Omega MARK

[george_]

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After about a dozen years and continued success, Omega started the Mark Series of the Speedmaster. Although they never made the same impact on history as the Moonwatch, the “Marks” started a trend and turned the Speedmaster from a single reference into a full line of watches.

I find the Mark Series of Speedmasters more interesting than the standard Moonwatch, perhaps because of their lack of initial popularity, making them far more unique. Each one is slightly odder than the previous iteration, which is a good thing. The series also showed that despite the success of the Moonwatch, Omega was not content with resting on its laurels, unafraid to push the boundaries of conventional watchmaking. The result was a handful of interesting references, showcasing Omega’s ability to maximize creativity while still maintaining quality.

MARK II


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First up in the ‘Mark” Series is the Speedmaster Mark II. In 1969, Omega not only sent their watch to the moon, they also made their first major departure from the standard Speedmaster line with the Mark II, which was produced until 1972. The Mark II was the first in the series and there is actually no official “Mark I”. Omega intended it as a follow-on to the Moonwatch — hence, the second “mark” or iteration — but NASA was not in need of a new version.

Mark II Speedmaster
Mark II Speedmaster with “racing” dial

Internally, it was the same as the Moonwatch with the manual winding Caliber 861. This one was fitted with a mineral crystal, internal tachymetre bezel, and a streamlined case that fit right in for the time period. It was a solid step forward for Omega that showed ingenuity and progress without going too far off the deep end.

If you want an extremely well made and affordable vintage watch that you don’t see every day, look no further than the Omega Speedmaster Mark II. I personally think the Mark II with racing dial is one of the coolest vintage chronographs out there. Since the Mark II has been re-issued by Omega, now’s an excellent time to grab one of the originals.

MARK III


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The Speedmaster Mark III came along in 1971 and was in production until 1973. Being the first Speedmaster with an automatic movement, the Mark III was a significant improvement for the line. The Caliber 1040 is a two-register chronograph movement, which came out of a joint venture between Omega and Lemania. Two years after the Mark III release, the Speedy 125 took the Caliber 1040 one step further by making it Omega’s first automatic chronograph to receive the certified chronometer label.

Speedmaster Mk III
Speedmaster Mark III(a)

Another unique feature of the Mark III is that it was produced in three different cases: the Mark III(a) with a Flightmaster style case, the Mark III(b) with a Seamaster style case and the Mark III(c) with a square Seamaster style case. Oddly enough, the Mark III’s variety of cases found use not only as Speedmasters, but in the Seamaster line as well.

The Flightmaster style case (pictured) of the Mark III(a) is decidedly futuristic. If Stanley Kubrick made 2001: A Space Odyssey a couple years later, I’m sure Dave and the other astronauts would be wearing that Speedy.

MARK IV



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The Mark IV was released in 1973, was produced only through 1974, and is somewhat of an amalgamation. With a case based on the Mark II and the Caliber 1040 movement found in the Mark III, it’s a wonder what Omega’s intent was with the Mark IV. One of the very interesting features is the crystal, dial, and movement can be taken out of the watch as one piece. Nevertheless, the Mark IV is a great looking piece with a fantastic movement that is getting increasingly hard to find. One really can’t go wrong between this or any of the previous Mark releases.

MARK V



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You want really rare? Well, Speedmaster Mark V fits the bill. It was only made in 1984 and specifically for the German market — primarily West Germany and Switzerland. With only about 40,000 made, it’s details like this that make the Mark V very appealing. This Speedy had the storied Caliber 1045 movement housed in case that is wonderfully awkward — par for the course for Omega at this point. These are increasingly rare; I’ve personally only come across one of these models. If you have any appetite for a Mark V, and you happen to find one, lock that thing down!

[george_]

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The Omega Mark IV was the third follow-up to the standard Speedmaster. Until the Mark II came out in the late 60s, Omega only really had one Speedmaster out at a time. The Marks were intended essentially to improve on the Moon Watch in terms of ruggedness and technology while cashing in on the Speedmaster name and diversify the product family. They typically say "Professional" on the dial though they weren't NASA certified, if I recall. Mark II was a standard cal. 861 in a beefier case. Mark III used a new automatic chronograph (cal. 1040) movement in an even beefier case, then Mark IV came out with the 1040 movement but toned down the case a bit.

As for the movement, yours is cal. 1040 which is a historically important one for Omega. It was designed by Lemania and though not the first it was one of the earliest automatic chronograph calibers available. It is exclusive to Omega though it is similar to the Lemania 1340 which lacked the 24 hour disc and had fewer jewels and lesser finishing. Omega used it in 8 different models, including the 176.007s that were posted in a thread just a couple of posts below yours, during a short period in the early to mid 1970s. It is known as an accurate, higher-end Swiss chronograph for the era and was costly to manufacture and tricky to service. Timing was bad for the 1040- Swiss watch sales peaked shortly after its debut and started a looong decline due to new and cheaper technology hitting the market. Omega discontinued the 1040 and replaced it with cal. 1045, which was more affordable to manufacture.

[Petros1]

Το Mark V δεν μ ενθουσιάζει καθόλου σαν project....μόνο συλλεκτική η αξία του ,καθώς παρήχθησαν λίγα κομμάτια απ ότι καταλαβαίνω...