Omega

Omega Men's 3510.50.00 Speedmaster Reduced Automatic Chronograph Watch

• Quality Swiss Automatic movement; Functions without a battery; Powers automatically with the movement of your arm
• Hesalite crystal
• Case diameter: 35.5 mm

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Add a true classic to your timepiece collection with the latest generation of the amazingly precise and rugged Omega Speedmaster, the first watch worn on the moon. This stainless steel automatic men's watch includes a powerful chronograph with 12-hour and 30-minute registers. Distinctively masculine in design, it features a mid-sized, round silver stainless steel watch case with a highly polished tachymeter bezel in black with silver engraved markings, and it measures 35.5mm (1.4 inches) wide.

It has a silver dial background with luminous, silver-tone hands (with seconds hand) and small baton dial markers. Other features include a 40-hour power reserve, scratch-resistant and glare-proofed domed sapphire crystal, and water resistance to 30 meters (99 feet). It's completed by a silver stainless steel link bracelet band that offers polished highlights, which is joined by a secure, push-button clasp. This adjustable band measures 7 inches in length.

Automatic Watch Movement
An automatic watch is self-winding, and its movement has a reserve that must be at least partially filled prior to being worn. This is done by shaking and winding the timepiece manually. In order for an automatic timepiece to keep a reserve, it must be worn daily for 8 hours of active wear. This watch as a 44-hour power reserve.

The Omega Story
The Omega watch story begins in 1848, when founder Louis Brandt began hand assembling key-wound precision pocket watches from parts supplied by local craftsmen in his principality La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the northwest corner of Switzerland. However, the Omega name didn't appear until 1894, after Louis Brandt had passed away and his watchmaking traditions were taken over by his sons, Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt. Omega watches have long been associated with glamorous screen and sports stars--the Omega Seamaster is famous for being the watch of choice for James Bond--with current ambassadors including Pierce Brosnan, Nicole Kidman, tennis player Anna Kournikova, and swimmers Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe.

But Omega is more than just a fashionable watch. In 1965, the Omega Speedmaster chronograph was "flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions" as the only wristwatch to have withstood all of the U.S. space agency's severe tests, including passing grades for extreme shocks, vibrations, and temperatures ranging from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius. The greatest moment in the Speedmaster's history was undoubtedly 20 July 1969 at 02:56 GMT, when it recorded man's first steps on the Moon's surface as part of the Apollo 11 mission. Today, Omega is known for its rigorous testing of new movements, cases, and bands. Each new Omega movement is tested on the wrist in existing Omega models, while various laboratory tests are conducted to determine temperature-resistance, shock-resistance and vibration-resistance.

The Omega Story

The Omega watch story begins in 1848, when founder Louis Brandt began hand assembling key-wound precision pocket watches from parts supplied by local craftsmen in his principality La Chaux-de-Fonds, in the northwest corner of Switzerland. However, the Omega name didn't appear until 1894, after Louis Brandt had passed away and his watchmaking traditions were taken over by his sons, Louis-Paul and Cesar Brandt. Omega watches have long been associated with glamorous screen and sports stars--the Omega Seamaster is famous for being the watch of choice for James Bond--with current ambassadors including Pierce Brosnan, Nicole Kidman, tennis player Anna Kournikova, and swimmers Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe.

But Omega is more than just a fashionable watch. In 1965, the Omega Speedmaster chronograph was "flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions" as the only wristwatch to have withstood all of the U.S. space agency's severe tests, including passing grades for extreme shocks, vibrations, and temperatures ranging from -18 to +93 degrees Celsius. The greatest moment in the Speedmaster's history was undoubtedly 20 July 1969 at 02:56 GMT, when it recorded man's first steps on the Moon's surface as part of the Apollo 11 mission. Omega watches rocketed off to space on many subsequent missions, including visits to Skylab and the historic Apollo-Soyuz link-up of Soviet and American astronauts in 1975.

In more recent years, Omega created the world's first self-winding wristwatch with central tourbillon in 1994 and made history in 1999 with the first mass-produced watch incorporating the co-axial escapement, developed in conjunction with renowned English master watchmaker George Daniels. In simple terms, the escapement is the heart of a mechanical watch, generating the impulses that make the mechanism move. Omega's Co-Axial Escapement drastically reduces the friction among the parts that transmit energy to the other components, producing greater stability and precision and reducing service requirements.

Today, Omega is known for its rigorous testing of new movements, cases, and bands. Each new Omega movement is tested on the wrist in existing Omega models, while various laboratory tests are conducted to determine temperature-resistance, shock-resistance and vibration-resistance.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000EJLX2Q
• Item model number: 3510.50.00
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,272 in Watches (See Top 100 in Watches)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NASA tested - the real moon watch, August 22, 2006

By 

Dom Miliano (Denville, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Omega Men's 3510.50.00 Speedmaster Reduced Automatic Chronograph Watch (Watch)

The Omega Speedmaster professional wristwatch didn't start out life as the watch that went to the moon, it had to earn that title. NASA tested three chronographs and the Omega was the winner because it took a licking and kept on... Sorry! actually, there are several reasons why this watch won. First, it really is rugged, shock and waterproof. Next, it is NOT self winding - you have to do that by hand like the good old days. (There's no gravity in space so self winding won't keep the watch running.) Finally, the crystal is plastic. Glass was seen as too dangerous for the inside of a space capsule.

This model has been in the Omega line for decades because it's one heck of a great watch. It's big and chunky (the current fad) but comfortable enough for every day. It keeps superb time for a mechanical watch. It's a chronograph so you have a stop watch to time a parking meter or your next LEM docking attempt. I do have two small gripes. One, there is no "hack" feature - i.e., the second hand doesn't stop when you pull out the stem. If it did, you could set it with the beep on the radio for the exact time. Second, there is no date. Yeah, for a moon watch, does it need a date? At my age, I need a date because I'm not going to the moon.

If you love watches and want to own one of the world's greatest timepieces, clearly, this is one of a tiny handful of classic, collectable watches.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful watch!, June 25, 2006

By 

Reb (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

I got this for my husband as his wedding gift, and he LOVES it. He was so excited when he opened the box; he's been wanting this watch for a long time. The presentation is beautiful, with the red box and hardbound user manual. It is durable, handsome, and keeps great time! The face is a bit crowded, but that's why it is the "reduced" version, it's smaller overall. The only drawback is the acrylic crystal. It was made that way so if it broke in space the astronauts wouldn't get hurt, as it wouldn't break into pieces like glass, but it can scatch easily, so I recommend taking it off for any chores or physical activity. Please note that I did not buy my husband's watch off Amazon, but I used Amazon to price shop and read reviews of Omega watches and reviews of the store I did ultimately use.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful watch!, June 26, 2006

By 

Reb (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

I got this for my husband as his wedding gift, and he LOVES it. He was so excited when he opened the box; he's been wanting this watch for a long time. The presentation is beautiful, with the red box and hardbound user manual. It is durable, handsome, and keeps great time! The face is a bit crowded, but that's why it is the "reduced" version, it's smaller overall. The only drawback is the acrylic crystal. It was made that way so if it broke in space the astronauts wouldn't get hurt, as it wouldn't break into pieces like glass, but it can scatch easily, so I recommend taking it off for any chores or physical activity. Please note that I did not buy my husband's watch off Amazon, but I used Amazon to price shop and read reviews of Omega watches and reviews of the store I did ultimately use.