To my great delight (but I won’t say surprise), the Omega Speedmaster Professional took the highest number of votes in the Most Desirable Vintage Watch category for this year’s awards. Although often overlooked in favor of some other popular chronographs and divers, the Omega Speedmaster has the distinction of being the first watch worn on the moon -- a milestone for mankind that just saw its 45th anniversary earlier this month -- which lends it some pretty serious street cred that is tough, if not downright impossible, to beat.
As it should be with any icon, the basic Speedmaster Professional has remained available virtually unchanged since its humble beginnings in the late 1950s, and a modern iteration is still available today at your local dealer. Vintage examples are (of course) more desirable to collectors, who care for the stories they tell, and so many of them have traveled the earth -- not to mention the heavens -- so each is unique and wonderful.
In my day job as a vintage watch consultant and dealer, I receive more requests for Speedmasters than any other timepiece, a testament to their broad and lasting appeal. A few years ago, there were many more high-quality examples to be had on the market. Today, finding good ones is becoming a challenge -- not because there are fewer in existence, but because more people are holding on to them and cherishing them as part of their permanent collections, instead of just having a brief fling.
Still, there are plenty of examples available for those who know where to look. Even better, there is a broad price range depending on their reference, making them attainable for collectors on virtually any budget… at least for the time being. As the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 looms only five short years away, I see nothing but increasing appreciation (and value) for this tremendously important chronograph model. While 2014 celebrates the Speedmaster Professional as Vintage Watch of the Year, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it ends up as Vintage Watch of the Decade by the time 2019 rolls around.