The Omega Speedmaster – a good investment? And if so, which one should you go for? That is what this article is supposed to be about. – Whether and which watch replicas uk are a good investment can be discussed at length. And that’s exactly what happens in various forums. Opinions differ widely: some think nothing of it. Others rely entirely on vintage watches. Still, others mothball expiring Rolex models that they buy new for a few years, only to eventually sell them for a profit as new “rarities” that are no longer in production.
All I can say about my vintage watches is that each one has increased in value so far. Omega watches in particular have proven to be good investments for me. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a fairly cheap Omega Seamaster Quartz, a Speedmaster Mark II or a Speedmaster Mark 4.5. They all fetch much higher prices today than they did a few years ago. (More on this here Investment: vintage watches – better than any savings account or shares?).
The moon is the limit? – Price development of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
I’ve only bought one new Omega so far. A classic: the Omega Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch”. The watch that was on the moon – hand-wound (like the original Moonwatch), hesalite crystal, steel back, and stainless steel bracelet (Ref. 3570.50.00, caliber 1861). The clock just had to be.
And after being able to buy it from a jeweler at a good price about 15 years ago, I have seen the price of this Omega legend rise regularly. Again and again, I stopped at shop windows to see how the prices had increased again. And plenty of it.
However, so that the vague statement “The prices for the Omega Speedmaster have increased significantly”, I set about researching the non-binding price recommendations of the past few years in 2016 (first publication of this article). To do this, I rummaged through the internet, old catalogs, and magazines as best I could. Unfortunately, my research was not complete. I was missing a year or two. In the first two versions of this article, I called on you readers to fill in these gaps or expand my research.
Lo and behold, at the end of March 2019, I received an email from a reader, more precisely from Günter Kurt Eckert, who simply provided me with his own research for the years 1995 to 2019 in the form of an Excel table. Brilliant. Many thanks again at this point!
Günter has meticulously documented his data and sources. There were only two gaps (1999 and 2000). What is manageable with the scope? His sources were primarily the relevant specialist magazines.
The Moonwatch – prices from 1995 to today
So here is the newly created graphic – including later updates. All without guarantee, of course. But you get a pretty good impression of how the price of the Moonwatch has developed in recent years:
To make it short: The RRP has increased from the equivalent of around 1,400 euros (1995) to 7,000 euros (2022) today. So it has quintupled. A significant increase, right?
To explain: You can see in the graphic that there was a decent price jump in 2021. Reason: In January 2021, Omega announced that there will be a new version priced at 6,100 euros (2021), which will probably replace the old and cheaper one. You can find more about this below.
And of course, Omega insisted on raising the price two more times in 2022. Once for 500 euros (February 2022) and 400 euros (September 2022) – together for 900 euros. Thus, the current price of the Moonwatch is 6,600 euros (February 2022) and 7,000 euros (September 2022).
Omega Speedmaster: where are the prices headed?
One naturally asks oneself, how high can the price of these watches go up? What are buyers willing to pay? Well, besides the Moonwatch, there are a few other Speedmaster models in the Omega range. And the prices of these models, e.g. the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon k or Gray Side of the Moon, are between 9,000 and 12,000 euros. And these watches are obviously bought. In comparison, the classic Moonwatch with its 4,300, 4,600, 4,780, 6,100, 6,600, and 7,000 euros (2nd update 2022) has become a kind of entry-level model in the Speedmaster world… So the moon really does seem to be the limit.
Omega Speedmaster as an investment – wearing prohibited?
So is it worth buying a Speedmaster today in order to sell it at a decent profit in ten or more years? I personally don’t like this idea. On the one hand, it means that the watch cannot be worn – because ideally, it should remain in new condition. On the other hand, 4,300, 4,600, 4,780, 6,100, 6,600 7,000 euros (2nd update 2022) are quite a lot of money for a “physical investment” that you can’t really enjoy.
My tip is still to go with vintage or used Speedmasters. You can easily wear them and they are always a good investment. You can get the Moonwatch used – as a very rough rule of thumb – for half the new price. On ebay, prices of 2,200 to 2,500 (2016), 2,500 to 3,000 euros (2019), 3,000 to 4,000 euros (2020/21) 4,000 to 5,000 euros (ebay partner link – status: 2022) are quite realistic for the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch .
But that can change at any time, because the prices of used watches are also rising. And of course it always depends on the year and many other factors: A vintage Speedmaster from the year of the moon landing (1969) and before that costs significantly more than one from the 2000s. It also makes a difference in price, the condition of the “Speedy”, which movement (caliber 321, 861 or 1861) beats inside, whether an original steel bracelet, the papers and the box are included, etc.
In any case, it should be a hand-wound Speedmaster, Plexiglas (Hesalit), and Rolex Replications a steel base. Because only this model can be called a “Moonwatch” with a clear conscience. It comes closest to the 1960s Speedmaster model (Caliber 321, reference 145.012) worn by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the moon and left in the space capsule by Neil Armstrong.
Update – 2021/22:
Well, it was bound to happen. The Moonwatch received an update in 2021 – and with it a new price of 6,100 euros. But even that was quickly passé. Just one year later, the current price is now 6,600 7,000 euros (2nd update 2022).
There is a new reference (310.30.42.50.01.001), a new movement (3861), new steel strap and some other optical changes.
In addition, the new Moonwatch is classified as a Co-Axial Master Chronometer:
And it looks like Omega is actually taking the previous Moonwatch out of the program. This means that the entry-level price in the world of the Speedmaster series is no longer less than 5,000 euros, but significantly more.
