Written by Robert-Jan Broer on
Jun 02, 2015
Every once in a while you come across a person, in the flesh or on-line, that makes you wonder about the story behind his or her watch(es). In case of the Speedmaster, the stories behind the watch are often very personal and interesting. In the future we will ask more Speedmaster owners about their relationship with the watch, the reason why they bought it (or why it was given to them) and how they feel about things like: vintage versus modern, the Moonwatch (hi)story and so on. This Collector’s Corner series will hopefully give you some inspiration and insights about the Speedmaster and its collector’s base.
Collector’s Corner kicks-off with RJ Kama, one of our loyal followers and an Omega collector at heart. He is also contributing to the Omega Forums and has a great Instagram account where he shows his love for watches. I asked him a couple of questions for Collector’s Corner about his love for Omega and especially about the Speedmaster of course. Although we share something in common, our initials and love for the Speedmaster, this collection certainly doesn’t belong to me (although I wouldn’t mind!).
Collector’s Corner – RJ Kama
FW: Please tell us when your interest was sparked in Omega and especially in the Speedmaster collection?
RJ: It’s interesting, I actually came to the Speedmaster party very late. I was first drawn into Omega by Peirce Brosnan’s James Bond (yes, I admit, I was a victim of marketing). Going through University, and then Medical School, and being completely broke for 10+ years, the idea of spending thousands of dollars on a watch was something I never could have imagined. But I had always loved watches, mostly for the aesthetics, and it represented the ultimate male accessory in my mind. My wife’s first gift to me was a ‘Fossil’, which was a step up from what I could afford at the time, and I loved it dearly. This was the first time the emotional value of the timepiece had registered. When I had paid off my student loans, and started to experience some success in my practice, I wanted a ‘serious watch’ to commemorate my newly established position. At the time, my extent of knowledge was that battery was a Ticking hand, and that automatic had a sweep. I always felt that the sweeping hand had more ‘soul’.
Still being too intimidated by the ‘Rolex world’, I inquired about the ‘James Bond watch, and it brought me to Omega. I had bought the SMP used, and paid ~ $1000.00 for it. I remember feeling nauseous at the idea of spending that much money on a non-essential item.
After that, as more success came, I did what I think many men in my position at the time did, and I went the requisite ‘Rolex route’. During this time of ‘building my collection’, I focussed mostly on Rolex, knowing relatively nothing about them other than their value as a ‘status symbol’.
One day, While wearing my SMP at the clinic, one of my patients, a 74 year old man, in for a routine Diabetes review, looked at my watch, and gave out a very excited, “Omega?!?” followed by , “that’s the best watch in the world!”. He was the one who went on to tell me the story of the Moonwatch.
After that, I started to research more about the history of all watches, and ‘horology’. I had discovered watches that I had no idea even existed, “Vacheron”, “Audemars”, “Patek”…
The next phase in my collecting, coinciding with more disposable income, involved adding more of these “higher level” brands, because I felt that I should have them “As a collector”. Along the way, I would still find myself drawn to Omega, and adding a few “for me”, not necessarily “for the collection”.
More and more, I found myself reaching for the Omegas to wear, despite the fact that I had these much more expensive watches in the box. The more I learned about the watches, the more deeply in love I fell. Just as you can appreciate a work of art more by understanding the social, artistic, and political context of the time, the same holds for watches. As I matured, the idea of wearing a watch as a Status symbol became less appealing to me.
As much as I had loved the Speedmaster, I could never buy a watch that didn’t “sing to me” when I had it on my wrist. I had loved the history, and the story, and I appreciated the watch, the same way you could appreciate a Rembrandt on the wall of the Louvre, but just like that painting, I didn’t feel like I had to own one to appreciate it. My tastes went with the Sportier Seamasters, or the dressy DeVilles. I had 18 Omegas in my collection before adding a Speedmaster. It wasn’t until 2011, when the Calibre 9300 was introduced and put into the Speedmaster that I felt that there was a Speedmaster that was “for me.”
FW: I noticed you are very active on your instagram account with posting pictures of Omega watches, especially model from the new collection. Are you only focused on modern Omega Speedmasters or do you also plan to purchase something vintage in the future?
RJ: Instagram is a lot of fun! Again, I appreciate the vintage models, but I could never buy a watch that I would keep in a safe, or a display case. I would need to wear it. I have 3 vintage Seamasters, that were given to me by patients from my practice. Two by patients themselves, with no one to whom they could leave it, and one by the widow, who knew that he would ‘want me to have it’. These are very cherished items, and really highlights the romanticism, and emotion involved in timepieces. Whenever I wear those watches, I feel the person’s presence, I feel his DNA on the case, knowing that it touched his skin every day, and went on the journey of his life.
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