Lot 375

Omega

Speedmaster Broad Arrow First Generation

An extremely rare and important vintage wristwatch - Speedmaster Broad Arrow First Generation - with chronograph, 30 min. and 12h counter, auxiliary seconds and steel tachy bezel. According to the extract from the archives supplied, the watch was delivered to the United States on November 20th, 1958. This is one of the very first Speedmaster models introduced by Omega to the market !

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This "Speedmaster Broad Arrow" 2915-1 is one of the rare examples of the very first series. With its late serial number, it belongs to the last batch of reference 2915-1 produced.
The radium luminous material in the "broad arrow" hands has acquired a beautiful patina. The black dial is signed "Swiss Made", the radium indexes are gently faded, others are slightly darkened and have a colour of caramel. The very early steel case shows signs of wear that are appropriate to its age. The case back has been stamped "HF", as it was created by casemakers "Huguenin Frères".
The watch was produced in 1958 and still possesses the rare bracelet reference 7077, produced from 1957 and 1961, with short deployant clasp and expanding double links close to the clasp. The movement is stamped "OXG", indicating delivery to the USA.
Omega launched the Speedmaster in 1957 as one of three so-called "tool watches". Alongside the Seamaster diver’s watch and the Railmaster, which was intended for scientists and engineers, the Speedmaster was designed as a watertight chronograph for sports events such as motor-racing and other occasions where speed needed to be measured. For better and faster measurements, the tachy scale was engraved in the bezel instead of being printed on the dial – hence the name Speedmaster. Eventually the Speedmaster would become the legendary "moon watch".
Reference 2915-1 had a production run of less than three years. The main features of the model are the 38.5 mm watertight case, the steel bezel engraved with "Tachymètre Base 1000" and a velocity scale up to 300 km per hour. The dial has the distinctive broad arrow hands and the applied metal Omega logo at 12 o’clock as well as the delicate "Omega" inscription where the letters "O" and "G" have almost oval shapes. The unostentatious "Swiss Made" designation without "T" label sits below 6 O’clock. The movement is protected by an anti-magnetic soft iron cap and holds the legendary 1st generation calibre 321.
References 2915-1 and 2915-2 were more or less identical; reference 2915-3 launched in 1959, however, features a black aluminium bezel and alpha hands (where the hour hand is extra long) instead of the broad arrow hands. Subsequent versions came with a black inserted bezel with a 500 km/h calibration.