While doing some paperwork research on my standard 3590.50 Speedy, I've discovered it was built in April 1993 and sold new in the UK in August 1996. Assuming it took a little while to get through the supply chain from Switzerland to the UK, that's still the best part of 3 years from production to sale. I was quite surprised by that.
Were Omega sales really that bad in the nineties? Or was it just Speedy sales?
The only Omegas I ever recall seeing in the 1990s were Bond-style Seamasters in a couple of sizes. I remember thinking the 41mm version was enormous. I do recall seeing one with sort of square gold inlays around the crystal - I don't remember where, probably worn by a co-worker. Fashionable then, but now...Originally Posted by Guitarfan
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I think the Seamaster was the thing to own back in the early 90' - I guess the 'vanilla' Hesalite Speedie was a bit of an odd watch to the non -WIS, manual wind and no date etc for about the same price as James Bonds smart new watch!?
I wasn't really in to watches as I am today so I maybe wrong but I remember that back in the day TagHeuer were selling loads of watches.The F1 was popular so too the SEL ranges,Dare I also say but if you looked in any high street window and at the time it was full of Gucci watches.The 9000 series was my first major purchase.Back then £800 on a watch was seen as a bit extravagant,I don't recall seeing any Omega watches about in big numbers but maybe back then I just wasn't looking properly.
Attachment 4604
I bought one of these new in the mid 90's, quality at the time seemed great but not a patch on the replacement, although I preferred the cleaner style. (Price was £550.00)
Actually I think my Speedmaster serial indicates a build date a couple of years earlier than the actual sale date. Think it was made late 80's but not sold until early 90's! Will try and remember to check the paperwork when I get home.
Are those dates from Omega extract of the archives? you have to pay but I believe they will tell you when it was made and when it was shipped to the AD, might make a bit more sense date wise?
It's worth remembering that Speedies were "specialist" watches in those far off days & didn't sell in big numbers,
hence their (relative) rarity now.
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Jim.
My sales date is on the warranty card with the watch, and the production date was obtained from Omega themselves. I guess they were a bit of a specialist watch back then, still suffering from the Swatch plastic watch boom?
You might be able to get bare-bones information (build date, sale date, and where) from Swatch/Omega over the phone. Breitling UK provides this if you give them the model and case number, although I don't know if they are willing to provide any formal documentation, without having seen the watch first (and maybe taking a small payment).
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
And the mechanical fashion ´WIS´ did not exist yet.
Yes Omega and every one els´s mechanical sales were realy still thát bad. It took some years for the mechanical luxuty fashion to gain momentum and then mass.
Early-mid 90s saw the B&H strategy still only as a budding trend and it was not yet appearant at all that it was to become so fashionable.
Seiko per example was reviving the GrandSeiko brand with a high end quártzes and not untill ´98!!! did they reïntroduce the first mechanical caliber again.
i bought a chronostop back in the 90s 69 irish pounds, it gave me unreal grief, a path worn to the ad, three trips to the factory, i flipped it for little money, as i was really ppppd of with it, i got a few omegas in later years but could not warm to them.
Is was to the 21st C. before WIS adopted the marketing of the anachronistic limitations of a mechanical as desireable features.
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