Customer Reviews

Omega Men's 3573.50.00 Speedmaster Professional Mechanical Chronograph Watch

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a beautiful watch with a legendary history and phenomenal following. It has been one of the most popular watches ever made by Omega since its debut in 1957. The current Speedmaster Professionals come in multiple versions, but are for the most part little changed in its over 50 year life.

Why is it amazing?

During the 1960's space race with the Soviets, NASA did not have the time to announce an open competition from all interested watch companies to design a watch suitable for space travel. This would have required bids from different manufacturers with the eventual award of a government contract. NASA engineers in plain clothes went to downtown Houston and entered various high end stores and purchased high-end (i.e. expensive) manual wind wristwatches from 10 different brands, such as Omega, Rolex, etc. This was all done in secrecy and none of the watch manufacturers, such as Omega, were aware of this. NASA subjected the watches to grueling tests of temperature extremes, shocks, humidity, extreme pressure changes, etc. All of the watches malfunctioned and could not finish all of the tests except for one, the Omega Speedmaster.

NASA began to equip their astronauts in 1962 for the Gemini missions with a Speedmaster attached by a strap to the OUTSIDE of the astronauts' suits. Omega executives saw NASA's photos of the astronauts and realized that they were using their watches. This was quickly confirmed with a phone call to NASA. NASA then quickly announced that the Omega Speedmaster was the official watch to be used on their space missions. Realize that this was all done without Omega's awareness.
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Bulova, an American watchmaker, pressured congressmen who pressured NASA to allow for an open competition to include Bulova. NASA then allowed watchmakers to submit watches for evaluation. Once again, the Omega Speedmaster Professional was the only watch that passed all of NASA's tests! Believe it or not, through constant pressure from Bulova, NASA again had to hold an open competition a third time in 1978, and AGAIN, the Omega Speedmaster was found to be the only acceptable watch. This is the stuff of legends!

What attributes do all of the current versions of the Speedmaster Pro (3570.50, 3573.50, 3576.50, etc) have?

1. Beautiful clear dial with luminous markers
2. Chronograph (timer)
3. 42.5 mm case size (good IMHO for wrists 6" and above)
4. Classic unchanged looks from the original 1957 design
5. Wonderful manual wind mechanism with proven history of reliability
6. Water resistance of 50m or 167 feet (this is acceptable for "normal" use, but is certainly not intended to be a diver's watch)

What is specific to the 3573.50 a.k.a. "sapphire sandwich"?

1. Cal 1863 movement (all of past and current movements are terrific and one should not be thought of as superior to another)
2. Sapphire crystal is used over the dial instead of the hesalite crystal (i.e. plexiglass) used on the standard 3570.50 model. Sapphire crystal is much more scratch resistant but can shatter with high impact. The traditional, standard 3570.50 model's hesalite is nearly impossible to shatter and its scratches can easily be buffed out. The original hesalite is also more authentic to the original moon watch design as the sapphire crystal models were never approved by NASA.
3. Sapphire crystal caseback to show the beautiful movement. The traditional 3570.50 model has a stainless steel back.

What are the downsides of this 3573.50 "sapphire sandwich" compared to the standard 3570.50 model?

1. Cost - this model is significantly more expensive
2. Sapphire crystal can shatter
3. Sapphire cyrstal is less "authentic" when thinking about its NASA history
4. Sapphire crystal caseback is also less authentic than the original moonwatch

I strongly considered the more classic, 3570.50 with the hesalite crystal plexiglass and the steel caseback, but I did not like the idea of having to buff and polish out scratches on the plexiglass. It is supposed to be very easy to do, but I just preferred sapphire crystal.

Even though it is less true to the original 1957 design, I liked the idea of sapphire crystal caseback to observe the beautiful Omega movement.

If you either don't want to spend the extra money for these differences, or if you prefer to have a truer, more authentic moonwatch, then get the 3570.50. People love that watch. Either way, you will most likely be pleased by its aesthetics, functionality, and history.

You should NOT buy any of these Speedmaster Pro models if you will be wanting to use this as a diving watch. Get a Seamaster 300M or Planet Ocean for that need.

As for its time keeping accuracy, most owners don't mind it all. If you are very concerned with accuracy, then a mechanical watch, even if it is COSC certified, is probably not the right type of watch for you. A quartz watch will be significantly more accurate. I have heard that people's experiences for the Speedmaster Pros range from -/+ of 0/0 -5/+15. It is not a certified chronometer by the COSC. This watch only needs to be wound every 1 or 2 days and its time adjusted about once every 1 or 2 weeks.

If you end up for some unexpected reason to not like the watch, realize that this watch has a phenomenally high resale value and is very easy to sell on various online auction sites.

I purchased my Omega Speedmaster Professional almost 38 years ago and still wear it today. I spent $375 to have it overhauled a few months ago as I could not bear to part with it. In 1969 I was in a bunker on top of a hill northeast of Khe Sanh(the siege was long over)and saw an ad in TIME for the watch that went to the moon. While on R&R in Hong Kong a month later I purchased it and have never regretted it. I timed 'flash to burst' artillery observations, timed officer candidates' performance on conditioning runs, timed photo processes in a darkroom, timed my wife's contractions during childbirth, timed radio and tv advertising scripts and use it to keep time while I am cooking. Always a faithful reminder of all that I have been through and ready to go for decades more, I plan to leave it to my first-born grandson when I pass away.

My Speedmaster is now 34 years old. It has been overhauled twice in the years I have owned it. The crystal is susceptible to scratching, though there are a few tricks for getting rid of superficial scratches. Its accuracy is good though not outstanding. It has proven to be more durable than the Rolex it was traded for, though I must point out the Rolex was a 1960s model which probably just needed a routine service.

People are often surprised to find out that the purchase of a fine watch does not end with said purchase. There is also maintenance and sometimes repair to be done at a later date, just like with upper tier cars.

There is little more to be said other than this watch endured several occupations I have participated in without a hitch. If the lack of water resistance does not bother you, this is an excellent watch with a proven track record both on Earth and in outer space. It is not particularly flashy which to my way of thinking is a good thing.

Contrary to amazon's listing for this watch, it is not an automatic, but rather a hand-wound mechanical chronograph. Having said that, the Omega 3573.50 Speedmaster Professional is simply a terrific watch. I preferred a sapphire crystal, which is why I chose this watch over the "actual" moonwatch (ref. 3570.50, with a hesalite crystal and solid case back). It keeps great time, looks great, and I love the ritual of winding it every morning. If you're considering a high-quality mechanical Swiss chronograph, take a long hard look at this watch. I love it.

I own this watch, it's been nothing but perfect in form and function, altho it has the sapphire crystal and display back, it is better suited to someone who is a little tougher on their watches than most. It's a little thicker and heavier than the plastic (Hesalite)crystal versions, without having to polish the plastic all the time. The sapphire display back is a visual to the stunning mechanical movement. There are many who want to keep the Speedy in it's true form of Hesalite crystal and steel back, but these new ones are a step up in my opinion for someone who will wear it daily, the crystal will remain flawless for life and no polishing of the crystal needed. The 863 movement is the same as the 861 except for the Delrin (nylon)Brake. The exibition backed Speedys use a metal brake for appearance, so you don't see a piece of plastic in such an expensive watch. Since I'm not going to do any space travel in the near future the Sapphire Crystal is definately the way to go for scratch resistance and durability and they are heavier which I like. It's a good investment and a beauty to see the movement in motion with the sapphire back. Omega quality at it's finest in a timeless design, it's simply the perfection of form and function in a timepiece. I bought it from Amazon over a year ago and has been stellar thus far.

I bought it used for $100 from a watch shop in San Diego in the early 1980s and have owned it for 30 years; it's a valued and unique possession. It keeps fair time (probably needs a cleaning), it is useful for timing with it's build-in timer, but what makes it so cool is it was worn on the moon. This gives it a provenance that is unmatched. In fact, it can be seen in Ron Howard's movie Apollo 13. A acquaintance of mine in Washington, D.C. had one that Neil Armstrong had signed on the back.

If you are looking for a watch for life, this is it.

This is my second month with my Speedmaster "Sapphire Sandwich" and the watch is great! Keep in mind that the originals tester and certified by NASA in the 1960s had hesalite glass and an OMEGA 321 movement inside.
So if you want a moonwatch you're better off getting a vintage one with an omega 321 "engine". This is an updated version that looks like the original but has a beautiful sapphire window on the back so you can appreciate the craftsmanship of the movement without unscrewing the back cover.

At this price it is a STEAL! and i was given a trade-in value quote higher than this price of $2875 at a local jeweler.

I have several great timepieces including Rolex, Breitling and Tag... but this Omega is my favorite. It came out the year I was born in 1957 and looks as current today as it did back then. This is the only manual watch I have but find it strangely enjoyable to wind each morning before starting the day. It is a conversation piece at parties and people always seem to notice when I have it on. Great watch!

I purchased my Omega Speedmaster in 1971 in a U.S. Army Post Exchange in Di-an Vietnam. What I share with you now is true: In the Army PX, I paid $135.00 for it new! At 20 years old, I had no idea the value of such a watch. I just knew from Life and National Geographic Magazine, the astronauts wore the Speedmaster and that was good enough for me.
Forty-one years later, I still own this watch. Just this past month, I had my watch maker take it completely apart, for cleaning. My horologist, an eccentric Romanian gentleman kept my Speedmaster for an additional week just to make certain my Speedmaster kept perfect time. I thought it odd I saw him wearing it in his shop.
I was informed the stem to the crown was beginning to rust (a minor repair) and the rest of the internal workings are in excellent condition.
My watch maker said: "Should you ever wish to sell your Speedmaster, let me know."
On several occasions, these past four decades, other 'moon watch' owners spotted my Speedmaster on my left wrist. Always the most interesting people. I think there should be some secret handshake that goes with owning this piece of history.
There are many other fine watches yet there is only one moon watch.

The watch movement failed within a few weeks and Amazon stood behind their product (actually a 3rd party vendor) by giving a full refund. Granted it took about 2 months to get the refund but you live and learn. This watch is an icon and looks great on the wrist. It retains the classic Hesalite crystal and mechanical chronograph movement. The 1-star is due to the watch failing. I may pick one up again in the future.