If you’re a regular reader, you already know how much I like Omega’s 2012 re-edition of the historically important ref. 2998, a model that Walter Schirra wore in 1962 during his Sigma 7 flight. I bought one of my own just a couple of days after publishing the story because I couldn’t find it in me to give it back to Omega.
It quickly established itself in my collection as the go-to watch and took home the annual “Most Worn” title in 2016. At almost the halfway point in 2017, it looks like it will retain that title and the more time it spends on my wrist, the more I appreciate it. I enjoy it not just as a pure re-edition of the ref. 2998, but as a Speedmaster with all of the line’s best attributes.
It’s precisely because of these reasons that I’ve always had a bit of an uneasy relationship with another beloved Omega Speedmaster replica watches – the “First Omega In Space” in Sedna Gold. It is a gorgeous watch, no doubt, a deluxe version of my own, but I’ve also always thought of it as a big departure from the Speedmaster and one that I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with. Speedy enthusiasts mostly welcomed the watch when it was launched in 2015, and some have tried their hardest to convince me of its appeal, but for several reasons I have been unable to hear them.
First of all, the very best and most defining attribute of the popular Omega fake Speedmaster watches versus almost every other chronograph of the 1960s is its uniform black dial. The panda scheme is attractive, and the opaline dial and brown sub-dials of the Sedna Gold edition works particularly well, but it felt like Omega was encroaching into enemy territory – what I’ve learned since going hands on with the Sedna Gold edition is that another model set this precedent 20 years ago.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, I’ve always found that putting the Speedmaster in a precious metal was a bit of a bourgeois move. Omega copy watches with brown leather straps were (and I consider it to still be) an affordable sports watch, and definitely an everyday watch. At $18,000, this Sedna Gold edition remains affordable to a sub-section of Omega’s clientele, but it doesn’t really feel in keeping with the spirit of the Speedmaster.
But recently I got to spend some quality time with one of these watches, and I’ve got to say, it has challenged some of my viewpoints. Right away, I was struck with how gorgeous the Sedna Gold FOIS is in person. It looks nothing like my watch, but it looks fine as hell. One thing I’ve noticed taking photos of watches for a few years is that the better looking the watch, the easier it is to photograph, and here the photos speak for themselves. If ever there was a looker, this watch is it.