The Ultimate Guide To OMEGA Nicknames

In the watch-collecting community, it is common to hear plenty of nicknames when referring to specific models. After all, it is much easier to remember a catchy nickname than the long string of digits that make up the official reference number of a watch. Although some watch enthusiasts object to the use of nicknames, it is a widespread practice that is here to stay. We have covered the vast world of Rolex nicknames before, so now it’s Omega’s turn. From the “Speedy” to the “Big Blue” to the “Tintin” and so many others, here’s your ultimate guide to Omega watch nicknames.

“Speedy”

The “Speedy” nickname refers to any Omega Speedmaster chronograph. There’s not much else to say about this one, so we thought we’d get it out of the way first!

Omega “Jumbo”

In 1946, Omega released the ref. 2505 with a 38mm case — a considerably large size during an era where men’s watches were typically 33mm – 34mm in diameter. Other similarly proportioned Omega watches followed, such as the ref. 2272, ref. 2713, ref. 2325, and so on. These vintage 38mm Omega dress timepieces from the 1940s and 1950s are collectively nicknamed the Omega “Jumbo” watches.

Omega Speedmaster “FOIS”

In 1962, Walter “Wally” Schirra wore his personal Omega Speedmaster ref. CK 2998 during the Sigma 7 space mission, thereby cementing the CK 2998 as the First Omega in Space (FOIS).

As a result, the Speedmaster ref. CK 2998 typically goes by the nickname “FOIS” or “Wally Schirra.” Since 2012, Omega has been regularly releasing special edition Speedmaster “FOIS” watches in honor of the maiden model.

Omega Genève “Admiralty”

The “Admiralty” nickname applies to vintage Omega watches from the sixties and seventies with an anchor logo on the dial. There’s the 1960’s Omega “Admiralty” ref. 135.015 with a smooth bezel and the 1970’s Omega “Admiralty” ref. 166.054 with a rotating bezel marked to 60 minutes. Both watches were positioned as light diving watches, with a water resistance rating of 30 meters.

Omega Speedmaster “Ed White”

Omega produced the Speedmaster ref. 105.003 from 1963 until 1965. Ed White was an astronaut and on June 3, 1965, he became the first American to walk in space. During his historic spacewalk, Ed White wore an Omega Speedmaster 105.003. As a result, the 105.003 is often called the Speedmaster “Ed White.”

Omega Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch”

When Omega introduced the Speedmaster chronograph in 1957, the watch was positioned as a watch for motorsports. However, in 1969, the Speedmaster Professional became the first watch to journey to the moon as NASA-qualified watches issued to Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. When Buzz Aldrin took his steps on the moon, he was wearing a Speedmaster strapped around his spacesuit. Since that historic lunar landing, the Omega Speedmaster became known as the “Moonwatch”. In fact, Omega officially uses the name “Moonwatch” for certain (but not all) Speedmaster Professional models.

Omega Speedmaster “Ultraman”

“The Return of Ultraman” was a popular Japanese television series that came out in 1971. In the series, Ultraman wears an Omega Speedmaster ref. ST 145.012 but with a distinct orange central chronograph hand rather than a standard steel one. The watch then picked up the “Ultraman” nickname. The intriguing Omega watch model gained prominence again after Omega released the Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday 2 “Ultraman” in 2018. The new Speedmaster “Ultraman” was developed in partnership with the Fratello website — the company behind the #SpeedyTuesday hashtag used frequently across social media platforms.

Omega Seamaster “Bullhead”

In 1969, Omega introduced the Seamaster ref. 146.011 and the watch earned the “Bullhead” nickname thanks to its unique case shape furnished with the chronograph pushers and winding crown at 12 o’clock. In 2013, Omega reissued a remake of the Seamaster “Bullhead” and today the company offers a collection of Seamaster Bullhead watches.

Omega Seamaster “Darth Vader” “Anakin Skywalker” & “Jedi”

Released in the 1970s, the Omega Seamaster ref. ST 145.0023 sported a rounded octagonal case that measured a robust 44mm x 51mm in diameter and 15mm thick. There are two known variants of this stainless steel Omega Seamaster reference: one with a tungsten finish and one coated in a black finish. Chuck Maddox was a well-known collector in Omega circles and he coined the nicknames “Darth Vader” for the darker Omega Seamaster ref. ST 145.0023 and “Anakin Skywalker” for the lighter Omega Seamaster ref. ST 145.0023. What’s more, Chuck Maddox also gave the subsequent reference, the Omega Seamaster ref. 145.0023, the “Jedi” nickname to continue the Star Wars theme.

Omega Seamaster “Big Blue”

In 1972, Omega unleashed the Seamaster Automatic 120M Chronograph ref. 176.004 for professional divers. The watch gets its “Big Blue” nickname from the combination of its massive 44mm x 52mm case (which measures a hefty 19mm thick) and its striking blue dial and bezel colorway. There is another Omega watch that also goes by the (official) name “Big Blue,” which is the newer Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GMT 215.92.46.22.03.001 with a blue ceramic case, released at Baselworld 2017.

Omega Speedmaster “Tintin”

The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Racing ref. 311.30.42.30.01.004 made its debut at Baselworld 2013 and its most striking design feature is the red and white check border on the dial. According to Omega, the red and white checkered rocket from the 1950’s Tintin comic, “Destination Moon”, was the inspiration for the dial design. Therefore, the watch is now simply known as the Speedmaster “Tintin.”

Omega Seamaster “James Bond”

Omega and James Bond have a history together, which we’ve covered in the past. In the mid-1990s, Omega teamed up with the James Bond movie franchise to become an official partner. As part of the relationship, not only does Omega furnish the films with watches but the company also produces limited edition 007 watches for the public. Below are the Seamaster “James Bond” watches that were featured in the films:

• Golden Eye (1995): Omega Seamaster 300M Quartz Professional ref. 2541.80

• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999) and Die Another Day (2002): Seamaster 300M Professional ref. 2531.80.00

• Casino Royale (2006): Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M ref. 2900.50.91 and Seamaster Diver 300M ref. 2220.80.00

• Quantum of Solace (2008): Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M Co-Axial Chronometer ref. 2201.50.00

• Skyfall (2012): Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M ref. 232.30.42.21.01.001 and Seamaster Aqua Terra ref. 231.10.39.21.03.001

• Spectre (2015): Seamaster 300 ref. 233.32.41.21.01.001 and Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M ref. 231.10.42.21.03.003

Omega “Connie” & “Pie Pan”

In Omega-speak, “Connie” is short for Constellation, which is one of the brand’s flagship watch collections originally introduced in 1952. When collectors and enthusiasts speak of Omega Connie watches, they are typically referring to vintage versions.

Some particularly vintage Omega Connie watches are those furnished with the so-called “Pie Pan” dials, which feature sloping and faceted surfaces that look like an upside-down pie pan. Pie pan dials were created early in the Constellation’s history, often featuring gold arrowhead hour markers, which later transitioned to stick hour markers.

Omega “Lobster”

The Omega Speedsonic, which was a tuning fork movement-powered watch introduced in 1974, is also affectionately known as the Omega “Lobster.” The movement was actually manufactured under license from Bulova.

The nickname Lobster came about thanks in part to the very unique bracelet integrated into the oh-so-seventies-style cushion case. The steel bracelet resembles a lobster tail and it featured hollow links with Milanese meshing inside for rigidity. These bracelets are quite rare to find these days as many of them haven’t survived the past decades.

Omega “Rising Sun”

In 2018, Omega released a five-piece set of Speedmaster watches made exclusively for the Japanese market for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. As we now know, the 2020 Games didn’t take place when it was scheduled due to the worldwide pandemic, occurring the following year instead.

One of the watches included in the limited edition 2020 Tokyo Olympic set was the Speedmaster ref. 522.30.42.30.06.001, featuring a steel case, red bezel, silver dial, and steel bracelet. Since the watch’s color palette resembles the Japanese Rising Sun Flag, Fratello gave this Speedmaster the “Rising Sun” nickname.

Omega “Mitsukoshi”

Yet another Japanese market exclusive, the Speedmaster ref. 3570.31 was made specifically for the famous Mitsukoshi department store in 2013. The Speedmaster Mitsukoshi features a Panda-style dial, characterized by a trio of black counters on a white background.

Only 300 examples of the Speedmaster “Mitsukoshi” were produced and sold exclusively (of course) at the department store.

Omega “Albatross” or “Montreal”

The Omega Chrono-Quartz, which was created in 1975 and launched in 1976 for the Montreal Summer Olympics, was one of the world’s first digital-analog wrist chronographs.

Caliber 1611 powered the watch and the Albatross nickname is derived because of the shape of the battery clamping system that resembled the wings of an albatross. Only 15,000 examples of the Omega “Albatross” (also known as the Omega “Montreal”) were manufactured.

Omega “Holy Grail”

Another nickname coined by Omega super fan Chuck Maddox, the “Holy Grail” refers to the Speedmaster 376.0822 because the collector was on a mission to find one for his collection. The Speedmaster ref. 376.0822 was only made for two years (1987 and 1988) and it’s estimated that only 2,000 examples were made.

Unlike the manual-winding and dateless Speedmaster “Moonwatch,” not only is the “Holy Grail” automatic but it also includes day, date, and 24-hour indications.

Omega “Snoopy”

The Omega “Snoopy” watches are a series of Speedmaster chronographs that commemorate the Silver Snoopy Award the watchmaker received from NASA in 1970. NASA gave Omega the award because the Speedmaster was pivotal in getting the ill-fated Apollo 13 crew home.

The first Omega Snoopy was the Speedmaster ref. 3578.51.00, complete with an “Eyes on the Stars” patch on the dial. The second Omega Snoopy was the Speedmaster ref. 311.32.42.30.04.003, with a white dial featuring a Snoopy drawing and a 925 silver Snoopy medallion on the caseback.

Finally, the third Omega Snoopy is the current-production Omega ref. 310.32.42.50.02.00 (introduced in 2020), featuring a blue bezel and blue registers on the dial—of course, with a Snoopy drawing on it. The caseback is noteworthy as it not only depicts an animated Snoopy in his Command and Service Module affixed to a hand that rotates when the chronograph is activated but also includes an Earth disc that rotates once per minute in sync with the watch’s seconds hand.

Omega Snoopy watches, regardless of the reference, are some of the most collectible Omega watches in today’s market.

As you can see, Omega watch nicknames are not only plentiful but the brand itself has adopted many of these monikers as official watch names. What are some of your favorite Omega watch nicknames? Leave us your comments below!