So, I’ve been eyeing this OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch for a while now. You know, the one with the Sapphire crystal and the Cal.3861 movement. Finally decided to check it out in person, just to see if it’s as good as everyone says. I’m not even a huge watch guy, but this one’s got some history, being the “first watch on the Moon” and all that.
I walked into one of those OMEGA specialty stores. I gotta say, I felt a bit out of place. Everyone’s dressed so fancy, and I’m just in my regular clothes. Anyway, I found the Moonwatch section and started looking around. Prices were all over the place, from like $4,295 to over $16,000 for some gold and platinum versions. I was like, “Whoa, that’s a lot of money for a watch.” I get some of them are limited editions and might go up in value, but still, it’s a big chunk of change.
There was this one, the ceramic one, that looked pretty cool. And another one with a brown leather strap that was kind of classy. But I was mostly interested in the classic one, the one that looks like the original that went to the Moon. I saw it had a manual-wind movement, which is kind of old-school, and a Hesalite crystal. Apparently, the design hasn’t changed much since the ’60s, which is pretty neat.
I asked one of the sales guys about the different versions. He mentioned something about the Speedmaster Reduced being discontinued in 2009, but they still have smaller ones like the Speedmaster Racing and Speedmaster 38. I guess those are for people who don’t want a huge watch on their wrist.
After looking around some more, I decided to try on the classic Moonwatch. It felt pretty good on my wrist. Not too heavy, not too light. The black dial was simple but elegant. I could see why people like this watch so much. It’s got a cool history, it’s well-made, and it looks good. It was listed for around $6,000. That’s less than some of the crazy expensive versions, but still a lot for me. I’m not sure if I’m ready to drop that kind of cash on a watch just yet. I know it’s not just a watch, but maybe a little investment, but it is a lot of money. I mean, I saw other versions at the store for $5-6, but they weren’t exactly what I was looking for.
Here’s what I saw on the watch:
- Co-Axial Master Chronometer – whatever that means, but it sounds fancy.
- Magnetic resistance to 15,000 gauss – no idea what that is, but it sounds impressive.
I guess I’ll have to think about it some more. Maybe I’ll save up for it, or maybe I’ll just keep dreaming. Either way, it was a fun trip to the OMEGA store. Even if I didn’t buy anything, it was cool to see all those fancy watches in person.
My Thoughts
It’s a cool watch, no doubt. But is it worth the price? I’m not so sure. It’s definitely a piece of history, and it’s a beautiful watch. But for someone like me, who’s not a huge watch collector, it might be a bit much. I think I’ll sleep on it.
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