $1,500 extra Omega's charging for the 50th anniversary Moonwatch patern watch.
Then, if the watch proves successful, Omega can "tweak" it slightly, rename it "Spacemaster" and keep it as part of the regular product line (perhaps in black dial too].
What do you think?
I know that Omega probably has no intention of ever producing the c.321 again, but the Speedy's 50th anniversary is special More special to us than Omega it's starting to seem.
and I thought that just maybe Omega would surprise us. I think we were all hoping that Omega would come out with something truly special for the 50th Anniversary, but I am not particularly surprised that they didn't.
It almost seems that since they have developed the machinery/ability to do silk-screened casebacks and dials that it's just easiest for them to hire an artist to great a graphic, convert it to whatever CinC machine they are using and crank them out... Very little effort, almost no imaginiation, keeps costs down and profit's high.
At first I was excited about the new c.3201 models because I thought they might be based on Lemania movements. Learning that the c.3201 is a F. Piguet based movement felt like a slap in the face. The biggest questions in my mind are these:
- Are manual wind chronographs popular enough for Omega to make the FP models other than for a limited edition production run?
- If so, how long before before Omega starts producing them.
- If Omega starts producing the manual wind FP models as a regular product in the catalog, are Moonwatch/Lemania models on shaky ground?
- Is Omega bold [¿stupid?] enough to kill the Moonwatch or ask NASA to accept the FP models as a replacement?
Omega did release a c.1861 limited edition, but the dial just doesn't smile at me. Seems rather busy to me too. Perhaps if they had put the "Speedmaster" and "Professional" at the sides of the 6 o'clock register it wouldn't seem quite so top-heavy...
Unfortunately the 50th anniversary Speedmasters have been a disappointment. Unfortunately, for Omega, that seems to be a very common feeling around the forums.
I don't mind Omega producing more upscale models. I don't mind Omega producing more upscale models, either. But I've been begging Omega for years to not forget the customer's who've brought you back from the brink. Not to forget the folks like Steve Waddington, Kieron, Eric So [Katoso], Derek Ziglar, Ross Feinberg, RJ Broer, and many MANY others who've put their love for the brand into forums and websites and assisting fellow customers and potential customers, gratis for years...
I think that Omega hit a home run with the new 8500/8501 calibres I think it's WAY too early to tell with the 850x calibre. They've just been announced, no one has seen one worn in the wilds of the human jungle. Dear Lord! I hope they do some serious, extensive REAL-WORLD testing on this calibre before they start selling it to customers this time around!
Aside from that I really only have two main comments on the announced "Hour Vision" models (OK, Three):
- I really think Omega missed a bet not emulating the shape and look of the classic rotor shape of the In-House Omega movements of the 1950's and 1960's. Those were a classic "Pendulum" shape that I found very attractive.
- I think the dial is a little over stylized. Meaning it's a bit over the top and ArtDeco for my tastes. They could tone it down a little and improve the looks of the watch. [personal taste thing, but I thought I'd say it]
- The idea of sapphire windows on the side of the case is kinda neat.
However, I do believe that Omega may well be mis-calculating on a number of fronts with with the "Hour Vision" initiative. - First off, neither I nor anyone outside of Omega/Swatch Group knows what the MSRP is going to be on the Hour Vision models. But I would expect them to be VERY EXPEN$IVE INDEED. I'm guessing that an MSRP in the $8,000~10,000 range fpr the Stainless Steel models are not out of the question
- Can an in-house Omega, as innovative and as nice as the new movement is, compete in this time-only/time + date price strata against Bruguet, Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre?
- I don't know. Omega is gambling that they can.
- Secondly, Omega now sells more watches to ladies than they do men. In 1980 it was a 81% Men/19% Ladies split, now it's 49% Men's/51% Ladies. Why does this matter? For the most part [this may sound like a stereotype, but it's borne out in the real-world], ladies are not as interested in mechanical movements. Why? because ladies want to pick up a watch, put it on and not have to set it, wind it, make sure the date is correct. I've heard stories of ladies who will wear watches with dead batteries or which are broken because they like the way it looks.
- Knowing this, how many $8~10k Ladies watches is Omega realistically going to sell?
- Even if the MSRP on the ladies models are $6k, how many are they going to sell?
- Additionally, Omega has closed down a lot of their existing dealers. Many of which have been with them for decades, some since the dark days of the early 1980's when Omega teetered on the brink of the abyss. In their place are some remaining existing dealers who also have AD status with Rolex and other "high-zoot" brands, higher end chain stores, like Jared and Tourneau (who Omega has bought an interest in) and a very small number of whole-ly owned Omega Botiques... There are two of these in North America, one in Beverly Hills and the other in Mexico City.
- Are these outlets going to be able to get potential customers to pull out their wallets for a watch priced as the "Hour Visions" are likely to be for this offering from Omega, instead of a Rolex, or Audemars or JLC?
- Another important aspect of this new movement is servicing. And I'm not simply talking about any potential problems Omega may have with a brand new "clean-sheet" movement with many new advances, but I mean simple routine service.
- Is Paramus New Jersey up to doing routine regular service on these movements or are they going to have to be shipped to Bienne like nearly everything else Omega makes which isn't an ETA movement?
- Are customers who've shelled out so much money be satisfied with a wait of several months to get their watch back.
- Lastly, how many of these models will be ordered by AD's for sale? Once an AD orders and recieves a watch, they've bought it, there is no returning it to Omega unless it has a defect.
- How many dealers are going to put their money on the line without customer deposits in hand?
I could go on, and perhaps Omega has already worked the details on this, which would be a good thing. But I don't know, these seem to be potential quicksand that Omega will have to avoid or overcome. I don't have the answers, I suspect we'll find out soon enough if Omega does.
and I'm looking forward to seeing new models with these movements. Omega has BIG plans for this model... Here is the list from the Press Trip Report I linked to yesterday:
- MEN's OMEGA:
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- - Annual Calendar, Calibre 8601 and 8611
- - Day/Date, Calibre 8602 and 8612
- - Big Date, Calibre 8603 and 8613
- - Power Reserve/Small Seconds, Calibre 8604 and 8614
- - GMT, Calibre 8605 and 8615
- - 14 lignes Chronographs, calibre 9300 and 9301
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- WOMEN's OMEGA:
- - Automatic Chronometer, Calibre 8520 and 8521
- - Annual Calendar, calibre 8621 and 8631
- - Big Date, calibre 8623 and 8633
- - Power Reserve/Small Seconds, Calibre 8624 and 8634
- More exciting complications are of course possible after 2010.
It's my understanding from sitting in on one of these dealies myself [shhhhh! don't tell anyone!] that Omega plans on bringing out at least one of these complications a year between now and 2010~2011 timeframe. We all know how long it took Omega to actually ship the Rattrapante and Split-Seconds versions of the F.Piguet chronographs (projected: 18~24 months, actual, nearly 5 years.
It'll be interesting to watch, but I expect to be watching the action (what there is of it) from the sidelines. I doubt I and many current customers will be active participants in the purchase of these models, if MSRP's are what I and the AD's I've talked with expect them to be.
At the same time, Omega should continue offering its bread and butter pieces and sell them for reasonable prices. Yeah, but...
The question is, will they? There was a price jump last year towards the end of the year, and everyone is expecting another price jump at or around Basel.
Will they keep prices sane or will they spiral out of control and the reach of their established customer base? Only time will tell.
The Speedmaster Professional is Omega's crown jewel It has been for decades, it's ashame they aren't paying more than lip-service to the line.
and it would be suicidal to discontinue using Lemania based movements. I know that, you know that. Most of the regulars in the "Big Three" [TZ, Chronocentric/ZOWIE, WUS] Omega forums know this. I think even most of the Authorized Dealers realize this.
But does Omega understand this?
I really don't know. The 50th Anniversary models, both the Lemania one, and the four FP based one's don't instill a lot of confidence of Omega in me.
Fortunately I think that Omega understands this and will leave the moonwatch alone. I hope they don't rock the boat, either with their existing customer base and/or with NASA. It could really bite them in the Arse, hard. |
