Watch Paparazzi

Actor Jean Dujardin spotted wearing Omega

In the 2007 French satirical film '99 Francs', directed by Jan Kounen and based on Frédéric Beigbeder's novel, Jean Dujardin appears alongside a co-star in what looks like a candid, behind-the-scenes or press moment — and on his wrist sits an unmistakable Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. The steel bracelet and black sub-dial layout are immediately recognizable to any serious collector.

The watch visible in the reference shot corresponds closely to the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch reference 145.022, the long-running manual-wind variant that served as the definitive 'Moonwatch' from 1968 through the 1980s. Powered by the Caliber 861 — a column-wheel-free but robustly reliable manual-wind movement — the 145.022 features a 42mm stainless steel asymmetric case, a black aluminum tachymeter bezel insert, and a stepped dial with three sub-registers at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. The aged tritium lume plots visible on the reference image confirm a vintage production window, most likely mid-to-late 1970s.

Among collectors, the 145.022 occupies a canonical position. It is the reference that flew on Apollo missions post-14, and it represents the mature, fully evolved form of the Speedmaster before the CK2998 purists and after the rougher 105.003 transitional models. A well-preserved example with original bracelet — as this appears to be — commands serious attention at auction. The 'tropical' dial variants and full-set examples with box and papers regularly exceed five figures on the secondary market.

Jean Dujardin, best known internationally for his Academy Award-winning performance in 'The Artist' (2011), was at this point in his career building his reputation through comedic French cinema. '99 Francs' cast him as Octave, a cynical Parisian advertising executive — a character whose material excesses make a vintage Speedmaster a tonally perfect accessory: aspirational, masculine, and with genuine provenance rather than nouveau-riche flash.

On the grey market, clean 145.022 examples with original bracelets currently trade between $4,500 and $9,000 depending on dial condition and documentation. The Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional in its modern iteration (310.30.42.50.01.001) retails at $6,350, making a well-preserved vintage reference increasingly competitive with — and historically superior to — its current production counterpart.