The Speedmaster Tokyo Olympics 2020 - The Panda

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Tokyo Olympics 2020 Collection - what a release!

The Omega Speedmaster Professional almost always comes with a black dial. So when I saw the Tokyo Olympics 2020 collection, I knew exactly what I liked in that collection. The Panda! The white dial appeals to me more than any of the other dial versions.

How I came to owning this piece is somewhat short of miraculous. These timepieces are only available in Japan and I managed to get one for myself.

Find out about how I managed to snag one for myself on Deployant. For now, do enjoy the pictures of the timepiece.

There is something special about white dial Speedmasters - just like the Alaskan Project and a few others, but the numbers are not many.

The one that comes closest is the Apollo XI which was released to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the moon landing. The only difference is that the Apollo XI has the date July 20, 1969 in red underneath the Speedmaster Professional tag line.

On the normal Sppedy, the markers are printed while on the white dial version, they are applied.

The timepiece comes with a sapphire glass instead of plexi. The words "Speedmaster" is painted red

You can see that the tip of the seconds hand is also painted red. Of course, red is the national colour of Japan, hence the choice here.

Nice details on the hands and applied markers.

Case back showcases the Tokyo 2020 Olympics logo.

I was told that the case back is laser engraved and it takes up to 15 minutes per case.

It seems that all new Speedmasters come with authenticity marks - the watch number, the Omega logo on the planet and the case material.

Side view of the Speedy.

Overall, extremely excited about the new acquisition. The list price of this steel piece is JPY680,400 inclusive of tax and will be rolled out over 2 years to coincide with the 2020 Olympics.

For more information of the collection, you may visit the Omega Japan website.

A Fitting Tribute - Speedmaster Apollo XVII Anniversary Edition

The Omega Speedmaster Apollo XVII 45th Anniversary Edition is a sight to behold. The release is a tribute to Eugene Cernan better known as Gene Cernan, the last man to step onto the moon in 1972 onboard the Apollo XVII flight.

The historic Speedy has always been associated with the moon landing and nicknamed the Moonwatch. Google Moonwatch and Speedy and the images of the Speedmaster Pro will turn up. This year at Baselworld 2017, Omega unveiled the tribute piece to Gene Cernan, appropriately named Speedmaster Apollo XVII Anniversary Edition. Featured here is the steel version reference 311.30.42.30.03.001 coming with a solid steel bracelet and limited to 1972 pieces - the year Gene Cernan made the last drop in on the moon.

This is not the first blue dial Speedmaster Pro but this blue is different. Perhaps it has got something to do with the ceramic dial - made of Zirconium Dioxide aka Zirconia. Ceramic is a contemporary material that Omega uses, especially in recent Moonwatches, that adds aesthetic value. Similarly, the Ceragold used in the blue bezel is also a patented technology belonging to Omega.

A closer examination of the dial reveals the chemical symbol ZrO2 which is the symbol for Zirconium Dioxide. Zirconium Dioxide is a kind of ceramic material and in this case, is used on the Anniversary piece. The ceramic dial together with the gold combination of the markers, hands and sub-dial rims lend a touch of class to the otherwise sporty timepiece. What is also evident is featuring a racing-style minute track as opposed to the "normal" minute markers found in other Speedies. The racing-style minute track was introduced in the 1996 version of the automatic Speedy launched in conjunction with Michael Schumacher who was then the new brand ambassador.

And what about the red font 05:34 GMT you might ask? Well that was supposed to be the time Gene Cernan stepped on the moon for man's last lunar walk. And notice how reflective the dial is - and I can tell you, the blue on the dial is so hard to capture. My photographs do no justice to the beauty of the blue ceramic dial. As for the use of the blue ceramic, this is one of many new materials used by Omega to enhance the overall quality of its timepieces.

Another closer look at the time 05:34 GMT. A nice vermilion hue.

On to the logo at 9 o'clock - that is the patch of the Apollo 17 which is the same patch found on the Apollo 17 Limited Edition released in 2012. The etching is brilliantly done on this one - something only a ceramic dial can achieve with precision electroforming (gold) manufacturing technology.

The gold hands are as one would expect of Omega. Nicely done to blend well with the timepiece. But did you notice that the two hands on the 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock subdials are white in colour while the one at 9 o'clock is gold? Bet you didn't notice it at first glance...

Next, the applied gold markers. The tip of the marker is coated with white Superluminova coating. The blue bezel is also interesting - it uses Ceragold for the tachymeter scale.

Housed in the Moonwatch is the Lemania based Calibre 1861. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture of the case back but the solid steel case back is exact replica to the dial of the Apollo 17 patch.

While the steel version comes in a limited quantity of 1972 piece, the original gold version of this timepiece was limited to 72 pieces. So good was the response to the launch that Omega decided after BaselWorld to increase that to 272 pieces much to the disdain of early adopters.

My take on the Speedmaster Apollo XVII Anniversary Edition - this is a winner and if you are a Speedy fan, I suggest you already reserve one for yourself. I believe it will be sold out pretty quickly if not already.

This year (2017), Omega celebrates 60 years of the Speedmaster Pro. To track the milestone of the evolution of the Moonwatch, check out the Omega website dedicated to all the iterations of the icon.

P.S. - After having a conversation with Gregory Kissling, Head of Product Management, I stand corrected to the significance of the time 05:34 GMT - that was the time Gene Cernan took the last step on the moon, not the first. How Omega had come about this timing was through the help of NASA and scouring the transcripts of the conversation between Gene and Houston Mission Control. So now I know the truth!

Close Up with the Speedy Tuesday

The Moonwatch or the Speedmaster Professional is well known also as Speedy. At some point in time, someone coined the term Speedy Tuesday and the nickname has since been used the world over.

Speedy Tuesday caused quite a stir in the world of horology. For one, no watch has been sold by a major brand directly online in a "first-com-first-serve" manner. When the folks at Omega launched Speedy Tuesday, little did they expect it to be such a hit - I believe it was sold within 24 hours of the launch.

This Speedy Tuesday takes its roots from the Speedmaster Alaska III model. While the original version has an all black dial, the new release features a two tone dial - a black dial with white sub-dials - what is also known as the "Reverse Panda".

Handsome, me thinks! Somehow, the Speedy Tuesday evokes that vintage feel - new yet old. And if you compare the Omega logo underneath the 12 marker, the thicker logo is reminiscent of the earlier year Speedies.

The radial sub-dial is another feature not found on the regular Speedmaster Pro series and lends a nice touch to the Speedy Tuesday.

But what is evident is the Omega logo underneath the domed hesalite crystal - that "secret" emblem of the Speedmaster Pro series.

Similar Omega logo on the "regular" Speedmaster Pro and also the black dial and sub-dials.

The solid case back is different from the regular piece - clearly making a statement to Speedy Tuesday and the links to the Speedmaster Project Alaska III. Shown here is the prototype piece making its rounds. Notice the word RADIAL on the case back of the Speedy Tuesday - the reason for this is because of the radial sub-dials in the Alaska III timepiece. Omega had made some modifications after consultation with NASA astronauts and the result was the radial sub-dial. The radial sub-dial improved legibility and it ensured an easier and more accurate way of reading the chronograph's elapsed timing results.

The release of the Speedy Tuesday was limited to 2012 examples and are all accounted for. The timepiece comes with two straps - a brown vintage leather strap and a back and white NATO strap. Many of us are on the wait list but I am sure for those who managed to snag a piece, they won't let go. But pray someone do give it up... I'm waiting!

Snoopy Attitude - Failure Is Not An Option!

Few people actually know the connection between Snoopy, NASA and the Omega Watch Company.

The manufacture Omega unveiled in Baselworld 2015 the new Snoopy Speedmaster Professional to mark the 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13. As you may recall, that mission was in jeopardy when the oxygen tank exploded and the mission to land on the Moon was aborted. But what was more important was how to get the astronauts back to Earth safely.

One of the critical operations was to reposition the module for reentry into Earth's atmosphere. As they needed to conserve power, the only timing equipment that was still working was the timepiece the astronauts were wearing. What they needed to do was to time that critical operation - 14 seconds. Any more or less and this would have led to an incorrect entry angle of the module and that would have meant the module might not return to Earth.

Anyway, as the we all know now, the crew of Apollo 13 made it safely back to Earth. Thanks much to the wristwatch they had a timing mechanism at hand! And because of that, Omega received the Silver Snoopy Award which is awarded to individuals or companies that contribute to the safety of NASA's space missions.

In the latest iteration, Omega renamed the the timepiece Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award. More about the Silver Snoopy Award later.

Instead of the regular black dial, Omega chose the white dial. And on it, two very important inscriptions - "Failure Is Not An Option" and "What Could You Do in 14 Seconds?". Notice the white hands on the 9 o'clock sub-dial?

Another special feature of this Snoopy timepiece is the Super Luminova effects on the dial and bezel. The markers are made of Super Luminova and have a black varnish centre. To the naked eyes, nothing special.

But going into low light conditions, you will discover the special feature. Not only does the markers glow green, even the bezel glows green too.

The Super (Luminova) Snoopy is painted on the sub-dial at the 9 o'clock position and like the markers has a great glow in the dark.

An intriguing piece of information on the inscription. In the Apollo 13 movie in 1995, Ed Harris played the role of the NASA Flight Director Gene Kranz and this was what he said in one of his famous conversation - "We've never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch! Failure is not an option."

A more well known inscription - What Could You Do In 14 Seconds, is found between the one to fourteen seconds. This refers to the critical operations of firing one of the engines and turning it off exactly 14 seconds into the blast so that the module is positioned correctly for the reentry into Earth's atmosphere. Here you can see the inscription starting at one second mark extending to the fourteen seconds mark.

On the caseback is another solid case but with a special feature. The caseback features a silver Snoopy in a space suit carrying a portable air conditioning unit. This is the same image of Snoopy that is found on the Silver Snoopy Award pin. The award given to both individuals and companies that have contributed to space travel safety is a sterling silver lapel pin that has actually flown during a NASA mission.

On closer inspection, one can see the dark blue enamel background of the case and the sprinkling of silver powder giving the impression Snoopy is floating in space.

The other unusual feature is the use of a anti-resistant crystal sapphire instead of the usual Hesalite crystal. The strap is black nylon fabric with white stitching.

This is, however, not the first Snoopy Omega Speedmaster Pro. Back in 2003, there was the first version of the Snoopy Speedmaster Pro which I had blogged about earlier.

Two very different Snoopy Speedmaster Pro but both coming as a result of their place in the history of space exploration, the Moon landing and Apollo XIII.

Watch Friend GTG @ Diamond Kitchen

How time flies as more than two months have lapsed since we last had our Get Together. It is the month of May and we met at Diamond Kitchen for our GTG.

And the theme this time was around non-round case watches and round case watches. Every time we meet, we want to be double-wristed and hence the double theme. We made a booking for two tables at Diamond Kitchen at Laguna Park (Marine Parade Road) and a total of 17 turned up.

Diamond Kitchen as I was told is opened by people from the diamond trade and the bosses are super fussy eaters - good news for us patrons. We started with the salted egg yolk sotong. Not too salty and cripsy on the outside, the squid is juicy on the inside and done just nice. Not too tough and just the right amount of salted egg yolk.

Next up was the clam broth bee hoon (vermicelli) which IMHO is always the highlight of the meal at Diamond Kitchen. The broth is thickened but very tasty - real taste of clams. The clams were fresh and rather juicy. And the way they cooked it, the bee hoon does not get soggy even after 10-15 minutes in the broth.

Another must try is the steamed sea bass. I was told that the sea bass comes from the sea and not from seafood farms. The meat was succulent and the fish was definitely fresh. Well done! What we had ordered but not featured here in picture is the champagne pork ribs. Another great dish - more so for the children. Tender pork ribs marinated in champagne, floured and lightly fried to seal in the juicy bits. Unfortunately, I was too busy eating I forgot to take a picture of the dish.

Superior chicken soup - boiled for a few hours and not always available (I suggest you order ahead), the soup has lots of dried mushrooms and probably one whole chicken in the pot. Tastes like chicken tonic soup - good for health and the soul too.

Of course one can't do without vegetables and my personal fav is the three eggs spinach in broth. Cooked with three kinds of eggs - century egg, salted egg and the "normal" egg in a delicious broth.

Next up was the cereal chicken. A rather unusual iterate of the dish. Most restaurants will do cereal prawns but this is the first time I had cereal chicken. Done pretty well - not fantastic but the chicken was tender.

Two more dishes - the gan xiang fried rice and the or nee (yam paste). The fried rice was rather normal other than the fact that this is a spicy version fried rice. Nothing special to me.

Another winner for me that night was the or nee (yam paste). Smooth and fragrant, the or nee came with ginkgo nuts and steamed pumpkin. Thumbs up for this one. And then the highlight of the night.

Table shot of the watches present. See anything familiar? As you can seem the left side is all the round case watches including two pocket watches and the right side are the non-round case ones.

A closer look at what was there… The round ones.

The not so round ones… and some interesting pieces I might say. Two JLC Reverso Grande Dates - one in steel and one in gold. First off, some interesting round ones.

An unusual piece - the Urban Jurgensen. Someone said this resembles Kari Voutilainen and it was promptly pointed out that Kari had some connection to the man and the brand.

Next an old Minerva pocket watch. The movement was cleaned by Sean and now working well. In fact, he had done some work on the case - had it polished.

And as usual, we tend to find an IWC pocket watch courtesy of one of our friend.

The Omega Speedmaster Pro made its appearance and in a Nato strap. A wonderful iconic timepiece.

Another unusual piece from Blu. Revolving hour and a rather nice complication.

Not only is this not round, it is eight sided. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak City of Sails.

Next the Panerai Radiomir PAM 231. Not my favorite brand but unusual anyhow as they don't make many gold pieces. They are more well known for their steel pieces.

And two very interesting pieces - one from Roger Dubuis and the other from Lange & Sohne. The Roger Dubuis is the Sympathie three handed watch with central seconds.

This is one of the unique piece of the evening - unique for a few reasons. This is the white gold great dial version. Only 25 pieces were made for the Lange Owner's Group (LOG) and this is piece number One! Elegant and definitely worth it if you can get your hands on it.

And this must surely be one of the highlights of the night - other than the Lange Cabaret LOG. The Limited Edition HM2. On picture, the watch looks big but on the wrist, the watch is rather wearable. And the moon phase and date display on the left with the time on the right. Readable.

The back of the movement featuring the battle-axe automatic winding rotor. And a very unusual rectangular IWC vintage piece below.

We talked a lot more this time around which meant I had less time to take pictures and post them. I would have loved to photograph the two JLC, the Rolex Explorer 2 and the other Habring, Movas, Reed and Seikos.

Next time my friends, I promise more photos. but first things first - when are we going to have the next GTG?