Omega Speedmaster  "The 1957 Trilogy" 60th Anniversary Limited ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001

The Origins

Based on Omega’s earlier chronographs from the 1920s and '30s, but launched in 1957, the Omega Speedmaster is inarguably one of the most iconic chronographs ever made. Named after the purpose of the tachymeter along its bezel, the Speedmaster was designed for race car drivers and pilots to time events like their laps and make rapid calculations to figure out things like their average speed, fuel consumption and so forth. While these adrenaline-fueled activities might be exciting and would catapult plenty of other chronographs to the mainstream, they weren't what made the Speedmaster so iconic. Indeed, the Speedmaster earned its name thanks to its use in space and on the Moon. 

Following its submission to NASA to be worn by astronauts as part of their standard-issue equipment and a gruelling series of tests with several competing brands that it came out on top on, the Speedmaster debuted in space during the Gemini program of 1965. Today, the Speedmaster has many forms and the Speedmaster ’57 is perhaps one of the most iconic given its place as the original, and the very close ancestor to the ref. CK2998, which was the first Speedmaster that was worn into space in 1959 on the wrist of Walter Schirra. Offered with a design that has remained incredibly authentic to the original, the Speedmaster ’57 was launched in 2017 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its inspiration. Featuring an incredibly carefully executed construction and dial, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 is almost visually identical to its inspiration, and thanks to that it has gone down a treat with Omega collectors. 

The Case and Dial

Speaking to the Speedmaster CK2915’s original dimensions and wrist presence, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 features a 38.6mm diameter stainless steel case, with a stainless steel bezel and a tall domed hesalite crystal that gives the watch the authentic wrist appeal equal to that of the original. Indeed, given it is not a Moonwatch, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001’s construction also features some design details that separate it from the Speedmaster Professional, such as twisted lyre lugs and crown guards, but its lugs do still retain large bevels that give the watch a gorgeous sleek profile as it tapers onto the wrist. Combined with its three-piece flat link bracelet, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 brings a different design to the modern Speedmaster collection, and it’s a treat. 

Additionally, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001’s dial is also a move away from the Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” in that it features an applied Omega logo at 12 o’clock and less branding thanks to lacking the “Professional” moniker that the subsequent Speedmaster Professional got. Additionally, it also comes fitted with different hands, with white alpha hands found in each of its three subdials, a large arrow-tipped hour hand (where its “Broad Arrow” nickname comes from) and dauphine minute hand, both of which match the fauxtina hour markers that surround the black dial. These design choices are quite a large departure from the Moonwatch’s sword-shaped hands that Omega later went with, so the ref. ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 has its very own unique flair in that it brings a different experience on the wrist given that its display is very much its own. 

The Movement

Powered by the manual-wind cal. 1861 movement, the same movement that has been in Speedmaster models since 1996, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001’s horological heritage is certainly not to be questioned. Beating at 3Hz and offering 48 hours of power reserve alongside being a cam-actuated chronograph instead of the superior column-wheel controlled chronograph that has been popularised in recent years, its technical prowess might be though. Nonetheless, this rhodium-plated movement is an important part of the Speedmaster’s heritage, and its inclusion in the watch is a fitting testament to its ancestors, the Lemania cal. 321 that was in the original Speedmaster, which led to the cal. 861, and eventually the cal. 1861. 

Celebrating Heritage

It must be said that Omega does produce a lot of limited edition watches that celebrate the brand’s incredibly rich history, but those modern re-editions do often feature large aesthetic departures from the originals that inspire them. This mix of modernity and historical accuracy often creates fan favorites, but the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001’s almost perfect adherence to the CK2915 has created a watch that celebrates the Speedmaster’s heritage in as rich and thorough a vein as possible. On the back of this limited edition’s release, more Omega collectors than ever were able to celebrate, own and wear the CK2915’s design without having to shell out the money to buy an original.  

Market Performance

Besides its aesthetic beauty and clear link to Omega’s past, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 was always going to be an in demand watch thanks to Omega launching it as a limited edition collection of only 3557 pieces. As a result, collectors quickly snapped the watch up at its original MSRP of $7250. Of course, given the way the market was at the time, the watch was still available for a number of years following its debut for around $1000 less than its MSRP, with its market value hovering between $6200 to $6500, which lasted until late 2020. 

As 2021 rolled around, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 began to climb in value and eventually landed on an all-time high market value of around $10000 in May of 2023. Since then, the watch has fallen slightly to around $9200, but that still represents a 15.4% price premium over its last known MSRP of $8000, or a 50% gain on its market value of around $6200 just four years ago. Gaining consistently over the years, with a 0.9% gain in the last 90 days, the ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 breaks from Omega’s typical pattern of market performance to offer a low cost of ownership for those who bought it longer than 18 months ago, and peace of mind for those who want to buy it now in that its market value shouldn’t drop much more given that it has started to appreciate once more. 

Check out the live performance of Omega Speedmaster  "The 1957 Trilogy" 60th Anniversary Limited ref. 311.10.39.30.01.001 on The Wristcheck Index