Let me guess and I’ll make you King says an old adage.
We constantly get questions about which watches to buy as an investment: the Omega you see promise to already be, and this time only fate has put a hand.
As the official timekeeper of the Olympics, Omega always presents watches dedicated to the most important world sporting event that takes place every four years. For this 2020 edition, the Maison of Biel / Bien has prepared and made available for the whole world a Seamaster Aqua Terra and a Seamaster Planet Ocean special Oympic Games Tokyo 2020.
But the real gem was unveiled four years ago: they are the Omega Speedmaster Tokyo 2020.
Not everyone knows them because at the time Omega announced them only through social media and posted exclusively on its site in Japanese. The Rising Sun is known to welcome among the most competent Speedmaster collectors and some very rare versions of the first watch to go to the Moon.
The Omega Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Olympics collection launched in 2018 includes five watches, all based on the classic Speedy Professional Moonwatch in a sapphire crystal version, each with a design inspired by the five colors of the Olympic flag – the blue, yellow, black, green and red rings. depicting the five continents.
We all know these basic Speedmasters very well already.
The case is the asymmetrical 42 mm case with a polished and satin finish, tachymeter scale on the bezel, three-link bracelet and manual winding caliber 1861. All the same as the standard Moonwatches except the dials and the solid steel caseback engraved with the Tokyo 2020 logo.
Everything is regular except that, as we all know, due to the pandemic, the games have been skipped this year and in these days we are discussing whether the 2021 edition that would also take place in Tokyo will be reduced from 16 to 10 days.
But above all there are around – mainly in Japan – 2,020 units for each model of Speedmaster marked Tokyo 2020, a “wrong” Olympic edition that will never take place, and this could over time make these Speedys skyrocket.
Let’s look at them one by one.
Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Blue
Inspired by the blue and white colors of the Gemini IV limited edition, the first Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 limited edition, however, has some differences including the Omega logo in red and the applied hour markers. The chronograph counters are silver and the second hand has a red tip.
Reference: 522.30.42.30.03.001
Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Yellow
The second model of the Tokyo 2020 collection refers to the yellow ring of the Olympic flag. For the occasion, Omega, instead of focusing on yellow, preferred a more luxurious approach by combining steel and yellow gold. Imagine seeing a classic Moonwatch but with yellow gold buttons, crown and bezel. The Speedmaster lettering is always red.
Reference: 522.20.42.30.01.001
Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Black
This Speedy that should represent the black ring on the Olympic flag is by no means completely raven as it shows a so-called panda dial. This dial is ultimately in silvery white opaline with black counters and paired with the classic black bezel. It could be an opportunity to get hold of a rare model with a panda dial.
Reference: 522.30.42.30.04.001
Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Green
The green edition is based on a replica watches uk combination of SEDNA steel and gold (a variant of the precious metal created in the Omega house) for the buttons, crown, bezel, as well as the hands, indexes and rings of the chronograph counters. The dial is slightly darker brushed gray. The only real touch of green is present on the bezel, with a dark green background printed on the gold tachymeter scale.
Reference: 522.20.42.30.06.001
Speedmaster Tokyo 2020 Red
The last Speedy of the missed 2020 Olympics evokes red on both the bezel insert and the Speedmaster logo. The dial is sandblasted light gray with silver-colored applied indexes and hands. For this version the case and bracelet are completely in steel.
Reference: 522.30.42.30.06.001
Price
Having been foreseen only for the Japanese market, the price of these special Speedmasters, which I repeat are each limited to 2,020 units, was in 2018 of ¥ 680,400 (€ 5,562 at today’s exchange rate) for the steel models (ref. 522.30.42.30. 03.001, 522.20.42.30.01.001, 522.30.42.30.06.001 and ¥ 842,400 (€ 6886) for the steel and gold references (ref. 522.20.42.30.06.001, 522.20.42.30.01.001
Then there would be the availability of 55 complete watch sets whose price is the sum of the cost of the 3 models in steel with the 2 in steel and gold, therefore ¥ 3,726,000 (€ 30,452) always at the current exchange rate.
Opinions
More than one is already on sale – from Japan of course. Steel references already have a price increased by about 40% from the list price. We would have to look for the complete suite but we will certainly see it on sale in a few years in some international auction house touching staggering figures.
I think they are a good investment but in case you need to move immediately. There is certainly no wrong color or number here: again, it’s all the fault of COVID-19.
What do you think about it?
Leave your opinion in a comment.