Watch Paparazzi

Entrepreneur Luca Cordero di Montezemolo spotted wearing Omega

A photograph featuring two titans of the motorsport and business worlds — Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and Niki Lauda — has surfaced, and sharp-eyed collectors will immediately notice the stainless steel Omega Speedmaster MK II ref. 145.014 on Montezemolo's wrist. It is precisely the kind of detail that rewards a second look.

The Omega Speedmaster MK II ref. 145.014 arrived in 1969, a year of singular significance for both space exploration and watchmaking. Where the original Speedmaster wore a traditional round case, the MK II broke with convention by introducing a bold, tonneau-shaped cushion case with integrated, angular lugs — a design that felt entirely modern against the backdrop of the Apollo era. Under the case, Omega fitted the calibre 861, a column-wheel, lever-escapement manual-wind movement running at 21,600 vph, delivering a 44-hour power reserve. The dial retained the Speedmaster's legible three-register chronograph layout, now framed by a fixed stainless steel bezel with a black tachymeter scale, replacing the earlier rotating bezel of some references.

Among collectors, the Speedmaster MK II occupies a quietly respected niche. It is not as universally celebrated as the Professional ref. 145.012 that went to the Moon, but its limited production run and the genuine design risk Omega took with the case geometry have given it a dedicated following. The ref. 145.014 in particular, with its black dial and stainless steel configuration, is considered the definitive version of the series. Period-correct examples with unpolished cases and original dials command serious attention at auction.

Montezemolo's association with Ferrari — where he served as president across two celebrated stints, overseeing Michael Schumacher's dominant championship years — makes the motorsport connection of a Speedmaster entirely fitting. Omega and racing have been intertwined since the chronograph's earliest days, and a man who spent decades at the apex of Formula 1 wearing one feels less like coincidence and more like instinct.

On the grey market, clean examples of the Omega Speedmaster MK II ref. 145.014 have been climbing steadily as vintage Speedmaster collecting matures beyond the Professional. Expect to pay meaningfully above standard Professional prices for well-preserved examples, reflecting both the model's relative scarcity and its growing recognition as a cornerstone of the Speedmaster lineage.