Add a true classic to your timepiece collection with the latest generation of the amazingly precise and rugged Omega Speedmaster. This stainless steel manual winding men’s watch is a replica of the first watch worn on the moon, and it’s engraved on the back with the Omega Speedmaster emblem and notation of its flight qualification for all NASA manned space missions. It includes a powerful chronograph, which offers 12-hour, 30 minute and 1/10 second subdials. Distinctively masculin [Read More...]
Buy Omega Men’s Speedmaster Professional Mechanical Chronograph Watch #3570.50.00 at Amazon
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August 7th, 2009 at 8:33 am
1.0 out of 5 stars
If the crew of Apollo 13 had MY particular watch…they would not have made it back to Earth.
I purchased mine around the time of the release of the Apollo 13 movie.
The chronometer simply does not keep accurate elapsed time.
August 7th, 2009 at 9:21 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic Beauty
Even if you take out it’s acheivements in the Space Program, this watch could stand on it’s own as one of the finest timepieces ever built.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:12 am
1.0 out of 5 stars
Be Careful
I was sold a FAKE omega speedmaster!!! The seller had no pictures, just a stock file photo and when it arrived it was a horribly made copy!
August 7th, 2009 at 10:30 am
After much research, I purchased an Omega Speedmaster in 1968 as an 18th birthday present to myself. There were not many chronographs available at that time (Rolex, Breitling, Omega and probably others I no longer remember). To my surprise, that summer (or next), Omega began agressive advertising that it’s watch was the official timepiece of the Apollo Astronauts. It reaffirmed my choice. Thirty years later, it is still the best watch I own (including my Submariner). My only complaint is that I have gone through three or four bracelets/straps. Ironically, a new metal bracelet costs more than the original cost of my Speedmaster ($185). Interestingly, no Rolex owner has ever commented on my Submariner, but fellow Speedmaster owners always start up a conversation with each other. I cannot comment on the new Speedmasters, but mine has been dropped, thrown, drowned, frozen, heated, shaken and abused for 30 years and still runs great. I recommend factory cleaning, vacuum sealing and a new crystal every 10 years or so, just to be safe.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:34 am
I’ve owned this watch for over 2 years now and have worn it every single day since the day I bought it. I intend to keep it for years (probably for the rest of my life) as it remains the most swanky and stylish (elegant yet functional) watch I’ve ever owned (and I’ve owned and sold quite a few).
The Speedmaster has all the appeal and extreme accruracy of a Rolex, yet none of the gaudiness-it’s understated, cool but not too cool. Looking at it evokes a sense of faith in exploration and the adrenaline rush of speed and the force of Gs or zero gravity. With it’s black dial and white hands, and brushed silver bracelet and casing, the Speedmaster is one of the best executed designs to come out of the last 100 years and certainly one of the most classic timepieces ever.
There are other models that offer things since as a day/date, or a slightly smaller size, or a glass crystal instead of the sturdy Hesalite plastic one, but these are not the original “Moon Watch” and are not worth buying. If you are going to go Speedmaster, get the original. Technically this is a men’s watch, but I’ve seen it worn by a woman with great success (the actor Daniel Day-Lewis’s wife wears one).
It’s Swiss made and Nasa spacewalk certified. This very watch model was worn on the Moon (on the outside of the space suit!) by Neil Armstrong in the Apollo missions back in the late 1960s. The build quality and styling has not changed much since then (it hasn’t needed to). This is a manual watch, which means you have to wind it up. I like that, it becomes part of your daily routine like sleeping and eating. The back is engraved with a cool logo and a Nasa approval insignia. When your mate picks it up off the nightstand in the morning and reads what it says on the back, she will probably ask you about it.
This is the stuff of legends, and it’s a pretty good watch too.
August 7th, 2009 at 11:50 am
This is a beautiful watch with a legendary history and phenomenal following. It has been one of the most popular watches ever made by Omega since its debut in 1957. The current Speedmaster Professionals come in multiple versions, but are for the most part little changed in its over 50 year life.
Why is it amazing?
During the 1960’s space race with the Soviets, NASA did not have the time to announce an open competition from all interested watch companies to design a watch suitable for space travel. This would have required bids from different manufacturers with the eventual award of a government contract. NASA engineers in plain clothes went to downtown Houston and entered various high end stores and purchased high-end (i.e. expensive) manual wind wristwatches from 10 different brands, such as Omega, Rolex, etc. This was all done in secrecy and none of the watch manufacturers, such as Omega, were aware of this. NASA subjected the watches to grueling tests of temperature extremes, shocks, humidity, extreme pressure changes, etc. All of the watches malfunctioned and could not finish all of the tests except for one, the Omega Speedmaster.
NASA began to equip their astronauts in 1962 for the Gemini missions with a Speedmaster attached by a strap to the OUTSIDE of the astronauts’ suits. Omega executives saw NASA’s photos of the astronauts and realized that they were using their watches. This was quickly confirmed with a phone call to NASA. NASA then quickly announced that the Omega Speedmaster was the official watch to be used on their space missions. Realize that this was all done without Omega’s awareness.
.
Bulova, an American watchmaker, pressured congressmen who pressured NASA to allow for an open competition to include Bulova. NASA then allowed watchmakers to submit watches for evaluation. Once again, the Omega Speedmaster Professional was the only watch that passed all of NASA’s tests! Believe it or not, through constant pressure from Bulova, NASA again had to hold an open competition a third time in 1978, and AGAIN, the Omega Speedmaster was found to be the only acceptable watch. This is the stuff of legends!
What attributes do all of the current versions of the Speedmaster Pro (3570.50, 3573.50, 3576.50, etc) have?
1. Beautiful clear dial with luminous markers
2. Chronograph (timer)
3. 42.5 mm case size (good IMHO for wrists 6″ and above)
4. Classic unchanged looks from the original 1957 design
5. Wonderful manual wind mechanism with proven history of reliability
6. Water resistance of 50m or 167 feet (this is acceptable for “normal” use, but is certainly not intended to be a diver’s watch)
What is specific to a 3573.50 a.k.a. “sapphire sandwich”?
1. Cal 1863 movement (all of past and current movements are terrific and one should not be thought of as superior to another)
2. Sapphire crystal is used over the dial instead of the hesalite crystal (i.e. plexiglass) used on the standard 3570.50 model. Sapphire crystal is much more scratch resistant but can shatter with high impact. The traditional, standard 3570.50 model’s hesalite is nearly impossible to shatter and its scratches can easily be buffed out. The original hesalite is also more authentic to the original moon watch design as the sapphire crystal models were never approved by NASA.
3. Sapphire crystal caseback to show the beautiful movement. The traditional 3570.50 model has a stainless steel back.
What are the downsides of this 3573.50 “sapphire sandwich” compared to the standard 3570.50 model shown?
1. Cost - the 3573.50 is significantly more expensive than the 3570.5
2. Sapphire crystal can shatter
3. Sapphire cyrstal is less “authentic” when thinking about its NASA history
4. Sapphire crystal caseback is also less authentic than the original moonwatch
I ended up purchasing the 3573.50, but I strongly considered the more classic, 3570.50 with the hesalite crystal plexiglass and the steel caseback. I did not like the idea of having to buff and polish out scratches on the plexiglass. It is supposed to be very easy to do, but I just preferred sapphire crystal.
Even though it is less true to the original 1957 design, I liked the idea of sapphire crystal caseback to observe the beautiful Omega movement.
If you either don’t want to spend the extra money for these differences, or if you prefer to have a truer, more authentic moonwatch, then get the 3570.50. People love that watch. Either way, you will most likely be pleased by its aesthetics, functionality, and history.
You should NOT buy any of these Speedmaster Pro models if you will be wanting to use this as a diving watch. Get a Seamaster 300M or Planet Ocean for that need.
As for its time keeping accuracy, most owners don’t mind it all. If you are very concerned with accuracy, then a mechanical watch, even if it is COSC certified, is probably not the right type of watch for you. A quartz watch will be significantly more accurate. I have heard that people’s experiences for the Speedmaster Pros range from -/+ of 0/0 -5/+15. It is not a certified chronometer by the COSC. This watch only needs to be wound every 1 or 2 days and its time adjusted about once every 1 or 2 weeks.
If you end up for some unexpected reason to not like the watch, realize that this watch has a phenomenally high resale value and is very easy to sell on various online auction sites.
August 7th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Horological classiness!
The OMEGA SpeedMaster Professional “moonwatch” is a historical, significant piece of horology and NASA space/moon exploration that you can wear on your wrist!
August 7th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Size Watch
I’ve never seen this watch up close before so all the descriptions about how big and heavy the watch was really had me concerned.
August 7th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
My last watch
When I graduated from college in 1966, my parents gave me a fine very slim gold Swiss watch. It didn’t last a month in the Amazon.
August 7th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Since 1983…
Bought in 1983 for about 800 bucks. It’s a little heavy, but it is so beautiful. I wear it 5 - 10 times / month. One new crystal needed in 1998.
August 7th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real classic
This watch is a true classic. I’ve owned mine for over 30 years, I’ve worn it almost everyday and it still works like the day I got it.
August 7th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Magnificent Legacy from the Analog Era
The Omega Speedmaster is one of the very few watches that have gone orbiting the Earth and the only one landed on the Moon.
August 7th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
90 seconds a day is 99.9% accurate
For all the people complaining about their wristwatch being a minute and a half off in 24 hours: At 86,400 seconds in a day a watch that is 99.9% accurate will lose 86.