Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8933 in Watches
• Brand: Omega
• Model: 3570.50
• Band material: stainless-steel
• Bezel material: stainless-steel
• Case material: stainless-steel
• Clasp type: fold-over-push-button-clasp-with-safety
• Dial color: black
• Dial window material: hesalite
• Movement type: mechanical-hand-wind
• Water-resistant to 167 feet

Features

• Omega 1861 Caliber Swiss mechanical-hand-wind chronograph used on the Moon; 48-Hour Power Reserve
• Functions without a battery; must hand wind crown to power watch
• Hesalite crystal; Luminescent hands and hour markers
• Stainless-steel case; Black dial; Chronograph functions; Tachymeter function
• Water-resistant to 50 M (167 feet)

Amazon.com Product Description
Add a true classic to your timepiece collection with the latest generation of the amazingly precise and rugged Omega Speedmaster. This stainless steel manual winding men's watch is a replica of the first watch worn on the moon, and it's engraved on the back with the Omega Speedmaster emblem and notation of its flight qualification for all NASA manned space missions. It includes a powerful chronograph, which offers 12-hour, 30 minute and 1/10 second subdials. Distinctively masculine in design, it features a large, round silver stainless steel watch case with a tachymeter bezel in black with silver markings, and it measures 39.8mm wide.

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.

Customer Reviews

30 Year Review
After much research, I purchased an Omega Speedmaster in 1968 as an 18th birthday present to myself. There were not many chronographs available at that time (Rolex, Breitling, Omega and probably others I no longer remember). To my surprise, that summer (or next), Omega began agressive advertising that it's watch was the official timepiece of the Apollo Astronauts. It reaffirmed my choice. Thirty years later, it is still the best watch I own (including my Submariner). My only complaint is that I have gone through three or four bracelets/straps. Ironically, a new metal bracelet costs more than the original cost of my Speedmaster ($185). Interestingly, no Rolex owner has ever commented on my Submariner, but fellow Speedmaster owners always start up a conversation with each other. I cannot comment on the new Speedmasters, but mine has been dropped, thrown, drowned, frozen, heated, shaken and abused for 30 years and still runs great. I recommend factory cleaning, vacuum sealing and a new crystal every 10 years or so, just to be safe.

Legendary Watch with Proud and Unique History
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.
.
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 a 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 shown?

1. Cost - the 3573.50 is significantly more expensive than the 3570.5
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 ended up purchasing the 3573.50, but I strongly considered the more classic, 3570.50 with the hesalite crystal plexiglass and the steel caseback. 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.

The best watch for years and years
I've owned this watch for over 2 years now and have worn it every single day since the day I bought it. I intend to keep it for years (probably for the rest of my life) as it remains the most swanky and stylish (elegant yet functional) watch I've ever owned (and I've owned and sold quite a few).

The Speedmaster has all the appeal and extreme accruracy of a Rolex, yet none of the gaudiness-it's understated, cool but not too cool. Looking at it evokes a sense of faith in exploration and the adrenaline rush of speed and the force of Gs or zero gravity. With it's black dial and white hands, and brushed silver bracelet and casing, the Speedmaster is one of the best executed designs to come out of the last 100 years and certainly one of the most classic timepieces ever.

There are other models that offer things since as a day/date, or a slightly smaller size, or a glass crystal instead of the sturdy Hesalite plastic one, but these are not the original "Moon Watch" and are not worth buying. If you are going to go Speedmaster, get the original. Technically this is a men's watch, but I've seen it worn by a woman with great success (the actor Daniel Day-Lewis's wife wears one).

It's Swiss made and Nasa spacewalk certified. This very watch model was worn on the Moon (on the outside of the space suit!) by Neil Armstrong in the Apollo missions back in the late 1960s. The build quality and styling has not changed much since then (it hasn't needed to). This is a manual watch, which means you have to wind it up. I like that, it becomes part of your daily routine like sleeping and eating. The back is engraved with a cool logo and a Nasa approval insignia. When your mate picks it up off the nightstand in the morning and reads what it says on the back, she will probably ask you about it.

This is the stuff of legends, and it's a pretty good watch too.