Hands-On: Omega Speedmaster Professional 3593.20.00 Italian Albino

Omega Speedmaster Professional 3593.20.00 Italian Albino

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 3593.20.00 is a 1997 limited edition of 500 pieces created for the Italian market in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster. WatchWorks Haarlem sent me a few pics of a NOS example they had in their collection not too long ago, which provided the perfect opportunity for a post on this beautiful Speedmaster specimen.

Background

Back in 2011 I visited the Cologne watch fair with my buddy Farid [now] of WWH when we noticed this unusual Speedmaster Professional with an off-white dial – something we had never seen before. Our on-the-spot research opportunities were rather limited at the time, but as the price seemed fair and it felt original we went for it. Back home & with access to internet, it turned out to be a regular Professional fitted with the dial and hands of the 3593.20.00 Italian Albino. Nonetheless our love & fascination for this model stuck.

Flash forward to mid-2017. By now the Speedmaster passion has reached unseen levels, with knowledge being both plentiful as well as easily accessible. We were in the process of putting together our Moonroom Exhibition with Ace Jewelers and Watchworks Haarlem when the latter indicated that they had just acquired an all-original, new old stock, fully complete example of the 3593.20.00 Italian Albino. Coming full circle, it would become one of the centerpieces of our eclectic display of Speedmasters at the event.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 3593.20.00 Italian Albino

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 3593.20.00 Italian Albino was introduced in 1997 as a limited edition of 500 pieces for the Italian market in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster. It boasts a number of interesting features and firsts. First and foremost there’s the [off-] white dial, which still today is a color rarely seen on the Speedmaster Professional. Then there’s the fact that Omega used luminova rather than tritium on both hands and markers – a first for the Speedmaster Professional. Said markers furthermore feature a black outline for optimal contrast, a feature seen in reverse on the Silver Snoopy Award. All is highlighted by a set of anthracite hands.

Less obvious but nonetheless notable is the fact that the Italian Albino is fitted with sapphire glass on both front and back. This configuration would only become available in standard production models some five years later with the introduction of the 3573.50.00 – which is now the 311.30.42.30.01.006. The back offers is engraved with Limited Edition and XXX/500. It is powered by caliber 1863 in rhodium-plated dress, and was among the first models to use this movement.

Today
Today the 3593.20.00 Italian Albino enjoys an immense popularity and rightfully so. It is a truly unique Speedmaster variation, made in a time when limited editions where somewhat less abundant. Though prices have risen in accordance with its popularity, I would highly recommend going for it should you find yourself in the right spot. It will stand out in each and every Speedmaster collection.

Notes
The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch 3593.20.00 Italian Albino can be seen on pages 428-429 of Moonwatch Only and pages 408-409 of Moonwatch Only 2.

Images by Jeroen Vink

This watch is NOT for sale