All,

so I've been wearing my speedmaster mark ii in anger now for about 2 months, and I've noticed that there seems to be excessive movement noise coming from the watch when it's shaken.

in context, I have an Omega seamaster 2245.5 and a 1974 Omega speedmaster mark IV automatic, both of which make a little movement noise when shaken (1 - 2 seconds), however the new speedmaster seems a bit excessive.

if I make a sudden movement of my wrist, the movement will vibrate for between 7 - 10 seconds, sounding like some ball bearings running around a track. then finishes with a small winding sound, which I assume is the winding mechanism for the power reserve (I now understand that the power reserve is a coil, and not a battery)

what is worrying though is that when I'm wearing the watch and I shake my wrist, the watch will be actually be vibrating on my wrist as I'm wearing it. Is this normal behaviour for the 3330 movement? Or is it loose and should I send it back to Omega for a check?

having set my watch to an atomic clock, the movement gains about 2 seconds per day, which is well within COSC operational parameters, it's just sometimes bloody irritating how noisy it gets. Is this usual?

thanks,

Paul.

 

Short version - 7750 wobble - completely normal.

Longer version - the Cal. 3330 is based on the ETA 7750 chronograph, and the automatic system on the 7750 only winds in one direction. So the rotor only winds the mainspring when turning in one direction, and the rotor will often spin freely in the non-winding direction, which is a sign that the bearing is clean and in good shape actually.

Cheers, Al

 

Al, thanks for your reply - I assume then that this is this the reason why the new speedmaster is priced so attractively? its not using an in-house movement?

 

Only Omega knows why they price things the way they do. The costs is producing a movement are only a small part of what makes up the final pricing strategy.

 

very good info..thanks. i don't see a lot of value in an automatic winder. if i were to buy a new speedmaster, it would have to be manual wind with a main spring clutch. vinn

 

Interesting - please identify the model in question you are referring to thanks.

 

its not a model, just a simple statement about auto wind watches. vinn

 

Okay - just a point of clarification though that most manual wind watches do not have a "clutch" on the mainspring like automatic watches do. No Omega model I know of uses this feature, but some manual wind movements from other brands do.

Cheers, Al

 

movado has a patent on a main spring clutch . its in Le Carles book. ill look it up to get the "proper name" vinn

 

Think you mean de Carle...

I am aware of the designs thanks - what I have been saying is that there is no Speedmaster with this design, so above when you said:

"if i were to buy a new speedmaster, it would have to be manual wind with a main spring clutch"

No such model exists...

Cheers, Al

 

right you are, cheers

 

i purchase last year omega seamaster chrono movement 3330. I understand what your talking about the vibration lasting for about 5 seconds . However it is not noisey. It spins so fast tha winds watch well, it 2 seconds ahead a day . It works beatiful. . Mine doesn't have the ball bearing loudness. I do hear after it stops or slows it ratchets very quietly. Must be normal for movement

 

Hi Al,

all I meant was that unlike other speedmasters, it doesn't have an in-house movement developed by Omega, this is the Valjoux 7750 movement bought in as 3rd party. I didn't understand what that meant when I looked at all the reviews about this watch, but I do now, and many people seemed to be lamenting this choice of movement for this watch as opposed to one specifically developed by Omega.

I was wondering if that is how this speedmaster is priced about £1.5K lower than equivalent speedmaster moon watches?

having said that, I'm getting used to the wobble, the watch looks fantastic, and personally I'm loving having a 2015 version of a watch my Dad had in 1974 - it's like keeping it in the family. It's also the most comfortable watch to wear thanks to the amazing strap.

Paul.

 

Hmmm...Speedmaster Pro movements were/are made by Lemania. Speedmaster Reduced movements use an ETA movement with a chrono module added on. Speedmaster date watches are based on various ETA 7750's. Broad Arrow Speedmaster autos are based on an F. Piguet movement.

Most Speedmasters are not in-house movements, but since "in-house" has no real official definition, I suppose arguments could be made to the contrary - personally it's of no concern to me. There are people who believe the 9300 is not truly "in-house" because parts were/are made for it by ETA, which of course Swatch owns, as they do Lemania, F. Piguet, and of course Omega.

If you want to look at the progression of the 3330, then start with Valjoux who first made the 7750, then ETA where various parts were changed and jewels were added, then Longines where the column wheel was added, then finally Omega, where the co-axial escapement was added.

These things are never as cut and dried as many people on watch forums think they are. Again the cost of the movement is a small part of what determines the final pricing. These are Veblen goods, so not subject to normal mark-ups and pricing you would find with commodities. Swatch is careful and I'm sure has a specific strategy for where this watch is priced within the Omega brand, and how it fits with pricing in other brands they own.

Cheers, Al

 

Hey, if you want to go way back you can start with the 7733 which was the base for the 7750.
Or the Venus which bequeathed the 7733.
Or maybe even further back when the Big Bang created all the elements of the universe for creating movement parts....

 

I agree - your mind is blown...

 

so 1967 was the last of the real SPEED MASTER cheers

 

How do you figure? Because the "real" Speedmaster is still being made and used today.


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i figure if the mvt. is not made by omega, its only 1/2 speed master

 

The original Speedmaster has never had an Omega movement. It's always been the Lemania 2310, aka Omega 321 (later the 861/1861, which changed out a column wheel for cam).


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