Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Omega Speedmaster Professional 'Ultraman', c. 1969
- Maker / attribution
- Omega (maker)
- Date
- c. 1969
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 41 mm
- Stock no.
- 40960110
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40960110)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Omega Speedmaster Professional 'Ultraman' (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40960110), this is a wristwatch by Omega, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1969. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 41 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Analog/Shift
3… 2… 1… Liftoff! Take a poll amongst wrist watch collectors, and we'd bet the consensus would be that there is nothing more important or iconic in a watch collection than an Omega Speedmaster. Sure, chronographs such as the Rolex Daytona or the Heuer Carrera are classics - icons even - but neither can match the stature of the Speedy with regards to importance in history. A rguably no watch can . This particular piece, however, is more than just your average Speedmaster Professional... Known to collectors as ‘Ultraman’ models for their distinctive Japanese-market orange chronograph seconds hand, few genuine examples have surfaced. The example that we have is quite simply amongst the cleanest we've ever seen - of any Speedmaster - from the period. This piece dates to circa 1969 and features the best elements of the time period, including a 41mm stainless steel twisted-lug case, an Omega-signed Hesalite crystal, a signed crown, a black “dot over 90” bezel insert, and beautifully patinated matte black Tritium dial with an applied logo and a matching, exotic ‘Ultraman’ handset. Powered by the iconic, hand-wound Omega Calibre .321 movement, it’s paired to an incredible stainless steel flat-link expanding bracelet with a signed blade clasp. In simply outstanding condition throughout, this is a museum-grade Speedy that’ll make any Omega collector salivate. Don’t pass up this opportunity to own a piece of both horological and pop culture history!
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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