« Omega Responds to an Online Hype »
The butterfly effect describes a phenomenon from chaos theory in which small changes in initial conditions can have enormous consequences. That is exactly what happened in 2012, when a harmless Facebook post with the hashtag "Speedy Tuesday" gave rise to an entire community and prompted Omega to release two limited editions. What began as an online hype has grown into a community of watch enthusiasts around the world who share their passion for Speedmaster watches with one another.
From Hashtag to Hype
The "movement" got its start while Dutchman Robert-Jan Broer, founder of the popular online watch magazine Fratello Watches, was on vacation. On a Tuesday in spring 2012, he posted a picture of his Omega on Facebook with the caption "Speedy Tuesday." On its own, that was nothing new, since "Speedy" had been a popular nickname for the Speedmaster for decades. After his vacation, Broer began using the hashtag repeatedly in his online articles about Omega's famous chronograph, which spread the term enormously and drew enthusiasts from around the world on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Over the following years, "Speedy Tuesday" was shared hundreds of thousands of times, giving like-minded fans a lively forum to talk about the Moonwatch, Dark Side of the Moon, and the rest.
The Road to a Special Edition
At the same time, Fratello's profile was growing. From 2014 to 2018, the magazine belonged to Ebner Media (Chronos, Watchtime, etc.), expanded the scope of its coverage, and was even mentioned in the New York Times, GQ, and on Hodinkee. In 2016, Fratello met Omega CEO Raynald Aeschlimann over dinner in Switzerland to discuss a fitting way to honor the hype. The result: for the hashtag's fifth anniversary in 2017, a special edition would be released that adopted popular design features from Speedmaster history and, in a nod to the year Speedy Tuesday was born, was limited to 2,012 pieces.
ST1: The First Official Tribute to the Space Shuttle Missions
The Swiss luxury brand celebrated two firsts when the first Omega Speedy Tuesday (Ref. 311.32.42.30.01.001) hit the market in January 2017. First, it was a purely online launch, promoted exclusively on social media channels and requiring a reservation with the manufacturer. The response was overwhelming; within just a few hours, every piece of the series, known simply as the "ST1," had been claimed. Second, the chronograph pays homage to the 1978 "Alaska III" (Ref. ST 145.022), 56 examples of which were delivered to NASA and which, with its anti-reflective finish, saw service aboard the Space Shuttles of the 1980s. Never before had the Biel-based brand released an official tribute to the Space Shuttle chapter of its space history.
Like its historical predecessor, the 2017 Omega Speedy Tuesday features a fully matte-brushed stainless steel case (42 millimeters) and adopts the NASA model's popular radial dial with enlarged numerals. The radial subdials are especially impressive in the dark, when the individual rings glow in green lume. Details such as the vintage brand logo on the crown and dial reinforce the historical connection, as does the reverse panda design first introduced in 1966, complete with a matte black aluminum tachymeter bezel. The solid caseback is crowned by the Seahorse medallion, surrounded by the individual piece's exact number and an inscription honoring the Alaska III. Power comes from the classic manual-winding caliber 1861, which Moonwatch fans will know all too well. Today, in 2021, you should budget around €11,000 for an ST1 in like-new condition.
ST2: The Sequel, Inspired by Japan's Ultraman Series
The groundbreaking success of the first Omega Speedy Tuesday led the luxury brand to unveil a second special edition the following year, in 2018, also limited to 2,012 pieces. Unlike the ST1, the Ultraman Anniversary Limited Edition (Ref. 311.12.42.30.01.001) is dedicated not to space but to the Japanese cult series Ultraman. The science fiction show aired in 1966 across 39 episodes; the fourth episode featured a Speedmaster with an orange chronograph seconds hand, matched to the look of the monster "Attack Team." In the sixties, this was a remarkable balancing act between fantasy and reality, since by then the "Speedy" had already notched up real space successes with NASA.
Apart from its orange accents, the ST2 itself only subtly references Ultraman's fictional adventures. You need the included UV light to bring to life the spectacular blue luminous coating with an orange Ultraman head in the small seconds subdial. Other highlights of the 42-millimeter stainless steel chronograph are the futuristic hexagonal presentation box and the included straps: a black-and-orange NATO strap and a black leather strap. The caseback bears the limited-edition number along with an engraving of the "Speedy Tuesday" hashtag. As with the ST1, the caliber 1861 provides historic flair inside. The price is similar, too; Ultraman enthusiasts currently have to part with around €11,000 for this special edition.
2021: Will There Be a Third Omega Speedy Tuesday?
Although no third limited edition has appeared in three years, the trend lives on. Since 2012, Fratello has published hundreds of articles on Omega's most beloved chronograph, with new ones added regularly. In 2017, the magazine even released a print edition to mark Speedy Tuesday. In short, there is no doubt that the community around the popular hashtag will live on and win over new enthusiasts for this storied chronograph every year. What remains uncertain, however, is whether an ST3 will ever appear. In 2018, we predicted with high probability a successor for 2019, which never came. In 2020 and 2021, too, the manufacturer did not celebrate the online trend with further models. It seems the Swiss brand has turned its attention to other projects. Cause for sadness? Not at all. Because wherever one trend fades, another will emerge and bring new special editions with it.
