Omega Speedmaster - Six Month Review

It had been two long years since I had purchased a new watch. The pandemic and prior overconsumption had driven stagnation into my collection. However, in January 2022 the itch started. It bubbled from my core until it was untenable. I had a plan this time, though. From January until May I searched high and low for the right piece so I could buy what I wanted when the time was right. The three watches I had narrowed down with my search were the Omega Speedmaster Professional, the Cartier Santos Large, and the JLC Reverso Classic Duoface. The Speedmaster is a watch I have always been attracted to, for an abundance of and obvious reasons. The Santos was a new adoration. I started looking after a friend spent hours convincing me of its positive aspects. I also love sports watches and I haven’t had a non-diver sports watch in quite some time, so a Santos would fill that void. Finally, the JLC enticed me because I am growing up. I don’t have a dedicated dress watch. I don’t know if I am in the position to rock a Black Bay with my suit ala James Bond with his Seamaster. My go to watch when I’m dressed up is my Rolex Oyster Perpetual, however, that has a purple face. It is not always the most appropriate or dressy. It definitely leans towards a sporty/summery watch. However, what I struggle with is the ruggedness and durability of dress watches. I have always figured myself a tool watch guy, specifically divers. I’m outdoors a lot, I dive, it was almost summer and I’d be swimming. These are the rationalizations I used to look exclusively at divers. The thing is, I was starting to get bored. You don’t get the variety that makes this hobby great when you solely focus on one category of watch. Divers will always have a place in my heart, but I needed to diversify. Well, from the title of this I think you all can figure out what watch I bought, but truly I was very, very close to choosing the Santos. It was a game time decision and a Tuesday, therefore, I went with the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Sapphire Sandwich.

So, how has the Speedie been after six months? One word would bliss. In the 180 days I have owned this watch it has sat on my wrist for 170 of them. Of the 4080 hours encompassed within that 170 days, the Speedie has been on my wrist for all of them. I wear this watch 24/7 (aside from showers since it is only rated to 50m, so I guess maybe it’s more like 4050 hours). The legibility of the Speedmaster is great! Chronographs have a tendency to be busy, but with the Speedmaster, the slender hands, combined with white-on-black contrast, allows for precision even with a quick glance. The dial also has great depth with the step up to the dial that leads to the subdials. Speaking towards that 24/7 wearability, the weight and wrist presence is not overbearing. I bought the model with the bracelet, which has proven to be most comfortable. The links do not pull hair and provide enough stretch that bloat throughout the day, even an excessively hot one, is not an issue. Similarly, the lume remains bright and legible after hours. I routinely check my wrist after seven hours of sleep and the lume is still glowing. It really has stamina. Speaking of stamina, the power reserve is rated at fifty hours, but I routinely get close to fifty-six hours. For example, one of the few times the Speedie left my wrist was during a trip to Lake George. I took it off my wrist and fully wound it around eight in the morning. I returned Sunday at four in the evening and it was still ticking! I figured it was close to dead as it took quite a bit of winding till it was full, but at least I did not have to reset the time on it. The accuracy on this watch is also severely underrated. Personally, I lose about three seconds a week, not a day, a WEEK. This watch is technically very impressive. The Caliber 3861 is accurate, long lasting, and makes living with this watch a dream.

The great thing about the Speedie is that it can absorb the vibe of any strap. Throw it on a baby blue ostrich skin for some flair. Wear it on a Nato for a casual, summer vibe. Put the bracelet back on to dress it up some. It has the versatility to do it all. For the past two months I have been wearing it on a black leather band. A very cheap leather band from Amazon. Guess what, it makes the Speedie look good. Usually, I am a bracelet person, but I have found recently that the comfort of a strap is unmatched. This is something the Speedie has taught me. The versatility (and quick change) of a strap makes it much easier to rotate different colors out, too.

The Speedmaster has taught me that I can live with a watch that is “more fragile.” Aside from actually diving, do I need 200m of water resistance? No, definitely not. Has the Speedmaster prevented me from enjoying a summer? Certainly not. Guess what? I can swim without a watch on if I accidentally wear the wrong one. It was a novel concept for me. I mean, I also have seven watches, it won’t kill me to give the other ones some wrist time. I also prefer the feeling of a strap now. Though I bought the Speedmaster as an entirely different watch collector, it has changed my perspective immensely. My tastes are now much more diverse. I am open to watches I didn’t give a second look prior. After six months on my wrist, the Speedmaster has changed my habits for the better. I definitely think every collector should try one out, even if it’s a short lived piece in the rotation. For me, yeah, I’m gonna keep it around for a while.