1974 Omega Speedmaster Speedsonic Electric 188.0002
Ref: 188.0002

Points of Mention

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Omega box or original Omega paperwork. The watch comes paired on a reproduction Omega 22mm leather strap with a reproduction buckle which suits the design perfectly. The watch is from Circa. 1974 in worn/vintage condition and does show signs of wear, but overall it is in very good condition for its age. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

The Watch

Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. it was founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848. In 1903 they renamed the company Omega until 1982 when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1 Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. After stringent tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today Omega is still an astronaut's first choice of timepiece. They are part of the Swiss Swatch Group.

Here we have a 1974 Omega Speedmaster Speedsonic Electric 188.0002 with a 43mm tonneau case. The case sits on the wrist like a cushion with a lug to lug length of 44mm and a case thickness of 14.5mm giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. Down the right side, we have the chronograph pushers and a signed crown in the centre recessed under the case for protection.  The domed crystal sits above a dark blue sunburst dial. An inner dark grey Tachymeter scale is precisely printed in white. Applied sloping steel baton indexes mark the hours. At 3 o’clock individually framed day/date window. At 12 o’clock a small second register, at 6 o’clock 12-hour register and finally at 9 o’clock a 30-minute register, each one is black with white hands and markings. Steel baton hands have a strip of luminance down the centre complemented by a white tapered chronograph hand. Text is precisely applied at 3 o’clock. On the reverse a screw-down case back with an embossed Hippocampus SEAMASTER in the centre. According to Petros Protopapas, Omega’s International Brand Heritage Manager, after 1957 and the release of the Omega Trilogy SEAMASTER 300, RAILMASTER and SPEEDMASTER. In their brochure, it was introduced as the SPEEDMASTER SEAMASTER and seen as the child of the SEAMASTER that is why they share the same logo. Inside a Tuning Fork ESA 9210. ESA developed this movement in 1970, its design and manufacture of this chronograph module was done by Dubois-Depraz. It was also used by Certina, Longines, Baume & Mercier and a few others but production was limited to 21,000 units. The watch comes fitted on a reproduction Omega 22mm leather strap with a reproduction buckle.

Personal Note

Truly a beautiful watch and very large for its time, it also feels unapologetically 1970s but still in a classy way? Highly doubt that will make sense to many, but it does in my head! The dial is stunning, especially in direct light! This is one of those watches that you could wear to a watch event and most would have never seen one or even know it exists, that's what I love about Omega, they still have so many hidden gems!