Omega Speedmaster CK2915-1 Breaks World Record Auction Price At $3.4 Million

The Omega Speedmaster CK2915-1 has officially broken a world record auction price. It was expected to sell for around 80,000 to 120,000 Swiss Franc but instead it fetched an astronomical 3,115,500 CHF ($3.4 million USD).

The auction was for a perfectly aged Speedmaster from 1957, it was among some of the first batches ever made of this reference. This watch was not stored away in pristine condition but rather it was used for many years by its owner. Its long term exposure to the sun during regular everyday use caused the dial to patina into an incredible shade of milk chocolate spread evenly throughout the dial.

Not only did the dial patina in an incredible way, but so did the luminous material used on both the hands and markers turning into a golden almost dijon mustard tone. The contrast between the tropical dial and patina on the hands and markers creates a striking appearance usually only found on vintage watches such as this one.

The reference CK2915-1 was only ever produced between 1957 and 1959 making it one of the rarest Speedmaster models ever made. The first generation of the CK2915-1 is widely considered as “The Grail” of Speedmaster watches to those who collect them and within watch enthusiast communities. It was the first chronograph to ever feature the tachymeter scales on the bezel and not on the dial, the influence this has had on the watch industry is quite note worthy, with many brands emulating this design feature. It’s also the first Speedmaster to use the Omega in-house 321 calibre movement, well regarded as a robust and accurate movement.

The new owner of the watch received an Omega “Extract from the Archives” which confirmed production of this specific watch to be November 22, 1957.