A Great Team and a Great New Omega Speedmaster

I personally like Robert-Jan Broer.  He is one of the few people out there covering watches that I think is genuinely liked by pretty much all of the rest of us who are out there covering watches.  Believe me, that is a rare thing.

Courtesy of Omega

I know that in principle this watch is named for Fratello, and my praise of Robert-Jan is in no way a slight of the amazing Fratello Watch team.  Bert Buijsrogge is a phenomenal photographer, and Gerard Nijenbrinks is widely respected for his knowledge both behind the watch counter and out in the thin air of the brands.  And considering the depth and level that Fratello covers the world of watches, it is clearly an amazing team.

But if I single out Robert-Jan, it is because he is perhaps the single greatest brand ambassador that Omega could ever hope to have.  He is singularly passionate about the Omega Speedmaster.  Speedy Tuesday has become one of the most looked forward to features to many watch lovers out there, and it says something very positive about Omega that they are finally teaming up to offer something unique and (in my opinion) extremely desirable.

So I guess maybe you might want to hear something about the watch?  Well, I really like it!  And it marks another interesting turning point for Omega, this one is offered DIRECT to the customer for online purchase!

Courtesy of Omega

I am going to dip into Omega's press release here to make sure that you get all of the pertinents -

For the very first time, the Swiss watchmaker OMEGA is offering online sales of a new timepiece. Expanding the reach from its global network of boutiques, the brand is excited to connect to its online community in a new way.

For now, one unique watch will be marketed and sold exclusively online. The OMEGA Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” Limited Edition will be showcased on the @OMEGA Instagram channel and customers will be able to click through to a dedicated page at omegawatches.com where they can reserve the watch. There are 2,012 models to reserve and, subject to availability, customers can even specify the Limited Edition number they want. Once chosen, the watches will be delivered in the summer of 2017.

Courtesy of Omega

The OMEGA Speedmaster “Speedy Tuesday” Limited Edition has been produced five years after the creation of the #SpeedyTuesday hashtag by Fratello Watches founder Robert-Jan Broer.

For half a decade, an online community of #SpeedyTuesday fans has been steadily growing around the world with Speedmaster pictures and comments being shared every week. In tribute to these chronograph devotees, OMEGA is proud to introduce the new model that blends some of the Speedmaster’s most popular design features.

The design is inspired by OMEGA’s Speedmaster “Alaska Project III” model, created for NASA in 1978. At the time, NASA insisted that the watch had to be both anti-reflective and easy-to-read, or in other words - suitable for use in space.    The “Speedy Tuesday” has stayed true to these qualities with a brushed matte-finish stainless steel case and large radial numerals on the subdials.

In fact, the return of these famous radial subdials is just one of the vintage touches on the watch.

The use of the “Reverse Panda” dial is also influenced from the past. First used by OMEGA in 1966, the white opaline-silvery subdials are set against a black dial, encircled with a bezel ring and tachymeter scale in matte black aluminium. There is a rare appearance of the vintage OMEGA logo and all markings and radial subdials have been coated with bright luminescent ink.

Other classic Speedmaster touches include a domed hesalite crystal with a central OMEGA logo, as well as a vintage-cut brown leather strap with vintage buckle and stitching. Of course, OMEGA has also retained the calibre 1861 on the inside, the movement used in the famous Speedmaster Moonwatch.

Bravo Omega, and bravo to the Fratello Watches team.  Here is the Fratello Watches Masthead so you can familiarize yourself with this deserving, hard working crew -

Robert-Jan Broer

Being obsessed with watches ever since he was a little kid. Having a background in Information Technology, Information Management and IT Auditing, Robert-Jan has been active in the field of banking and auditing for quite some years before he decided to chase his horological dreams and become full time occupied with watches in 2012. Besides Fratello Watches (2004), Robert-Jan is co-founder of Chronolytics (2012) and is freelance editor for a number of publications. His first real mechanical watch was an Omega Speedmaster Professional caliber 321.

Bert Buijsrogge

Bert Buijsrogge has worked in the real-estate business for 15 years and combined his passion for watches and photography over the years. He became famous for his watch photography and created a specific branded watch calendar for a couple of years. Most of the photos seen on Fratello Watches are made by Bert. Besides working for Fratello Watches, he runs a photography business with a strong focus on watches.

Gerard Nijenbrinks

Gerard has been in the watch industry for over two decades now. He owns a watch shop in The Hague, The Netherlands, and besides that he has journalistic and photographic activities in the field of watches. Collecting watches since he was six years old (true!) and triggered by a friend, he bought his first ‘real’ watch in the late eighties; an Omega Speedmaster Professional with glass back. This was the first watch of a nice, even today ever growing, collection.

Blaise Ferenczi

Blaise has been a fan of watches as long as he can remember. His passion for watches really took off in 2007 when he purchased his first fine Swiss timepiece. From 2007 up to recently, he was also an active and involved member of a number of on-line watch communities. Blaise has a weak spot for vintage Omega watches and vintage watches in general.

Michael Stockton

Michael has worked in the Automotive Industry and is currently in the Electronics Industry. When he’s not cruising at 30,000 feet, he calls Frankfurt, Germany and outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania home. Michael became interested in watches at a young age through the influence of his father. His interests lie in a wide array of watches, but he has a real passion for Seikos, Rolex and 60’s-70’s chronographs.

Teun van Heerebeek

During his college period watches became top of mind for him. Since he has a bachelor’s degree in design he often focusses on watch-design matters, but also adores the more technical side of watches and watchmaking. He is the founder/illustrator of Watches & Pencils and contributes to opinionated articles with a humourous and creative topping here on Fratello Watches. Together with you he likes to explore the vast watch-lands in all it’s diversity. Not only the obvious articles and reviews, but also more brand independent and autonomic topics like watch hands, typical WIS terms and aesthetic cases.