A 1957 Omega Speedmaster Ref. 2915-1 Just Broke Auction Records by Selling for $3.4 Million

Late last week, Phillips held a sale as part of the Geneva Auction Week. The auction house offered 250 watches from over 44 makers including Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Omega. The (unexpected) highlight of the auction was an early and important stainless steel chronograph wristwatch from Omega that features Broad Arrow hands and a chocolate brown "tropical" dial.

The early 1957 watch broke auction records to be the most expensive Omega watch ever sold. Bids came from all over the world, and the bidding reached a final price of—wait for it—CHF 3,115,500 (approximately $3.4 million).

According to Phillips, the Ref. 2915-1 was "the first chronograph to feature a tachymeter scale (or, as Omega called it at the time, the Tacho-productometer scale) on the bezel, rather than on the dial. In terms of movements, Omega did not go for a brand new caliber, turning instead to caliber 321, an extremely robust and reliable column-wheel chronograph, which it recognized as the best available option for its new Speedmaster."

While the watch is considered a holy grail for collectors, it still surprised many including the Phillips team. After all, the model only had an estimate of $87,100 to $131,000. The particular model that sold at the auction was considered to be the best to hit the market, owing to the quality of its dial, hands, bezel, and case. Big day for Omega watches.