OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL 'JAPAN RACING DIAL'

Why We Love It

There is seemingly no end to the amount of Speedmaster Limited Editions Omega can come up with - but to paraphrase George Orwell "All Speedmasters are equal, but some Speedmasters are more equal than others". Enter the Japan Racing Dial Limited Edition.

The Speedmaster has long enjoyed popularity in Japan, and as such Omega frequently rewards the Japanese market with some seriously cool and limited special editions. In 2004, they dropped this beauty. Limited to 2004 pieces - and only available in Japan - it's a not a reissue, but rather a reinterpretation of the Racing dials that Omega put into the Speedmaster back in the late 60s and early 1970s. After-all, the Speedmaster was designed to be a racing watch - not the accidental moonwatch that launched it to infinity and beyond. 

The 'Japan Racing Dial' was met with great applause and prices have been climbing for years now, not unlike the 'Tin-Tin', 'Silver Snoopy', and a bevey of other truly limited edition Omega Speedmasters. So while the best time to pick one up is always yesterday, grabbing one today - especially in near stock condition - is just as good.

The Speedmaster Story

"Contact Light."

After touching the lander down on the lunar surface, Buzz Aldrin transmitted to Houston control these words, nary more than a whisper, the first communication between human beings not concurrently on the same planet. 

When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon for the first time, his Omega Speedmaster was in the module serving as a backup for its electric timer that had malfunctioned.  It was Aldrin who, following Armstrong to become the second human to walk on the moon, introduced the Speedmaster to the lunar surface.

Today, Omega has become synonymous with the Apollo missions, the moon landing and space exploration in general.  The provenance of the brand, driven by the incredible reliability and functionality of the watches that they produced throughout the space era is second to none.  But at the heart of the moon missions, at the core of their objective, was the intrinsic human desire to explore, to crest the horizon and, undaunted, step forth into the unknown.  

NASA approved the Speedmaster for its space missions because it was the best, most accurate timepiece they could find, and testing revealed that it needed no modification in order to remain functional under the duress of space flight.  NASA was concerned with accuracy, durability and usability; they didn't care about Omega's history, they needed a tool that could accompany humans on a mission to the moon and help them get back safely.  They exposed the Speedmaster to high and low temperatures, blasted it with vibrations, challenged it with g-force extremes and submitted it to high and low pressure. Through it all, the Speedmaster ticked on, proving that it could go where no watch had ever gone before.

Today the Omega Speedmaster is often regarded by collectors and enthusiasts to be the single most important wristwatch ever made, if for no other reason than that it accompanied us on mankind’s greatest feat – touching down on and exploring a heavenly body.

While most of the Omega Speedmasters in circulation haven’t left Earth’s atmosphere, we can all take a certain amount of pride in knowing that they could – and would continue to perform just as they would down here on the ground. When you stop and think about all that entails, that’s really saying something.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.