Omega

Ruckdee
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Omega Speedmaster "Hall of Legacy" in Bangkok

I presume Omega would have wanted to have this Speedmaster "Hall of Legacy" event precisely around the time of Apollo 11th anniversary in July. However, nobody could predict if the long-standing political turmoil in Bangkok would have been put to an end by what and when. Fortunately for businesses if not for democracy, the reset button was eventually pushed by the military and social events previously cancelled or postponed slowly began to return to the capital's commercial scene.

On Friday August 29, a large canopy was set up in the outdoor space in front of Siam Paragon --one of Bangkok's most upscale malls and the central exchange station of the capital's skytrain system.






Members of the press and some boutique customers entered the hall to find themselves bathed under bluish light.


If I heard it correctly, this cocktail of whisky, tea and some other things was called the Mysterious Moon. Perfect for the setting indeed.


What was clear and not myterious was the history of Speedmaster on display.




Would you believe they flew in all these items from the Omega Museum in Bienne?


Let's see it up close one by one.


Speedmaster first generation from 1957


Speedmaster second generation from 1959 like those used by some astronauts in the Mercury program


Speedmaster third generation from 1963 which was declared "Flight qualified for all manned space missions" by NASA in 1965


Speedmaster fourth generation from 1964 that became the first watch worn on the moon


Speedmaster fifth generation from 1968 which remains the basis for today's models


Flightmaster first generation from 1969




Another star of the show was this Alaska Project prototype with its iconic red case from 1969.


I also have never seen this Alaska Project II prototype in Mark II style before. According to the information signage, this 1970 watch is made with a polished titanium case!


With 1996 came the Speedmaster X-33, designed purposely with the astronauts in mind. This concluded the first showcase near the entrance.


Other impressive pieces were shown separately in individual showcases of their own.






I never knew such a "yatching" bezel existed for the Mark II.










Also necessary is something new from the current collections.


Maybe one of these days ... if the economy works for me ...


The boutique in Thailand is all sold out for this 45th anniversary model.


Entrance to the dinner hall opened with some space rocket effect.












Guests were welcomed by Swatch Group Southeast Asia President David Ponzo.


Petros Protopapas from the Omega Museum was present to chat with enthusiasts. Here he can be seen addressing dinner guests.


Musical performance was made even more special with the animated space and moon display in the background.


For the first time ever, I participated in an Omega event as an official member of the press and not a customer. "Khun" is not a part of anyone's name by the way. It is like "Mr." or "Ms." but in Thai.


Entree of Alaskan crab and king crab salad with avocado, tomato salsa jelly and baby herbs


Main course of lamb with potaty and garlic puree in red wine sauce


This curious dessert is called the Moon Shine.


To eat the chocolate mousse inside, you would have to crack the shell open with the provided hazelnut praline hammer!


It was very convenient that I was seated next to a lady I know so I could ask her to slowly work this game for me to photograph.


But hey ... I am supposed to be talking watches not desserts, right?


So let's see the personal gem I wore for this event ... the Speedmaster Moonphase Aventurine

I have this watch in my possession soon after it finally became available (some two years delay from the launch) but I never really wore it until now. I must confess I have been on a buying spree the past few years. Sometimes I wear a new watch right away. Sometimes, like with this one, I chose to keep for the rainy days like when I can no longer afford new pieces. I guess the Speedmaster "Hall of Legacy" event this grand was reason enough to bring out a new watch to wear.


This 44.25 mm case, to me, does not wear any larger than a regular Moonwatch. The dial is made of aventurine glass not aventurine stone as I incorrectly presumed when the watch was first introduced. The official description reads "aventurine glass is a type of glass produced by the deliberate addition of metal oxide during founding so that the crystals formed create the shiny reflective effect on the glass".


Thankfully, the glittery effect is monochromatic under most lighting conditions. You can probably notice from this shot that the tachymeter bezel is ceramic.


Depending on intensity and directionality of the light, the dial becomes a little less black and more blue and the glitters begin to show their bluish or purplish tint. And the only reason I could take a photograph this clear of the dial is because the sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides.


The moon itself is mother of pearl but I'm afraid this is not the best photograph to highlight that fact.


I couldn't help but wear the Aventurine throughout the weekend. It feels great on the wrist but not as bulky like my POC 9300. The bracelet is enlarged to 21 mm. to match the case. It is the new screw and pin type but the clasp is still typical Moonwatch style with no sliding extension whatsoever.


I find the dial a little too ornated for daily wear though. But for special or dressier occasions, the combination of metalic hands, markers and glitter is quite unique and unbeatable. Small rotation of the wrist and you would see the full starry effect at play.


Usually this "watch in box" shot would have been an opening pic for me but here I am using it for closing instead. This Aventurine model is short lived. It was already taken off production earlier this year after only 1.5 years of availability. There is a rumor that the dial is difficult or costly to produce but I do not have any real evidence to support that claim. If you like the watch and can find it, then it is probably a good idea to grab it while you can.


Well, I hope you enjoyed either the "Hall of Legacy" event part or the Aventurine review part. Ideally, I wish you liked them both. Thanks for following this far.

Ruckdee

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