1998 Omega Speedmaster Reduced "Schumacher" Yellow Box & Papers 3510.12.00
Ref: 3510.12.00
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : Omega Service Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its special Formula 1 slick tyre and wheel Omega Presentation box and Omega paperwork, though the card is hard to decipher exactly. The watch comes paired with an 18mm polished and brushed Omega stainless steel bracelet with a signed folded clasp. The watch is from Circa. 1998 and is sold in worn condition, but overall this is in very fair, original condition for its age with a tiny dent between the 75 and 70 on the steel bezel, as you can see from the photographs. The watch has come back from a full Omega Service, parts and paperwork is provided, see the photos. The watch comes with its Omega warranty from service.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TOefXGXb_gDuyq8wnYHZJTLxw18hnmmH?usp=sharing
4K YouTube video, skip to 13:50 - https://youtu.be/3Qjbkz1UjSQ
The Watch
One man in Formula 1 stands out for his incredible achievements during his career from 1991-2006 and 2010-2012, 7 world championships, the one, and only Michael Schumacher. First introduced in 1996 they came in a vibrant blue alongside red and yellow dials celebrating Schumacher’s first drive for Ferrari. Here we have a 1998 Omega Speedmaster Reduced "Schumacher" Yellow Box & Papers 3510.12.00 that has a satin-brushed and polished 39mm stainless steel case that curves over your wrist with the characteristic twisted lugs, a lug-to-lug length of 44.5mm and a case thickness of 12mm gives the watch an impressive wrist presence. Polished and brushed surfaces transition with crisp flowing lines. On the right side, we have the short chronograph pushers with a signed crown in the centre. A fixed steel bezel has a black Tachymeter scale insert printed numerals in silver. A domed Hesalite crystal signed in the centre, sits above a vibrant yellow dial. An outer white chequer pattern surrounds baton indexes coated in luminescence marking the hours. At 3 o’clock a 60-second continuous register, at 6 o’clock a 12-hour register, and finally at 9 o’clock a 30-minute register. Red and black hands add a nice contrast to the registers. Yellow baton hands are outlined in black and filled with luminescence. A red tapered chronograph seconds hand hits the mark. On the reverse, a screw-down case back with the Hippocampus embossed in the centre, inside an automatic Omega Cal. 3220, 47 jewels, based on ETA 2892-A2 with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph platform which gives the Reduced a stepped profile to the pushers and crown. The watch comes paired on an 18mm polished and brushed Omega stainless steel bracelet with a signed folded clasp and comes with its special Formula 1 slick tyre and wheel Omega Presentation box and Omega paperwork.
Personal Note
I have always been a big fan of the "Reduced" or automatic range of Speedmasters with their slightly smaller proportions which works great for someone with a smaller wrist like myself, but then also the fact that Omega seemed to allow for much more fun in the design department for the automatic range. These Schumacher dials are stunning and really do pop, this model in this condition with its original box and papers will make a collector very happy!
The Brand
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. The Speedmaster was initially introduced in 1957 to compete with the chronographs in the crowd-pulling motor racing field, which was becoming ever more competitive as the drivers achieved higher speeds; therefore a need for accurate timepieces became all the more essential. Omega was the first to have the tachymeter on the bezel rather than on the dial. This was later adopted in 1963 by the Rolex Daytona.