The replica watch purchasing market is introduced to a bevy of new chronographs every single year, each touting the ability to fill a void in the horological aficionado’s stable. These replica watches are highly affected by industry trends in that the designs and technology backing, and their chances of becoming time-tested classics are often slim to none. This is why so many collectors decide to invest in heralded icons like Omega’s legendary Speedmaster, that have no chance of going out of flavor anytime soon. Throughout the space-faring chronograph’s history, we’ve seen many stunning references, though none with a production run as long as the famed replica model. Let’s talk further here.
With this in mind, the absence of NASA flight qualification engravings on the caseback is understandable. This was also the very first Speedmaster to incorporate the Cal. 861 movement, which the current production Speedmaster calibers are still based off of to this day. These are without question the most desirable of this watch, since they can often be found with applied metal logo’s on their dials.
There is another model which would coincide with the occurrence of one giant leap for mankind. To the untrained eye, this watch might appear almost the same with the the above one, but after taking a closer look, scholars and trained collectors will note a more squarely ended chronograph hand, shorter plots on the dial, and the replica Omega logo painted right on the dial. The reference’s 1969 variant can now be found with three different casebacks, each reflecting the period in which they were manufactured.
Later, the replica Omega would release other amazing models. These are characterized by the loss of a dial step, and the addition of stamped casebacks. It’s worth noting that as the 78 would indicate, the reference as a whole had a decade-long run, making it the longest-running Speedmaster reference in the history of the model’s production, and arguably one of the most significant references in Omega’s back catalog. It’s not only the watch that celebrated the brand’s momentous achievement of getting one of their watches on the moon itself, but the watch that endured the “Quartz Crisis” as well.
But what makes the best replica watch such an important and popular reference? For one thing, certain variants stand for one of the most accessible entry points into the world of important vintage chronographs, given the length of their production run, and plentiful nature of available examples. On the other hand, they’re totally reliable, as a result of the less delicate, cam-actuated Lemania-based Cal. 861 movements.