Just posted off my X-33 to Omega for servicing. Amongst the paperwork was the retail prices for the watch back in 1998, £1575 on strap and £1900 (equivalent of £3368 in 2020) for the bracelet. Despite it’s close involvement with NASA and shuttle missions it must be one of the very few historically significant watches today that are still worth less than their original rrp. Can’t imagine many were sold given how expensive they were at the time either.
Last edited by mylofitz; 12th November 2020 at 17:14.
The 1st watch on the Moon captures the imagination of many but that was a massive milestone in history.
Over missions and items used by NASA dont have the same effect in my opinion.
For example absolutely nobody on earth cares that ThinkPads are used in Space.
They're less "unloved" than they used to be.
Thats because ThinkPad don't have several hundred (not so) limited edition laptops with cartoon dogs or mens bums on them. They are really missing a trick :)Originally Posted by xellos99
The original X33 never really had any attraction to me, however the new version is a much better looking watch, its just far to complicated for me to operate.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 12th November 2020 at 18:18.
I remember the days when every Omega AD had an unloved, dusty X-33 hiding in the far corner of the window display.
______
Jim.
Well I like them and, unlike most Rolex models, they've made them better when they updated them.
Aiii
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
I don't know if you've ever done one and I missed it, but I'd be very interested in a comparative review.
My Skywalker version is anything but unloved, I think it’s splendid and it’s a permanent fixture in my collection. It’s light, comfortable, looks great, and the controls, layout and features are logical and genuinely useful.
Agreed on the Skywalker - truly brilliant watch.
Really enjoy my Skywalker and not as complicated as you may think at first. There is a great app that’s let’s you play with the controls.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You've not missed it, I've just been extremely lazy. I'll try to get around to putting something together. There are enough differences between the versions for me to enjoy them all and I do like having the different strap options straight out of the box.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
I'd also appreciate that; I'm not as clued up about the successive versions as I'd like to be.
I love my X33 Skywalker. It relegated my SMP to it's watch box.
I specifically didn't want the Solar Impulse variant as I wanted the titanium bracelet. I don't use all of the functionality, but I use the alarms every day, and the countdown timer very often. I am one of those that wouldn't have a chrono, yet here I am with an X33 and it's legible instead of having sub-dials that my old eyes would struggle with. At least the pushers on this look good.
Like all watches it could be improved. The hands only sync to T1. I would like them to sync to GMT, T1 or T2 at the push of a button. Other than that it is damned near perfect.
Leaves me cold, the depreciation doesn't surprise me.
Love mine - bought and sold far too often - but keeping the one I have now - MK2 with 1666C . It is a little special in that it was mil specd (with blank back plate but never got engraved). I added the OEM bracelet to it and now is a great box set with OEM Kevlar strap as well.
Calibre 1666 - Cousins UKwww.cousinsuk.com › categories › 3503_Omega 1666
For those who want to - that document shows how to apply compensation corrections to the movement - making it highly accurate.
Highly functional and often used to time the Sunday roast with intermittent timings for the veg! The best alarm on the planet. Makes a great holiday watch too!
Martyn
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 13th November 2020 at 10:55.
Whats not to love about an X-33, ticks a lot of boxes for me.
Cheers,
Ben
..... for I have become the Jedi of flippers
" an extravagance is anything you buy that is of no earthly use to your wife "
The WR has always deterred me.
Never deterred me from taking mine diving.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
I ended up using mine at night, the backlight light was great for checking if small children waking up early enough for everyone to go back to sleep or giving up and starting work and as it didn't need winding it was always ready. The countdown timer and bezel were used all the time for cooking. Always comfortable (on the Ti bracelet) and so light I barely noticed it was there. It looked just right with the backlight on but my issue with it was it looked a bit too plain without. The markers are bright white and the main chrono hand bright red. Had the light been on permanently I doubt I would have sold it and I would have worn it more during the day. As it was, the digital writing was too pale so it always looked empty.
"A man of little significance"
You’re a braver man than me.
At 30m WR, I’d be taking it off to wash my hands.
Has anyone tried the Z33? This is a watch I would like to try but I do not think they sold in great numbers so they do not come up for sale very often, I have only ever seen one for sale in an AD. (in Saigon). Has it been discontinued?
But, you would have to change the battery every two days if the backlight was permanently on
Not quite suitable for shirt cuffs I think
Last edited by MartynJC (UK); 13th November 2020 at 17:53.
It's mahoosive, I can't get away with it much as I'd love to be able to.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Yep but I love it...
Not quite suitable for shirt cuffs I think
It’s the perfect ani digi for me. Retro red display and flight master style case.
It's not the only unloved Speedmaster.
Love the Z33. My wrist is a fairly average 7.25” and I find it very wearable. Yes it’s tall, but lug to lug is not ridiculous and as it is very light it’s surprisingly comfortable on the wrist.
The Z surely beats the X in the most unloved stakes?
But today’s unloved munter is usually tomorrow’s must-have classic.
Last edited by hhhh; 14th November 2020 at 11:07.
Not unloved by me!
I like everything except the thickness, which I think is 19.85mm. I absolutely love a flightline case and the wrist hugging flightmasters wear surprisingly small but they are at the limit of what I feel comfortable with, at about 15mm.
Image from interweb:
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Show us the profile, hhhh!
I love the Z-33, but the thickness! Still, I'm glad it exists!
Despite recently acquiring the longtime object of desire, a vintage Mark II (birth year), I just can't make the leap to a Flightmaster, or the Z-33.
Even with their obvious chops as genuine pieces of aviation/aerospace artefacts, that case is just too chunky for me.
The Mark II is to me, a lovely shape, but about as far as I can go down the milled from billet route.
Tried on a first gen X-33 once, and was very nearly there in terms of acquiring, but backed out in the end. It just didn't speak to me.
I was a little sad. :(
Does anyone know where I can source a gen1 pusher, I have lost 1 of mine :(
Same, I've always loved these but that thickness! Photographed at a certain angle it looks thick but perhaps not THAT bad, but when you can properly see the caseback thickness aswell it certainly tips it over the edge.
I would love to get to try one on my wrist some day just incase, but sadly as much as I absolutely love the looks I'm pretty sure it would be a no go with my slim wrists.
As for unloved Speedmaster, I think that goes to the original Mk.2(aside from racing dial variant which are always popular). Far more unloved than the X-33 which I think has a pretty strong fanbase of recent years and prices have been steadily climbing. The non-racing Mk.2 on the other hand I think will always remain underappreciated and undervalued, classic 861 movement and even nice tropical/chocolate dials which people would usually go crazy for add very little if any value to the watch. Best value Speedmaster out there IMO, just need to have a bit of patience to find a decent one.
Last edited by Tetlee; 14th November 2020 at 14:23.
I think this thread has convinced me I need a skywalker. Avoided the temptation in jan when beaverbrooks cleared them all out.
I used to love the seamaster 120 ana-digi
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