Fraternal Twins: Omega Speedmaster “FOIS” and CK2998

Omega walks a fine line with its Speedmaster special editions. They must be sufficiently numerous to make money, sufficiently different to avoid collector ennui, and sufficiently “limited” to avoid descent into the wrong kind of comic irony. Never has Omega walked a finer line than in its design and marketing of the Speedmaster First Omega in Space and the Speedmaster CK2998 limited edition.

How well did Omega walk the line? In order to answer that question, a comparison is in order.

2012: The First Omega In Space

Technically, this watch is called the Speedmaster Moonwatch “First Omega In Space,” but its friends universally call it the “FOIS.” A Baselworld 2012 50th anniversary model, the FOIS paid tribute to American astronaut Wally Schirra’s personal Omega CK2998. That “pre-Moon” and “pre-Professional” Speedmaster famously flew with its owner during Mercury mission “Sigma 7” in 1962.

The FOIS revived most of the core design cues that distinguished the pre-Professional Speedmasters. Prior to 1965 NASA acceptance and Omega modifications to secure that status, the Speedmaster was a very different looking machine than the eventual NASA-issue. Most notable was the smaller 39.7mm straight-lug/no-guard case. When Omega modified the case to recess the crown and pushers, it also added the pronounced lug bevels that remain a staple of the Speedmaster Moonwatch to this day. At 42mm, the current Speedmaster Professional also marks a significant sizing step up from Schirra’s watch.

Omega also turned back the clock – err, watch – with a dial designed to evoke the CK2998. Handsome vintage alpha style hands for time and registers, minimalist “no-Pro” Omega Speedmaster branding, and a simplified lancet seconds hand provided additional links to the original. On the caseback, Omega revived the early 1960s-style image of the “hippocampus,” or seahorse, that featured on Schirra’s watch.

Modern upgrades were mostly transparent – some literally so; the original watch’s Plexiglas crystal was swapped for sapphire in the FOIS. Luminova luminescent dial paint replaced the original watch’s tritium. Inside the case, the current-generation Lemania-based caliber 1861 manual chronograph did yeoman duty.

Each FOIS boxed set was a trophy in itself. A wooden display box, extensive documentation, accessory straps, and strap tools provided additional value. Although not a limited series, the “numbered edition” FOIS was a low-volume watch with a short production run by Speedmaster standards. It remains uncommon and special to this day.

2016: Omega Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition

How do you pay encore tribute to a watch that you honored only four model years prior? Imagination and quality, that’s how.

Wally Schirra’s favored companion received an unexpected sequel salute in 2016 courtesy of the whimsical CK2998 Limited Edition.

Omega started with the same vintage-style case, sapphire crystal, and caliber 1861 movement from the FOIS, and then the gentlemen from Bienne when off-script.

Rather than risk creating a tribute to a tribute (e.g., FOIS), Omega broke the industry habit of conservative “reedition” design by lavishing the CK2998 with color, character, and a modern sensibility. Blue is the color of the moment in the luxury watch space, but it was alien in outer space, circa 1962. To emphasize that the new CK2998 was a postmodern homage and not a reedition, Omega added copious blue content – starting with the decidedly au courant blue ceramic and fully luminescent tachymeter.

A sunken minutes-track of matching navy blue marked another colorful departure from the vintage inspiration. The visual break with the white center dial was striking; Omega’s addition of contrasting blue sub-registers was even more so. Applied hour markers and Omega logo imparted a pure-luxury aesthetic absent in the utilitarian dial of the FOIS. While Omega specified calfskin and an accessory textile NATO strap for the 2012 model, the 2016 edition was shod with a blue alligator leather band in order to stress its modern-luxury intent.

History was acknowledged but not plagiarized in order to tie the CK2998 to its historic forebear. In common with the FOIS, the CK2998 employed a vintage Omega “no-Pro” script and font on the dial, and the period-piece alpha hands returned for hours, minutes, and sub registers. Unlike the FOIS and the late-production CK2998 carried by Schirra, the CK2998 Limited Edition drew from the original 1959 version of the model. The much loved “lollipop” seconds hand replaced the FOIS’ simple lancet seconds to great media and collector acclaim.

The After-Math

Both Omega Speedmaster special editions – FOIS and CK2998 – remain well regarded and collectible watches in the eyes of casual buyers and Speedmaster diehards alike.

But there is no disputing the verdict of the watch collectors’ marketplace; the CK2998 (reference 311.33.40.30.02.001) tends to trade within a range of $6,000 to $7,000 U.S; the FOIS (reference 311.32.40.30.01.001) trades between $3,500 and $4,500 U.S. Given its greater rarity, inventive post-modern nod to history, the higher level of tachymeter materials, and superior dial detailing, the price premium for the CK 2998 is justified.

Fortunately for end-users, this means that the extravagant accessory set – box, straps, tools – of the FOIS is within easier reach. Whether your budget shoots for the moon or sticks to Earth orbit, either one of these special Speedies will satisfy your inner astronaut. If you love learning about the history behind such an infamous collection, read this article that remembers the first Omega Speedmaster. Or, browse our entire collection of pre-owned chronographs for similar pieces.