Balazs’s GADA Watch — Omega Speedmaster 145.022 Transitional
I was already preparing for this article when Mike and I recorded this week’s Fratello On Air podcast about our perfect three-watch collections. My picks were the Rolex Submariner 14060, a Patek Philippe 5196G, and a Omega Speedmaster Professional. Not just any Speedy, though. The only watch that I currently own from this lineup is the Omega Speedmaster 145.022 “Transitional.” Writing this article was not difficult at all. To me, this Speedmaster is my GADA watch.
My history with this timepiece is well documented. If you search on Fratello, you might even come across a piece (or two) I wrote about my Omega Speedmaster 145.022 Transitional. It was my third Speedmaster, and it has stayed with me for over ten years. As a matter of fact, I sold a newish 2006 model back in 2012 to buy this one. And guess what? I even had some money left over. Yes, back then, these were much cheaper than modern Speedies, but that was not why I got it. Since I joined this hobby, I had always wanted a vintage Speedmaster. This needs no explanation if you are reading this article. My criteria were that it had to be something from the late ’60s with charm and character but also the same wearability that modern pieces offer. I came across this 145.022 Transitional in the UK, sold my ’06 model, snagged this baby, and never looked back.
Omega Speedmaster 145.022 Transitional
For a long time, this was my go-to watch — GADA in every sense of the term. I deliberately wore the watch for specific events, trips to countries I hadn’t been to before, milestones in my private life, Baselworlds, Speedy Tuesday GTGs, and so on. When you see me wearing a Speedy in photos from 2015 onwards, it’s always this watch. Hey, it even made it to the wall of the Omega HQ as part of a group wrist shot taken at one of the first Speedy Tuesday events in Biel. The Speedmaster traveled the world with me, and it never left me hanging, not even once. I bought it serviced with all the extra parts, receipts, and invoices. Its previous owner was a very meticulous man. Thanks to him, my baby was and still is extremely reliable (although, I must admit, it should be time for a service soon).
321 outside
When Omega introduced the latest iteration of the Speedmaster a few years back, the brand did a huge favor to the huge vintage-Speedy-loving audience by bringing back the DON bezel, the applied logo (on the sapphire model), and the step dial. Furthermore, I love that Omega completely redesigned the bracelet to look more vintage. The initiative to blend modern construction with some iconic features of vintage Speedies shows that there’s a large number of people out there who love the old aesthetics of the Speedmaster. That is precisely what brought me to mine back in the day. A Speedy, even from the ’60s, looks modern. Would that be enough to fulfill the article’s GA (“go anywhere”) part? Yes, the Speedmaster 145.022 Transitional would not look out of place anywhere. Or, I should say, it fits most occasions and circumstances.
861 inside
But looks are not everything. If I consider the 145.022 Transitional my GADA watch, the movement must be in order too. As its name suggests, the Transitional has the physical features of an earlier 321-caliber Speedmaster but with the Omega 861 movement inside it. I won’t list all the differences between the 321 and the 861, but let it suffice to say the latter is a more robust caliber, a logical next step, and an improvement at the time. There’s nothing wrong with the 321. If, however, I want to make sure that my watch can DA (do anything), I need a movement that is as sturdy and reliable as possible. To date, the 861 is the longest-serving caliber in the Speedmaster. It came to the market in 1968 and was in production until 1996 when the 1861 took over. Plenty of parts are available, and any trained watchmaker can service this movement.
GADA tier
I must admit that picking the watch for the article was not easy. Well, it was once I understood the term. What makes a GADA watch? Is it the usability, the looks, or what it represents? Is it a combination of all three? As far as my decision-making goes, I wanted to pick one that I already own. And what watch in my collection has been with me the most often? Clearly, it’s the 145.022 Transitional. I own a few watches, so there was always a choice. I could go time-only and pick a vintage or modern piece. But I came back to the Speedy for a personal reason, and that was enough to call it my GADA watch. I was even wearing it when typing this article. While was not a conscious move, it does prove my point.
