Speedy Tuesday — The Best Of 2019 And A Look Into 2020
2019 was an amazing ‘Speedmaster’ year, not only because of the 50th anniversary of Apollo XI and the Speedmasters celebrating this, or the re-introduction of the famous caliber 321 but also because of the many Speedy Tuesday events we were able to organize.
Together with Omega, we hosted 8 events from January 2019 till December 2019. We visited Japan, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong to meet with you and celebrate our passion for the Speedmaster. It was amazing to meet many of you during these events, and it felt heartwarming every single time, even in places where we’ve never been before. Thank you for that. I also would like to thank all people that brought gifts (magazines, books, pins, stickers, pens, Apollo XI envelopes, coins, etc.). To thank us, unnecessary, but still, it was simply heartwarming. Including the readers that even brought (little) gifts for my six-year-old daughter Charlotte, who they only know through my personal Instagram account, but probably understand that it is not always easy for her to miss her dad. Thank you!
2019 in Review
2019 was also the year that I celebrated my own 20th anniversary of owning a Speedmaster.
On the one hand, it makes me feel a bit old, as it really seems like ages ago I sold my car to fund a Speedmaster Professional, and on the other hand, I still feel like I don’t know half of what’s there to know about this fantastic chronograph. I’ve spent so much time since then on Omega forums from Timezone, Watchuseek, and in the last six years on OmegaForums.net and met so many lovely people who share the same passion for the Speedmaster, willing to share knowledge and information. And still, every day you can learn something new if you want. My time to spend on those forums has become somewhat limited due to my work and travels, but I do try to catch up every once in a while.
Highlights
There’s not one specific personal highlight in 2019 when it comes to Speedy Tuesday, but more an entire series of events that made it a wonderful year. Not only did I get to travel and see great places and meet with wonderful people, but I was also fortunate enough to be able to buy the new Speedmaster Professional in Moonshine gold, a Speedmaster in mint condition from my year of birth (1977) and a vintage LCD Speedmaster. Oh, and what about seeing actual astronauts that flew in space starting to use the #SpeedyTuesday tag on Instagram and like your Speedmaster posts.
I also want to take the opportunity to thank Omega for their amazing support on Speedy Tuesday. Of course, it helps them, it helps us, but I also saw a number of things they did for people (like you and me) that are truly meaningful and don’t appear on the surface. It increased my respect for this brand and the people who work there even more.
A look into 2020
For 2020, I can see several things happening. First of all, two certainties can already be given. 1. There will be no Speedy Tuesday 3 in 2020. I’ve said it before during the last few events and in our special Facebook group, but we (with Omega) decided to postpone an ST3 watch for now. And 2, There will be a caliber 321 Speedmaster. Many people expected to see one in 2019 (and so did I to be honest), but the focus was on the Apollo XI models and the new platinum Speedmaster with caliber 321 movement. Furthermore, if you paid attention to our last panel discussion in Biel a few weeks ago, a few hints were given on a new Speedmaster. Meaning that at some point, the caliber 3861 will probably be used for other watches than the Apollo XI limited edition models. Which is logical, as you don’t develop a movement for just two limited editions. 2020 will also be the year of 50 years of Apollo 13, let’s hope Omega comes up with something cool. Besides that, I expect Omega to limit their Speedmaster variations a bit. Perhaps for the good, especially in the long term, as the flow of limited edition has been quite overwhelming. I do believe however, that the Speedmaster does need a few limited editions once in a while, for the fans that already have their regular Moonwatch models and want (or need) something to collect.
Also in 2020, we will continue to do our Speedy Tuesday events. We will visit some new places, but perhaps we will also visit some places we’ve been to before. We have not worked it out yet, but when we have new dates and locations, you will be the first to know.
The Best of 2019
It leaves me by sharing some of the best Speedy Tuesday articles in 2019. Not selected on performance (number of readers), but those that meant most to me.
January
The identity of the other watches tested by NASA has been revealed during the first Speedy Tuesday Event in 2019. Of course, we were all aware of the brands, but not the exact references. Based on official NASA documentation, we now know what these were.
You can read the article here.
Also in January, a report on the event. It is not so much about the event report itself, but about the atmosphere, as you can see in the pictures. Omega knows how to create a pleasant ambiance, and the guests always feel at home. The photos and video in this report show precisely that. I won’t recap all the events we did in 2019, but this first one in Biel was definitely special.
Click here to see the report (photos and video).
February
In 2019, I found my birthyear Speedmaster. That doesn’t sound very difficult, as it could be just a matter of spending money, but believe me, it wasn’t easy at all. I was born in 1977, and it seems many Speedmasters out there are either from 1976 or from 1978. This is not only because of the designators -76 and -78 belonging to the 145.022 reference number but also because many 145.022-76 watches are simply not produced in 1977 but 1976 or (early) 1978. You need the extract information from Omega or use the database from ilovemyspeedmaster.com to know the exact production year (and month). Not all 145.022-76 watches you find for sale have a clear serial number visible, so it makes it somewhat of a hassle. Anyway, I found my 1977 Speedmaster, and it was even in a near mint (or deadstock) condition, as you can read here.
March
This is an easy one, the reveal of the gold Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo XI in Moonshine gold on March 12th. I was invited to come to Biel to witness the introduction. I was sold when Omega’s CEO, Raynald Aeschlimann, showed me the watch, and I ordered it on the spot, picking my favorite number (13). Mine was delivered in July and the only time I left it in the bank safe was when I went on a two week holiday. What an amazing watch, I genuinely love it, and every time I put it on my wrist, it makes me smile. I can’t think of any other watch I’d rather have. In this March article, I compared the new Moonshine to the original 1969 version in yellow gold. And yes, I called the Moonshine the Godfather II, as I feel it is better than the first.
April
In April, I covered one of my favorite quirky Speedmasters, the X-33. I say quirky, but astronauts are dead serious about this X-33, as I’ve learned during our events with astronauts Nicole Stott, Terry Virts, and Jean-Francois Clervoy. Click here to read why the X-33 matters.
May
In May, we reported about the Speedmaster Apollo XI in stainless steel with gold accents, of course, as it was introduced during the Time to Move event in Biel but also shown during our Speedy Tuesday events in Frankfurt and Milan (end of May). However, I like the article that I wrote on something rare and strange, like this yellow gold Speedmaster with a white dial. I love to receive information on watches like this, models that are not known or defined in books or catalogs. Even yesterday evening, I received an inquiry about a Speedmaster I’ve never seen before. It keeps collecting Speedmasters fun and exciting. Anyway, the May article on this yellow gold watch with a white dial can be found here.
June
In June, we published my interview with NASA astronaut Nicole Stott. She is super nice and involved, and Omega can be very proud and happy with an ambassador like her. The guests loved her during the Milan Speedy Tuesday Event and she showed a lot of interest in our Speedmaster community. And still does. I loved my interview with her, shot during a delayed flight, in the lobby of a nice design hotel in Milan, the evening before the event took place. Click here to read the entire article, or watch the video below (since it was a Monday, I was wearing a Ploprof ; )).
July
July was perhaps the most important month, as the Apollo 11 moon landing was celebrated in this month. Not only that, but Omega also introduced their platinum Speedmaster Professional with caliber 321 in July. You can read about it here. However, my highlight of July was definitely the video that I did with Gerard Nijenbrinks and Chris Lazarom, where we selected 11 Speedmaster watches to talk about. It was a bit of a last-minute project, without much preparation, but it was a lot of fun doing so. Click to see the article here, or watch the video below.
August
In August, we covered a Speedmaster auction (with the Alaska watch), the new platinum Speedmaster Moonphase in different colors, but also this article I wrote on acquiring a gold Speedmaster Professional below €10.000. I didn’t check today’s prices, perhaps the new gold Speedmaster Apollo XI changed a few things, but at the time you were able to buy a gold Speedmaster for the price of a steel vintage model. Or for the price equal to the Apollo XI 50th anniversary in steel, you could say. Buying a gold Speedmaster is something else, and even though a true sports watch should perhaps be in steel (and make sure you have a steel Moonwatch first ; – )), this watch does exceptionally well in precious metal. It is certainly not for everyone though, Gerard really dislikes them, for example. I bought my first gold Speedmaster back in 2014 in Munich when I was there with my friend Ben Clymer from Hodinkee, and it has been one of my favorites ever since. Click here for the article on gold Speedmasters below 10.000 Euro.
September
Last September we published about the New York Speedmaster event (which was a great success), about some famous actor wearing a Speedmaster and the album art from David Bowie showing a Speedmaster. However, my personal favorite is the in-depth article I did on my new Speedmaster LCD. I always wanted to add one, but I decided not to look for one actively. So I waited until one crossed my path and decided to buy it from a fellow Speedy Tuesday fan and collector. I had it serviced right away by our diva watchmaker (Paul), who’s also a fan of Speedmasters. This watch, of course, gets zero wrist time, but it is fun to take out of the box once in a while and play with it. Click here to read the article.
October
In October, we published our video interview with astronaut Terry Virts, reported about our Speedy Tuesday Event in Tokyo, did a hands-on review of the Speedmaster Platinum with caliber 321, but also published an article on my first Speedmaster exactly 20 years after I purchased it. It is a Speedmaster Professional 145.012-67 from 1968 and at the time, cheaper than a young pre-owned Speedmaster with caliber 861. Unthinkable today. The article also included a part of my Speedmaster collection that I gathered in those 20 years. Click here for that article on my very first Speedmaster purchase in 1999.
November
Heading towards the end of the year, we decided to do one more event (in December) and invited everyone in a special post in November. A bit short notice, but you have to understand that it wasn’t planned. We thought Tokyo would be our last event, but it was decided on the spot to do one more, to finish the year in style. In November, I also wrote an article about the Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8, and why I think it is the best Dark Side of the Moon variation out there. We also published the video on the talk by Omega Speedmaster ambassador Sam Cossman who we’ve met in Tokyo, as well as the review of the third edition of the Moonwatch Only book. But my favorite November article is the in-depth explanation on the watch that collectors refer to as the Speedmaster Holy Grail, which is also a bit of a tribute to my late friend, the legendary Chuck Maddox. Click here to read the article on the Holy Grail.
December
In December, we hosted the ‘Back to Base’ Speedy Tuesday Event together with Omega, and it was a blast. The event report on this event is the first one not written by me, but by one of our more recent editors, Jorg Weppelink. For me, it was interesting to read the event report to see how my teammate experienced the whole thing. Well, besides the report, he still talks about the event (it was his first to attend). You can read his report here, with lots of photos and videos. Then, we had a review on the Forstner bracelet an update on our vintage Speedmaster buyer’s guide and a Hasselblad article for Speedy Tuesday. However, I think my favorite publication is the article I wrote on the Speedmaster Mark II. An underrated Speedmaster, that you can still source for a fair price. It is not only an interesting watch for those who have their Moonwatches already, but also for someone who just wants a nice vintage chronograph. You can read the Mark II article here.
This is just a small selection of all the Speedy Tuesday articles we did in 2019. Even though we only had 53 Tuesdays, we published 62 Speedy Tuesday articles. You can find all of them here.
For now, I wish all of you a wonderful and happy new year! I am looking forward to 2020 and all the Speedy Tuesday ‘things’ we are going to do.
