1959 Omega Speedmaster ref. 2915-3 “Black Base 1000, with Extract”

Up for grabs is an Omega Speedmaster Straight Lug

Reference CK2915-3 with black Base 1000 bezel and B1 Alpha hands

166490XX serial number circa 1959

If you have ever owned an early Speedmaster and/or tried to get an Extract of Archives from Omega for it, most of the time they will tell you that most of the records are damaged for 2915 and early 2998 models. On a very very rare occasion a watch is found with matching numbers to the surviving archives. This is one of those watches. The watch will come with an extract of Archives issued by Omega Museum in May of 2022 confirming this serial number matching CK 2915 reference, produced on July 16th, 1959 and delivered to an agent in Venezuela. A copy of this extract is available by request.

Now, onto the watch itself. Reference 2915-3 is a rare one and an odd one at that. Most -3 do not have the steel bezel like -1 and -2 and only -3 (and possible some early 2998-1) have the Alpha hands with long hour hand lume. These hands are similar to 2998-1 to -4 hands, but only on 2915-3 do we see the lume on hour hand being “extended” in comparison to 2998 Alpha hands. So, technically speaking, if you have a 2915-3 it is the most rare of already rare 2915 variations.

The case on this watch is original straight lug and is also correct for 2915 with the “notch” in between lugs at 12 o’clock which was sort of a guide for the bezel installation to line up correctly. The bezel also has the matching notch and this is only observed on 2915 cases and early 2998’s. There is no corrosion or pitting. The pushers and crown are original. It is the correct skinny logo with flat feet crown.

The bezel is original black Base 1000 bezel. There were 2 versions of the black Base 1000 bezel, one with a “short 4” and other had a more elongated 4 if you compare them. I believe the short 4 version is more appropriate for a 2915 than the long. This bezel is a short 4 and is in excellent condition for its age. No major dents, no peeling, etc.

The dial is fantastic and original “Oval O” with radium lume. It is correct and original to 2915-3. There are no scratches, relume, no obvious aging of staining. As discussed earlier, the hands are original and have the correct subdial leaf hands and white straight chrono hand.

The bracelet is also an original Omega 7077 with correct (and super rare) 6 end-links. Clasp is dated 1959. All spring loaded links are functioning.

The caseback is in fantastic condition with very clear and crisp Hippocampus. Inside is stamped 2915-3

The watch runs, the chrono runs and resets, no service has been performed since discovery.

Crystal is original Omega hesalite with skinny logo.