Speedmaster: Auto or Professional

[dgill]

Any thoughts on benefits between these two? Longevity, ruggedness, value over time? Thanks in advance....
BR
D.

[PhilM]

It has to be the Pro for me, the Auto is just to small for me and the dial doesn't look as tidy.



Also the resale vaule of the Pro is better if you ever come to sell it.

[icnbne]

pro all the way.

[RW16610]

I would have to say Professional, as well. The actual model certified for space is THE speedmaster in my books. Sure, the rest are great and would be nice to own but again, the NASA stuff is

[dukejjz]

Originally Posted by RW16610

I would have to say Professional, as well. The actual model certified for space is THE speedmaster in my books. Sure, the rest are great and would be nice to own but again, the NASA stuff is

x2... Speedy Pro!!!!!

[esm]

Originally Posted by dgill

Any thoughts on benefits between these two? Longevity, ruggedness, value over time? Thanks in advance....
BR
D.

after having both the Pro (3570.50) and an auto (Date version), I find both great watches. But I think the date version is more rugged for daily abuse because of it crystal and its 40mm case.

I have managed to scratch the crystal on the Pro on day one, but OMG it is an awesome piece.

[cody p]

i'd rather have the pro. this might be helpful:http://www.chronomaddox.com/speedy_reduced.html

[kyle L]

I have a speedmaster auto racing, and I love it. But out of your two choices I would go pro.



And my brother's:

[Evergreen]

I had the " reduced " Automatic for a short time. While it was nice, it just did not have the same excitment as the moon watch. The good part was I found it for around 900. which is quite affordable for such a watch.

[RW16610]

Originally Posted by esm

after having both the Pro (3570.50) and an auto (Date version), I find both great watches. But I think the date version is more rugged for daily abuse because of it crystal and its 40mm case.

I have managed to scratch the crystal on the Pro on day one, but OMG it is an awesome piece.

That is a very good point about the crystal! Sapphire is much more pratical for every day use long term. To me the Professional woiuld be used but more so kept in my collection for the sake of having it. Personally I need the date window (for some reason), but my vote still goes for the Professional considering the watches i've already got for daily use

[jmsrolls]

I've owned a couple of dozen Speedmaster Professionals over the years together with Speedy dates, day-dates, and reduced.

IMO, for the serious collector, the Speedmaster Professional is the Speedmaster to own. (And furthermore, it has to be hesalite.)

My 45-year old Speedmaster Professional a classic and is indistinguishable from a new 3570.50 in the jeweler's display case (at least to the untrained eye). As for ruggedness, it is still the only watch to survive NASA testing. My Speedy is still running strong and keeping time within COSC specs. Hopefully, one of my great-grandsons will wear it on the moon or Mars someday.

Fr. John†

[MarJnK]

Easy... Pro. Amazing movement, lots of history, almost any watchmaker can service it, bulletproof. Oh, and the movement is beautiful!

[icnbne]

Originally Posted by jmsrolls

My 45-year old Speedmaster Professional a classic and is indistinguishable from a new 3570.50 in the jeweler's display case (at least to the untrained eye). As for ruggedness, it is still the only watch to survive NASA testing. My Speedy is still running strong and keeping time within COSC specs. Hopefully, one of my great-grandsons will wear it on the moon or Mars someday.

Fr. John†

that would be amazing..
if in 30 or 40 years I have the chance to go the moon or space, I will most certainly bring the Speedy

[MarJnK]

Originally Posted by children

that would be amazing..
if in 30 or 40 years I have the chance to go the moon or space, I will most certainly bring the Speedy

30-40 years? Nah, Richard Branson wants to offer this in a few years.

[dgill]

Well, that answers that question! Thank you gentleman.

[wdrazek]

Pro if I didn't have to wind it every day. It is iconic and a great design. If the Pro was made as an automatic with a sapphire crystal I would seriously look at it. But forcing the Pro design to be a manual wind with hesalite crystal makes it a non-starter for me.

[asindhidude]

Where is a good place to pick up used Speedmasters? I have been looking around on the FS section here, but haven't had much luck.

[Tools]

The Speedy Pro has developed cult status, so it's the one to have in that series..

If you just want a great looking, low effort, Speedy, then the Auto is for you... The majority of folks who see it on your wrist will not know the difference.........

[haakon59]

The "Pro" is the moonwatch, so in addition to having the chronograph function, you also own a piece of space history. Most people don't find needing to wind the watch a disadvantage after you are used to it.

[JBat]

Originally Posted by jmsrolls

I've owned a couple of dozen Speedmaster Professionals over the years together with Speedy dates, day-dates, and reduced.

IMO, for the serious collector, the Speedmaster Professional is the Speedmaster to own. (And furthermore, it has to be hesalite.)

My 45-year old Speedmaster Professional a classic and is indistinguishable from a new 3570.50 in the jeweler's display case (at least to the untrained eye). As for ruggedness, it is still the only watch to survive NASA testing. My Speedy is still running strong and keeping time within COSC specs. Hopefully, one of my great-grandsons will wear it on the moon or Mars someday.

Fr. John†

Interesting. According to the blog linked at the bottom of this page (Jake's Rolex Watch Blog), there's no evidence that there ever was NASA testing to determine which watch went to the moon. In fact, it's indicated there that the reason Omega was chosen in the first place had to do with a back-room deal involving copious amounts of moola, not some rigorous testing.

There's plenty of evidence, however, that Rolex GMT-Masters were worn to the moon (Jack Swigert, for instance, on Apollo 13), in spite of the Speedy being the "official" watch of NASA. Being pilots, many astronauts in fact preferred the Rolex GMT's due to the multi time zone function.

[timetravel125]

Pro. From here on earth to the moon!

[jmsrolls]

Originally Posted by JBat

Interesting. According to the blog linked at the bottom of this page (Jake's Rolex Watch Blog), there's no evidence that there ever was NASA testing to determine which watch went to the moon. In fact, it's indicated there that the reason Omega was chosen in the first place had to do with a back-room deal involving copious amounts of moola, not some rigorous testing.

There's plenty of evidence, however, that Rolex GMT-Masters were worn to the moon (Jack Swigert, for instance, on Apollo 13), in spite of the Speedy being the "official" watch of NASA. Being pilots, many astronauts in fact preferred the Rolex GMT's due to the multi time zone function.

Yikes! I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st when I read this post.

A little info in this regard: The Moon Watch: A History of the Omega Speedmaster Professional

For more info, you are free to research official NASA records. The history of the Speedmaster in space and on the moon is well documented - no speculation, just fact.

Fr. John†

[M4tt]

Fr John is quite correct, as ever on matters Speedmaster.

I faintly remember a film which documented Swigert's failure to make it to the Moon in Apollo 13. Bulova made it (in the instrumentation), Waltham made it (on Scott's wrist), Omega made it.

However, even if the oxygen tank hadn't exploded, Swigert would never have made it to the surface of the Moon. Like Collins before him, he was the Command Module pilot and, as such would have never got to the surface of the Moon.

[JBat]

Originally Posted by jmsrolls

Yikes! I had to check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st when I read this post.

A little info in this regard: The Moon Watch: A History of the Omega Speedmaster Professional

For more info, you are free to research official NASA records. The history of the Speedmaster in space and on the moon is well documented - no speculation, just fact.

Fr. John†

Yeah, that's funny. I didn't say the Speedy did not make it to the moon, I merely referenced Jake's blog. Did you read it?

[FlyPenFly]

The best I can do at this point is share both sides of the coin with you. There are many accounts about how Omega was chosen as the Official Moon Watch. These account suggest there was a test process, but I have seen zero evidence to corroborate this account.


I have also heard that Deke Slayton or somebody at NASA held an invisible auction that approached the major watch manufactures to make them the Official NASA watch. Apparently Rolex was approached and ironically refused to participate in the auction!!!


Rolex argued they made the best watch and that they refused to pay to be the official watch since the watch chosen should be based on the merit of the watch and they knew they had the best watch.


As the story goes, Omega shrewdly jumped in and bought the title in some kind of back room envelope-filled-with-hundred-dollar bills deal. (This was perhaps the first time Omega did this but not the last. Of course they tried to step in and replace Rolex as the James Bond watch).


I can't prove this because I was not there. I can only share my research findings with you. I will say I think that Rolex made a huge mistake that would probably be their greatest blunder in history by not becoming the official NASA space watch.

I have no proof to the contrary but Jake's Watch Blog received several hundred dollar bills from NAMBLA. There are rumors from the Internet this is true. I don't have proof either way that Jake's watch blog is a key member of NAMBLA with a lot of "back room" dealings..

[yurigia]

Originally Posted by children

pro all the way.

Pro surely..!!

[kyle L]

Originally Posted by FlyPenFly

I have no proof to the contrary but Jake's Watch Blog received several hundred dollar bills from NAMBLA. There are rumors from the Internet this is true. I don't have proof either way that Jake's watch blog is a key member of NAMBLA with a lot of "back room" dealings..

Just wondering...what exactly is the point of this post?

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by FlyPenFly

I have no proof to the contrary but Jake's Watch Blog received several hundred dollar bills from NAMBLA. There are rumors from the Internet this is true. I don't have proof either way that Jake's watch blog is a key member of NAMBLA with a lot of "back room" dealings..

Good point. I have read some of Jake's stuff. Very biased to say the least, and "opinion" at best. He's drunk on Rolex Kool-Aid most of the time, and is not taken seriously by those who know watches. However, if you want to know about how Rolex is the very bestest watch in the whole wide world, then read his blog.

[kyle L]

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Good point. I have read some of Jake's stuff. Very biased to say the least, and "opinion" at best. He's drunk on Rolex Kool-Aid most of the time, and is not taken seriously by those who know watches. However, if you want to know about how Rolex is the very bestest watch in the whole wide world, then read his blog.

Really, his blogs is one of my favorites. He spends alot of time writing for it, and he does alot of research.

[cody p]

i'll throw this out there: the speedy pro is currently the only watch certified by nasa for eva in space... true or false?