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Omega Speedmaster 50th Anniversary

Think of Omega as the horological equivalent of Barry Bonds. The brand was on its way toward becoming a historical footnote until something suddenly changed. In Bonds's case, of course, that something was a remarkably effective new workout regimen. In the case of Omega, it was a blockbuster auction at Antiquorum—the exuberantly named Omegamania—in April, which unexpectedly energized the market for the brand. Edward Faber and his colleagues were astonished at the auction's success. "I sold them a watch, an early 1950s chronograph that was missing a key part, for $9,000," he says. "It went back to the factory to be restored for auction and the thing sold for $90,000 six months later." Given that this particular stainless steel model is a limited edition—only 1957 are being made—it might even be a good investment (especially when compared to, say, a Bonds rookie card).
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Price: $9,800
Year introduced: 2007
Made in: Switzerland
Case: Stainless steel
Movement: Automatic
Web site: omegawatches.com