Reply With QuoteWearing mine now and it's been on my wrist for a few months now.... I've got a box with other models on the dressing table but I've got lazy with this lockdown thing.
Surely that's the Rolex Submariner?Originally Posted by unclealec
The manual wind movement is always going to make the Speedmaster a bit of a left-field choice.
At the risk of repeating myself, I just don't see 100s of Speedmasters out and about - The only one I'm aware of personally is a friend who has a reduced, but he also has a Seamaster Quartz.
I constantly read that 'everyone has Speedmaster', but I've seen far more Seamasters and Rolex Subs on people's wrists than Speedmasters.
Aside from watch forums, where do people encounter so many?
I like mine and I don't recognise many of the negative responses from people (I don't dive in mine, but I don't dive in most of my watches!), but I wouldn't rate it as the 'best watch ever', anymore than I would any other watch - It's like 'the best car ever' or 'the best plane ever', there are too many variables for any one example ever to take the top spot.
M
Last edited by snowman; 24th July 2020 at 11:21.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Wearing mine now and it's been on my wrist for a few months now.... I've got a box with other models on the dressing table but I've got lazy with this lockdown thing.
I've got a bit of the love back now, since I regulated and re-strapped it. But it's still not the best ever watch.
That’s my favourite variant of the Speedy. I do keep a look out for good prices on Chrono24 and would like to a put a Pro black bezel on it.I've got a bit of the love back now, since I regulated and re-strapped it. But it's still not the best ever watch.
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I think it could be said that the Speedmaster is one of the most iconic watches ever (the other being the submariner?!), but if there was a best watch ever there wouldn’t be this forum....
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Best chronograph, definitely. But it's not a go anywhere do anything watch.
It’s a no from me. I’ve always toyed with the idea of buying one but have always found something else that exceeds my desire for it. The hand wound movement, no date and lack of use for a chronograph leads me elsewhere every time. I think I’ll stick with my basic bitch SubC.
It’s no where near best chrono if you know anything about watches, let me just pluck a chrono out the air, how does it compare with the f385?
Very few might.
Both the speedmaster and the submariner are iconic watches, I’ve had them both and I still have a DSOM but wear a GShock 95% of the time. Nicest looking watch I’ve had was a breitling spatiograph with champagne dial and steel and gold bracelet but it broke after 15 months and breitling did a shit job fixing it so It got sold.
I’m not going to the moon or the bottom of the ocean so tbh both watches are pointless trinkets.
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I don’t know about it being the best watch but it’s certainly very comfortable to wear and pleasing to the eye.
I’ve recently added this ‘74 to my collection and will pick up an insert at some point.
Nah, still gushing after fifteen years.
You can spice them up a bit with the multitude of LE / SEs
Love my Apollo 8 - with Cal 1869
I have owned a couple - both standard hesalite crystal versions, although one was a special anniversary one, can’t remember which. They just didn’t click with me somehow, just a bit lacklustre and old fashioned looking but in a ‘geeky’ way imho. Every time I see one on a wrist I think ‘someone who’s a space nerd’ - which is funny as growing up as a kid I wanted to be a spaceman, but the nerdiness doesn’t appeal. Mind you every time I see a submariner I think ‘man jewellery, no imagination’ - they’re kind of ‘the non thinking mans luxury watch’ for those who believe the marketing and lack the imagination to buy something a little individual - but maybe I say that after 30 years of buying and selling the ‘classics’ - I just find them a bit boring, but it took years to reach that conclusion!
Wow Rolex and Omega fanbois will be all over you now where can I send the remberance gift to!
- - - Updated - - -
Although I can't really afford a new watch with my current situation, I've got my eye out for a secondhand Speedy at the right price. I already own a Speedmaster '57 with the coaxial movement but I would like to add a more classic model.
It's pretty theoretical at the moment but the right watch at the right price I might purchase as long as I could be confident in moving it on quickly without much loss if I needed to....I keep changing my mind between a normal Moonwatch, a Sapphire Sandwich and a FOIS. Which of those would you go for?
I would go for this one
Picture is from Koyote33 at Omega forums
I used to have that one! Purchased in about 2000 brand new from an AD for £1000!I would go for this one
Picture is from Koyote33 at Omega forums
That’s an interesting observation, since I sold my Gemini 4 to fund the purchase of my Navitimer World (which I still own).
Simon
Sorry for your loss!
I'm an idiot flipper...only got myself to blame!
I’ve got this model. I don’t wear it often but when I do I’m reminded how much I like it, very cool watch IMOI've got a bit of the love back now, since I regulated and re-strapped it. But it's still not the best ever watch.
I’d go for the normal Moonwatch. Had a couple but currently without one. Need to put that right sometime.
Best watch ever for Walter Mitty types.
Down side, Manual wind, lack of date, Cost, questionable water resistance, more versions than you can poke a stick at, naff limited editions, Omega servicing, not the first watch in space, not very legible. On the plus side some versions were worn on the Moon and it has a chrono function (for those who wish to time the burn of their re-entry).
Surely the best watch would be quartz, cheap, waterproof and multifunctional. Like a Casio or something like the Breitling Aerospace.
Last edited by Andyg; 29th July 2020 at 16:47.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Having had mine in for a new crytsal lately I'd serious separation anxiety. Delighted to have it back. There's something very appealing about it on the wrist.
Andy
Your becoming a Debbie Downer party pooper watch owner!
Downside manual wind? Surely that’s a massive uptick. Character watch. Old school winding.
Manual wind used to bug me as the crown is hard to grip compared to say an Onion crown on my stowa but ive got the knack of rolling it from underneath with my finger and it works well enough
Are you sure you're on the right forum?
Objectively, you're right about the 'best' watch (and it wouldn't be the Breitling), but that's hardly the point is it? In fact, unless you're buying an F91W, you'd just be wasting money!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Unless there's a screw-down crown, I prefer manual wind as well. Bit more control, and can sometimes be used to maintain accuracy.
No, nope or keep feeding your pony.
M
Not for me by any stretch of the imagination. Looks like something from the Argos catalogue along with the Daytona.
The best ever sports watch is quite probably the Casio G-Shock GW5000-1JF.
As much as we all like a nice Automatic or manual wind steel sports watch, they are all pretty bad at achieving their primary function.. Keeping accurate time!
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Last edited by senraw; 1st August 2020 at 20:48.
It wouldn't even make my top 10. As many have said, the manual wind crown is awful. The crystal is softer that warm butter and the Chinese made bracelet is far too blingy for a sports watch.
G-shock or Seiko SKX beats it hands down. If I had to choose a chronograph then Breitling Navitimer or even a Seiko Pogue would top it for me.
The Pogue is one of my all time favourites and I would have one over a Speedmaster any day of the week. Problem is they are iften either old, fragile and difficult to have set up or are frankens. A good quality reissue would be marvellous.
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I always thought the Moonwatch was more universally loved than suggested in this thread. There's no doubt the marketing is what sells it, but the same can be said for most luxury watches.
I think it is quite universally loved, but anything that so clearly sets up something from the mid-range as being "The Best Ever" is going to get a lot more comments as to why it ain't all that.
Which is fair, it isn't the best ever.
But as has been said before, it is iconic. And massively important to Omega. And in production in almost exactly the same specfication now more than 50 years after the move to the later 861 movement.
Which has to be a unique testament to the model, that it still sells.
Not forgetting the massive number of other models it has spawned, due to its fame.
Iconic, important, with unique longevity and legacy. All these things.
Best ever? No
D
True. Just reminded myself of the thread title too!
The model has definitely been pushed up by Omega in both RRP and brand positioning beyond it's actual quality, only based on marketing.
It’s a great watch, but not the best - simply because you can’t wear it to do anything. For example, you can’t swim with it, you shouldn’t shower with it and the crystal, in my view, isn’t robust enough.
There’s no such thing as one best watch, just what’s best for you and what’s best for me.
Disagree..I wore mine doing the ironing at it's fine :) agree though I seriously want to keep it clean so I don't do anything remotely physical with it
I like the moonwatch, had o e for a short period. But it's not a "one and done" watch. The manual wind thing was not as much of an issue as I thought, but the water resistance and delicacy is. Also I find the entire moon connection to be little more than cynical marketing to appeal to the 'member berries. Always loads for sale. If somebody asked me to reccomend a good "one" watch I would not reccomend a speedmaster. If somebody asked me to reccomend a chrono for a larger collection I most certainly would.
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It's not a watch to be worn in all occasions, but I'm one of those people who can't fathom why you'd wear a watch in the shower or why you'd need to tell the time in the swimming pool.
At secondhand prices, it's a great watch for the collection but it's quite basic and I think Omega have pushed this model too far up the collection to the point you really are paying for marketing. It's definitely no Navitimer...give me a B01 or Omega 9300 co-axial movement any day.
Having owned one for the last 4 years, but I've only in the last week moved mine on.
It is a watch to really love and the history is glorious. However, I couldn't justify keeping it and, having been at home locked down for months, not wearing it enough to keep in a drawer.
I'll fully expect to buy one again in the future. It is a classic for good reason (all the exclusives and limited editions aside) if only for the manual wind and hesalite glow
I've got a bit of the love back now, since I regulated and re-strapped it. But it's still not the best ever watch.
It's on a NATO now. Still feeling the love. Actually I've never found a strap I liked as much on it as the original tan leather + deployant, but that's looking a bit worn out now.
Yet some how it managed to pass some reasonably stringent tests by NASA
https://www.twentytwoten.com/1574/na...ter-moonwatch/
It's a lovely watch the Speedy, but not the best. Certainly one of the greats, but a lot better can be had for much less these days. And the lack of a date window still erks me on a good all-rounder and that's what made me move mine on. I thought I could do without one, but I refer to the date a lot more than I expected.
I prefer my Fortis Cosmonaut Chronograph as a quality, every day piece that does most of what one would need - and it's just as 'spacey' as the Speedmaster.
Last edited by Filterlab; 25th February 2023 at 13:42.
A good contender to be one of the very best for sure, if not the best.
Why you say?
The standard speedy hesalite as we know it, apart from some very minor tweaks like the logo, is aesthetically speaking the same watch today as it was in the late 60s.
It looks as modern and relevant today as it always has. No ceramic, no applied logos, etc.
The submariner is an icon but its appearance has shifted towards something more shiny and luxurious looking, the standard speedy has stayed virtually unchanged for over 50 years, it is literally timeless!
It is good it is not more waterproof, or more scratch resistant. Gives me an excuse to have other watches
For all the chronos and divers I have, this here is an itch to be scratched one day. Stunning piece FL. Enjoy it!It's a lovely watch the Speedy, but not the best. Certainly one of the greats, but a lot better can be had for much less these days. And the lack of a date window still erks me on a good all-rounder and that's what made me move mine on. I thought I could do without one, but I refer to the date a lot more than I expected.
I prefer my Fortis Cosmonaut Chronograph as a quality, every day piece that does most of what one would need - and it's just as 'spacey' as the Speedmaster.
Jim
Thanks Jim.
It's my favourite piece out of everything I've ever owned. Will probably be buried with it I reckon (or they can fire me out into space like Scotty and I'll still be able to use it).
For me the 'best watch' ever needs to be one that can be worn anywhere for any purpose which is what lets the Speedy down as it isn't really suited for swimming.
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