Omega Speedmaster

[JJW]

Can anyone advise me on buying an Omega Speedmaster? There seems to be a lot of variations (and varying prices). Auto vs manual wind, type of crystal,etc.
Any advice would be appreciated.

[dimag333]

The professional with hesalite seems to be what most purist like, I personally owned the first omega in space and really liked the case size and no crown guards

steve

[zesty55]

Originally Posted by dimag333

The professional with hesalite seems to be what most purist like, I personally owned the first omega in space and really liked the case size and no crown guards

steve

Ooh yeah, FOIS! Those alpha hands!

[Maxtor]

Go for the classic. Can't go wrong.

[Blackdog]

The Professional with the hesalite (acrylic) crystal, closed caseback and manual wind movement is the absolute classic.

It's the closest version to the actual Moonwatches and remains pretty much unchanged since 1969. It's like buying a vintage watch, new, today.

The Pro is also available with sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback, if you prefer something slightly more modern.

The FOIS is also an excellent choice. Same movement as the Pro. Not really smaller, but wears a bit smaller somehow, and sports the older style case with straight lugs and no crownguards. Only available on leather, but steel bracelet options that fit this watch perfectly are available.

For a first Speedmaster I would go with one of these options.

[Lew Archer]

Originally Posted by Blackdog

The Professional with the hesalite (acrylic) crystal, closed caseback and manual wind movement is the absolute classic.

It's the closest version to the actual Moonwatches and remains pretty much unchanged since 1969. It's like buying a vintage watch, new, today.

The Pro is also available with sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback, if you prefer something slightly more modern.

The FOIS is also an excellent choice. Same movement as the Pro. Not really smaller, but wears a bit smaller somehow, and sports the older style case with straight lugs and no crownguards. Only available on leather, but steel bracelet options that fit this watch perfectly are available.

For a first Speedmaster I would go with one of these options.

I agree. I’ve got both. The Professional was given to me by my father 28 years ago. He bought it in the early 70s. It’s a fantastic watch and quite reasonably priced, given the cost of high end watches generally. Its history is literally stellar. Any serious watch enthusiast would do well to own one! It’s the definitive and timeless Speedmaster.

I bought the “First Omega in Space” variant about four years ago. Indeed, it wears slightly smaller as noted. It’s a subtle difference, but, for me that difference makes it a much better fit for me. Reasonable price, much value for the money. Wears comfortably on the tapered brown leather strap it comes with. Omega offers NATO type straps, in nylon or leather. I’m sure a steel bracelet can be had as well.

The FOIS also has a great history. Its space flight was in 1962, when Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra chose to wear one. Later, NASA selected the professional variant, which went to the moon on the Apollo missions.

You couldn’t do better than either of these historical Speedmasters. Be aware that both are manual wind watches. If that’s a dealbreaker, I’m sure one of their automatic versions would appeal. I like the manual wind...once you get into a routine, that is. If you’re accustom to mechanical watches with automatic movements, or quartz watches, it might take getting used to. Likewise, the absence of a date complication.

For me, the manual wind is part of the watch’s vintage charm.

[EdwardC]

There's a lot of research you should do before figuring out which one you want. You can also go to the Omega forum (https://omegaforums.net) to get more inputs too.

I am no expert in this. However I feel there's a ton more options in Speedmaster than Daytona.