The Salmon-Dial Omega Speedmaster 3511.60 I Didn’t Know Existed

Here’s proof that you can learn something every day! I was under the (false) assumption that I was aware of basically every modern Speedmaster ever made. I have seen so many of them in my 25 years of collecting, including the ones some of you brought to the Speedy Tuesday events in the past decade. But when browsing the interwebs, I bumped into a Speedmaster I had never heard of or seen. It’s the Omega Speedmaster 3511.60 “40th Anniversary Grand Prix.”

Speedmaster ref. 3511.60 — Image: Watchnian via Chrono24

The 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster

This 1997 Speedmaster celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster collection. The “Grand Prix” part remains a mystery to me. Still, I guess that this smaller Speedmaster Automatic model was also associated with Omega ambassador and F1 driver Michael Schumacher (and his brother Ralf).

The watch is based on the Speedmaster Automatic with caliber 1152 (Valjoux 7750), and it features a salmon dial and a special engraving on the case back. Many moons ago, the standard version of this watch (ref. 3511.50/.80, etc.) was the first Speedmaster our editor Gerard owned. This 39mm Speedmaster Automatic, with its typical eight-sided crown, sub-dials at 12, 9, and 6 o’clock, and the date at 3 o’clock, was a popular model in the 1990s.

Image: @watchfoodwithme on Reddit

More salmon

These days, 39mm is a popular size, and Omega also realized its potential in 2017 with the Speedmaster ’57 60th Anniversary edition, the Speedmaster Calibre 321 (2020 onwards), and both First Omega in Space models (2012 and 2024). Getting one of these neo-vintage 1990s Speedmaster 3511 references might be an interesting option if you want something with a date and an automatic movement. When looking for this watch, I only found the one pictured above from @watchfoodwithme in the r/watches Reddit community. The salmon color and the steel bezel and case make a nice combination.

Speedmaster 3513.60 — Image: Watchnian via Chrono24

The Speedmaster 3511.60 is not the only Speedmaster with a salmon (or copper) dial. A few years later, in 2001, Omega introduced the Speedmaster 3513.60. This model, with Omega caliber 1151 (based on the Valjoux 7751), had a slightly more modern dial with metal rims, and silver applied hour marker.

Image: Watchnian via Chrono24

The Speedmaster 3511.60 “40th Anniversary” had black rims on the sub-dials and black applied hour markers. It also uses the older type of bracelet, like the Speedmaster Reduced. I have to say I prefer the 3511.60 over the 3513.60. It has the typical early to mid-1990s Omega Speedmaster bracelet but with a polished center link.

Image: Aonohappa via Chrono24

Big in Japan

Currently, Chrono24 has only 10 listings for these salmon-dial Speedmaster 3511.60 watches. The warranty cards for the majority of them show a Japanese retailer. I am certain these watches were specifically produced for the Japanese market at the time. Some countries have all the cool stuff!

Image: Aonohappa via Chrono24

This salmon-dial Speedmaster is a nice surprise! It looks amazingly good! The prices vary from €2,800 to €4,500. All examples are outside the EU (or the USA, for that matter), so make sure you are aware of the import duties. You can find the Chrono24 listings here.

Some of the dials I’ve seen show rough edges near the sub-dials, which are traces of corrosion or a lacquer issue, it seems. Currently, there is no information on the production number of the salmon-dial Speedmaster 3511.60.

Let us know what you think of this salmon-dial Speedmaster in the comments below.

Header image: Watchnian