Order Your Christmas Present Now — A New And Impressive Book On Speedmasters

There’s a new book on my favorite topic — the Omega Speedmaster. The Magister book doesn’t cover all Speedmasters ever made. Instead, it shows 70 Speedmaster watches that author Andrea Foffi has in his own collection.

I have seen an early print version from editor Paolo Gobbi, one of the guys involved in this project. Believe me when I say it looked amazing. As a Speedmaster enthusiast, this book might just be something that makes your Christmas a whole lot merrier.

Andrea Foffi and Magister

I met Andrea Foffi in October 2018, when we were both visiting Shanghai to witness the launch of the (then) new Omega Constellation models. He showed me this crazy Omega Speedmaster in platinum. It was studded with baguette diamonds and was one of only five made. Since then, we stayed in touch. It became apparent that besides being a vintage watch dealer, he also just loves the Omega Speedmaster.

At the age of 18, Andrea Foffi had already made his entrance into the world of watches with a Breitling Chronomat that he’d received as a gift. Not much later, his passion for watches was fueled by his uncle, and he started to search for and trade watches. His first encounter with a Speedmaster was on a Sunday. He was visiting the antique markets of Porta Portese, searching for special watches. It was there that he spotted a very special one indeed. Never before had he seen this particular watch in the flesh — a chronograph with a black dial, a steel bezel with a tachymeter, and a bracelet with flexible links. The watch Foffi was looking at was the very first Speedmaster, reference CK 2915. From that moment on, he fell in love with Omega’s most famous chronograph, and this book is a testimony to that love.

Paolo Gobbi and Fabio Santinelli

The book was made in collaboration with author/journalist Paolo Gobbi and photographer Fabio Santinelli. Gobbi is the director of Handmade magazine and a freelance journalist for national and international newspapers. He also authored books on the Rolex Daytona, Vacheron Constantin, and more. A few weeks ago, I met him in Italy, where he showed me an early version of the book Magister – A Unique Andrea Foffi Speedmaster Selection.

Santinelli, who has owned a photography studio since 1995, has been at the forefront of digital photography. His use of light is simply amazing, and he achieves incredible results in the field of watch photography. The photography of the Speedmasters in the Magister book is simply beyond anything else I’ve come across.

The Magister Book

Now, about the book Magister – A Unique Andrea Foffi Speedmaster Selection. It consists of a whopping 419 pages, including more than 370 photographs. It is printed in a 240mm × 330mm format and features high-quality, six-color printing with UV LED technology for the best color representation. The book weighs approximately 3.10kg, so please be kind to the delivery guy when he lugs it to you door,

The book features forewords and columns from Aurel Bacs, Petros Protopapas, and myself. It will be printed and delivered starting in December 2021. There will be three versions of the book available:

• 2021 numbered and signed copies, going on sale December 1st
• 250 signed copies exclusively for Omega Flagship boutiques
• A low number of copies in XXL format, on sale starting in the spring of 2022

Inside the book, you will find the most important Omega Speedmaster references, from early models like the CK2915-1 from 1957 to the 145.022-76 with the radial dial. Of course, you’ll also find limited editions, like the Speedy Tuesdays from 2017 and 2018, the Snoopy models, and the 1969 gold Speedmaster BA145.022-69. You will certainly enjoy this book, whether it is for studying Speedmaster watches or as a (heavy) coffee table ornament. The text in the book is bilingual, written in both Italian and English.

The book can be ordered through the Magister website. It will be available for a special pre-order price of €349 until November 30th. Afterward, it will go up to €399. Click here for more information and to order it online.