Any advice? First time purchaser!

Hi good people 😀

I'm new to the forum here and have come seeking wisdom and advice from those much more knowledgeable than I.

My darling wife has decided she will be purchasing a significant time piece for my 30th birthday. After going through the thought of a Tag Heuer and doing a bit of research I have been tempted away from them and over to Omega.

Not having the largest budget and having a few specifics I was looking for I have decided to go into the used market and have discovered two time pieces in price range with features I would like.

As this is a memorable birthday gift I will not be looking to resell at any point, however I am generally a purchaser of goods that retain or gain value where possible. This is not critical in my thinking, but it is there.

It is also worth noting at this point I am an F1 motorsport fan so there is a slight instinct in the back of my mind, however I am also drawn to the other piece.

Each timepiece I am currently looking at is commanding exactly the same advertised price by the seller.

I am currently looking at:
Speedmaster 3220.50 (no box, no papers)
or
Speedmaster Michael Schumacher 3519.50 (complete set with box and papers)

I have also read in some instances that the Day/Date feature on the 3220.50 can be problematic, not sure if these are one offs or a common occurrence.

So, what would you do if you were me, looking at your first high end timepiece? Any advice I should think about or consider? Please let me know if you have any questions or lacking information that could be crucial?

Thank you in advance for any insight or information.

Regards,
JT

It was the 2001 Schumacher I was looking at (11111 edition).

Both of them speak to me and I can't make up my mind about what would be the better purchase from a quality and value sense. Honestly, I spend my time between shorts and suits so it will be worn with a variety of things and I expect strap changes would be on the cards regardless of which timepiece I end up with.

Thanks for the speedy response 😀

I think Speedmaster 005 vanilla Moonwatch is ideally the best choice for first Omega watch. It’s robust, reliable and one of the most iconic watch available new with Company warranty! You’ll be free to use it as you wish without any doubt of previous use/misuse and it’s impact on the movement inside.

Unfortunately in my region I have a limited selection available to me in my region. It will be a choice out of one of these timepieces that I can purchase and receive with relative ease and without 90%+ taxation! 😀

I believe these are the two models you're mentioning. If you're into racing, go with the racing model. I'd probably go with the speedometer, but I don't follow racing too much. Buy whichever one you wanted more the first time you saw them, don't get too swayed by others opinion.

Best of luck!

Yeah those are the kiddos!
Haha - I was hoping to be swayed by others opinion 😉 I'm certainly doing plenty of umming and arring at the moment over both of them. Good advice to go with instinct, unfortunately I used to be indecisive - and now I'm not sure.....

Perhaps the Schumie model will keep the racing side of me happy and I will always find that appealing. Having said that the 3220.50 I think will be a little bit more timeless in terms of aging a bit more gracefully. Adult or inner child - what can one do?!

Are there any fundamental differences in operation or mechanics that I should be aware of before purchase? Are the inner workings of one any 'better' (used objectively) than the other?!

My mistake - turns out to be a 3520.50 - I misread the dial.

Any idea what 'good/fair' price would be for either of these pieces? Prefer not to get my arm chewed off on the first purchase 😀

Box and Papers with the Schumi
No box or papers with 3520.50

Both advertised at the same, around $1625 USD.

Thanks for the insights everyone 😀

If you're spending USD I wouldn't rule out working with an AD. If you buy out of state you won't get hit w/ any taxes.

I'm outside the US - South East Asia here. Purchasing from my wife's home country and having family deliver the item to our country of residence 😀

LOL.

FWIW, I'm no expert, but the $1625 sounds like a fair price to me. Typically I prefer B&P for resale, but realistically, they're not worth a heck of a lot, can easily be faked, and if it's unlikely that you'll resell it, then a moot point.

I think somebody mentioned it earlier - buy the one that catches your eye the most. At least you are on the right track by starting on OF rather than being stupid like me and purchasing from a boutique. Either way, I purchased my first Omega based on the fact that I had been a Bond fan since I was a child lol. So it seems like you are in the same frame of mind that I was.

I would definitely purchase used off of OF. I recently purchased a Speedmaster here and it was an exceptional price/brand new/came with papers books etc. From what I have learned off of this forum, online used watch sources like eBay and other well known watch vendors, can often be a bit sketchy even if they have a good reputation. But scammers seem to get eaten alive on this forum 👍 Good luck with your purchase man