Tag Archives: Skeleton

Speedy of the Week: 2013 #32

Omega Speedmaster Professional Skeleton 145.0053

Omega Speedmaster Professional Skeleton  BA 145.0053 by Antiquorum

The second Speedmaster to be featured in our Speedy of the Week posts is the 1994 Speedmaster Professional Skeleton in yellow gold, reference BA 145.0053.

The 145.0053, and its siblings, were introduced in 1994 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the moon landing. We like to consider it the first Speedmaster Professional with a more romantic and artistic approach to it : less tool, less instrumental, more art.. much like the recent Apollo XVII 40th Anniversary. While this might not be to everyone’s liking, it is an interesting idea: a functional instrument transformed into a piece of art. Somehow it reminds us of the Art Cars by BMW.

BMW Art Car 320i Roy Lichtenstein

BMW Art Car 320i Roy Lichtenstein

The BA 145.0053 is powered by Caliber 867, a hand-skeletonized version of Caliber 861/863. The skeletonizing was done by no other than Armin Strom. Mr. Strom started working on watches in 1967 and soon found his passion in creating skeleton timepieces – cutting all unnecessary bits of the movement away, while delicately engraving the leftover pieces. His work reputably earned him a place in the Guinness World Records book, but we must admit we could not find it in our 2009 copy. Although retired in 2011, his company Armin Strom AG is still very much alive and his signature style is still identifiable in the current pieces.

Caliber 867 was used in a select number of watches:

  • BA 145.0053 (PIC 3696.50), yellow gold, strap/bracelet* 50 pieces
  • AT 145.0063 (PIC 3097.30), platinum on strap, 50 pieces (including the bracelet version)
  • AT 345.0063 (PIC 3096.30), platinum on bracelet, 50 pieces (including the strap version)
  • AT 245.0063 (PIC 3099.30), platinum on strap, diamond bezel, 5 pieces
  • AT 445.0063 (PIC 3098.30), platinum on bracelet, diamond bezel, diamond bracelet, 5 pieces
  • BA 245.0053 (PIC 3697.10), yellow gold, diamond + emerald bezel, 1 piece
  • BA 245.0054 (PIC 3698.10), yellow gold, diamond + sapphire bezel, 1 piece

*Would likely be 345.0053 on bracelet, but no records found. PIC likely 3697.50 on bracelet, 3696.50 on strap.

Press Release – Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase Skeleton

Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase Skeleton 3688 30.32

Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonphase Skeleton 3688 30.32

In line with the launch of the Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase model, OMEGA presents a special series of unique skeletonised versions. A mere 57 such models will be produced (in allusion to the first-ever Speedmaster model, launched in 1957) using the most precious of materials. Produced in-house by the master watchmakers at OMEGA’s top-of-the range manufacturing cell, each piece is totally unique and constitutes one of the ultimate Speedmasters.

April 3rd 2003 – read more below the gallery

The watch case and bezel are in platinum, the dial is silver with a yellow gold base, the hour markers in blued gold and the hands in blued steel. A sapphire crystal is used for the watch face and the transparent case back and the luxury theme continues with the black alligator leather strap, which is fitted with an 18-carat white gold foldover clasp. Only the very best materials available are used in this exclusive Speedmaster, as a fitting surround for the spectacular skeletonised movement.

The manual-winding OMEGA chronograph calibre 3604 is the result of countless painstaking hours of work by OMEGA’s most experienced master watchmakers. No less than 100 hours go in to the crafting of one single movement at the exclusive top-of-the-range workshop at OMEGA’s head office in Bienne, Switzerland. The steel components used in the movement are drawn, bevelled and polished by hand, the movement is skeletonised by hand and the decorative engravings are also done by hand. The watchmaker adds his own individual artistic touch to the decorations on the movement, making each watch unique and clearly distinguishable. Unique detailing complements the blued-steel hands and blued gold hour markers on the dial: the screw heads on the dial side are polished, whereas those on the bridge side of the movement have blued-steel heads. Furthermore, the calibre number is engraved on the chronograph bridge and each piece is individually numbered in red on the dial at 12 o’clock (01/57 – 57/57).

The limited-edition OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase models are produced entirely in-house at OMEGA’s specialist top-of-the-range workshop. This workshop is dedicated solely to the brand’s most exclusive timepieces and is notably responsible for production of the OMEGA Central Tourbillon – the only watch in the world with a central tourbillon cage, of which it produces only a handful each year. The same experience, feeling and minute craftsmanship that go into each Tourbillon are used for the limited-edition Speedmaster, representing the horological tradition of manufacture at its finest.

In keeping with these traditional watchmaking skills, the OMEGA skeletonised Speedmaster Moon Phase retains one feature that dates from before the age of the computer: the tachometer scale on the bezel, which has stood the test of time and become a trademark of the legendary Speedmaster.