50th is gold, 65th is… Canopus gold? To celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Omega Speedmaster, the luxury Swiss watch manufacturer has released a white gold iteration of one of its seminal timepieces. The Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold harks back to the early years of contemporary watchmaking, imbuing the timepiece with vintage details.
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Initially released in 1957, the first Omega Speedmaster was instrumental in shaping chronograph watchmaking as we know it today. Created specifically for professional race car drivers, the Speedmaster featured an easy to read dial and marked the first timepiece to feature a tachymeter scale on the bezel rather than the dial, a point of difference that made it ideal for timing average speeds on the track with remarkable accuracy.
A non-limited edition model, the Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold featured both the case and bracelet crafted from Canopus gold, which is Omega’s own version of white gold – an alloy of 18k white gold combined with platinum, rhodium, and palladium which Omega claims is “distinguished by its high brilliance, whiteness and longevity”. The case measures in at 38.6mm and houses an onyx black dial with an applied vintage Omega logo and classic typography featuring an oval ‘O’, in a nod to the first Speedmaster models. 18k white gold hands and indices with a Canopus gold PVD treatment contrast beautifully against the onyx dial, while Speedmaster subdials with a small seconds display, 30-minute recorder, and 12-hour recorder feature at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock.
Naturally, the Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold retains the seminal tachymeter scale that made the 1957 version famous. The bezel has been filled with black ‘Grand Feu’ enamel and plays host to two minute but key details found on the original Speedmaster’s: the iconic dot over ninety (DON) and a dot diagonal to seventy. Flip it over and you’ll find another tribute to the iconic 1957 timepiece. The Omega Seahorse, a brand icon used on the Speedmaster since 1957, has been engraved on the inside of the sapphire crystal glass.
Powering the Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold is the Calibre 321, the original movement used inside the Speedmaster in 1957. Present in the watches worn during the Apollo missions, the Calibre 321 was brought back into use by Omega in 2019, taking care to preserve its authentic specifications.
In contrast to the $7250 USD ($10,700 AUD) asking price of the original Speedmaster in 1957, the Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold retails for a cool $81,000 USD ($120,000). Happy anniversary indeed.
The Omega Speedmaster 321 Canopus Gold is available exclusively via Omega boutiques. Discover the watch on the Omega webstore.
Words by John Deckard
