Omega introduced some rather interesting and colourful timepieces at this year’s Baselworld but probably one of the most talked about pieces, whether good or bad, is the limited edition CK2998 Speedmaster, which loosely pays tribute to its predecessor. The original CK2998 was indeed the first Speedmaster to be worn in space and Omega acknowledged this feat when they re-issued the FOIS in 2012. Last year they introduced another Speedmaster identical to this piece, however, that sported a rather unfamiliar Sedna gold case – that again, some were fond of and some not. This year, Omega have given us a twist – colour-wise – on the timepiece we saw last year.
The new Speedmaster CK2998 features a 39.7 mm stainless steel case, which of course in classic fashion features no crown guards. It sports brushed sides and polished lugs, like that of the previous straight-lugged Omega Speedmaster cases. One of the most notable, standout features is of course the blue tachymetre bezel, which is fashioned out of ceramic and makes use of white Luminova, which emits a green glow, though admittedly it would be nice to see a more vintage DON (dot over ninety) inspired style. The dial is Protected by a box-form, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and on the rear is a screw-down, solid case back, which sports the hippocampus and Speedmaster inscription.
It goes without saying that the standout feature of this Speedmaster is the dial. The dial makes use of a opaline silvery base with navy blue subsidiary dials, an outer chapter ring, which incorporates the minute scale and the whole look is tied together with the use of an applied Omega logo. This layout of the dial gives what is known as a reverse-panda appearance but also harks back to the Schumacher Speedmaster’s too. The hands are where things really start to get interesting. While Omega have used the customary Alpha hands to indicate hours on minutes, they’ve really gone back into the archives to resurrect the chronograph lollipop seconds-hand – taken from the 2nd generation CK2998. Again, all hands, excluding the sub dial registers, feature Omega’s Super Luminova.
The Speedmaser CK2998 re-edition comes on a navy blue leather strap with beige stitching and a polished Omega pin-buckle clasp. Beating away at the heart of the Speedmaster CK2998 re-edition is Omega’s famed manual-wound calibre 1861 (an evolution of the 861) that boasts of a 48-hour power reserve. The Omega Speedmaster CK2998 is limited to, yup you’ve’ guessed it, 2,998 pieces worldwide.
One thing about this Speedmaster that I observed and totally understand, is that it’s definitely a love it or hate kind of Speedmaster and I for one am in the first category. While the colours utilised are quite bold they just somehow seem to work giving the CK2998 a more exotic appearance and feel. And let’s not forget about the use of the lollipop seconds hand, giving a nod to its historical predecessor. In short, it is a awesome looking timepiece from the outside but there is still a part of me that wishes Omega would give limited edition Speedmasters like these a different chronograph calibre but naturally this would only increase its low price…
The new Speedmaster CK2998 as mentioned is limited to 2998 pieces and will retail for £4,100. For more information on this new Speedmaster visit the official Omega website.
You might also like
