Omega
*Unpolished* 1974 Omega Speedmaster Automatic MARK III (Ref. 176.002) "Silver Dial"
In the early 1970s, Omega had everything it could have possibly wanted when it came to its wildly successful and lunar-landed Speedmaster. But in 1971, the iconic Swiss watch manufacturer just couldn't help itself but try something new and a little bit weird, tweaking that perfect NASA-approved recipe. Subsequently, Omega unveiled the watch that we have here in front of you: the Speedmaster Professional Mark III, ref. 176.002.
Like the Mark II that was released two years prior, the new Omega Speedmaster Mark III featured a futuristic case shape with hidden lugs that are emblematic of the 1970s. However, while its Mark II predecessor was powered by a traditional manual wind movement, the new Speedmaster Mark III ref. 176.002 featured Omega’s first-ever automatic chronograph movement: the Caliber 1040. Created in conjunction with Lemania (the same movement manufacturer who helped produce the legendary Cal. 321), the new Cal. 1040 marked a crucial milestone for the Speedmaster collection, and the Mark III was the watch that ushered in a new era of self-winding Omega chronographs
| Stock # | OSMMKIII-2 | |
| Brand | Omega | |
| Style | Speedmaster MARK III | |
| Model | 176.002 | |
| Serial | 362XXXXX | |
| Size | Men's | |
| Material | Stainless Steel | |
| Dial | Silver | |
| Millimeters | 41x52 | |
| Bracelet | Omega 1162 Bracelet W/ 172 End Pieces |
CASE & BRACELET
The top-down view displays the magnificent sunburst finish of the case and gives the appearance of a unique but elegant chronograph, however, the side of the case reveals the tall, volcano-like structure of the watch that is nearly 16mm thick. While the case is thick, it is also surprisingly ergonomic on wrist, providing comfortable wearability on wrist. The extremely crisp unpolished condition of the case is a sight to behold, showcasing the factory precision of Omega from this era. The case exhibits gentle signs of use but no notable damage is present. The Omega 1162 / 172 stainless steel bracelet retains 22 links that show almost no stretch and will fit up to a 7 3/4-inch wrist.
DIAL & HANDS
The original silver dial is in exceptional condition and features a metallic blue deep-sloped inner tachymetre ring that is also in exceptional condition. There is a few surface marks on the dial that blend into the silver finish and are invisible to the naked eye. The tritium lume plots all remain intact and have a charming creamy patina, under UV light inspection the 10, 11, and 12 o'clock lume plots show nominal degradation. Unlike many other Speedmasters, the MARK III features a date window at 3 o'clock, while on the opposite side sits a 24-hour sub-dial with its bottom half-finished in a beautiful blue/grey to help users distinguish between day and night hours. The original tritium hands are in perfect condition, the lume matches the dial perfectly and exhibits no degradation under UV light inspection.
ACCESSORIES
The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.