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Can't read the time on my Speedmaster 3507!

kurtj29
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I just got a Speedmaster 3507.51. I love the watch, the design, everything about it - except under most lighting conditions it is very hard to read the hour/minute hands. They are metal and blend in to the dial. Would it be a high crime against humanity and all things Omega to source a broad arrow set of hands and replace the hands currently on the watch? Ofrei seems to have the hands. I have a local watchmaker who says they can do it. Comments? Is this a problem with all metal handed non-broad arrow speed masters?

See below the 3507 sporting the new Omega NATO strap. (Really nice)
image.png
 
sky21
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kurtj29 kurtj29
I just got a Speedmaster 3507.51. I love the watch, the design, everything about it - except under most lighting conditions it is very hard to read the hour/minute hands. They are metal and blend in to the dial. Would it be a high crime against humanity and all things Omega to source a broad arrow set of hands and replace the hands currently on the watch? Ofrei seems to have the hands. I have a local watchmaker who says they can do it. Comments? Is this a problem with all metal handed non-broad arrow speed masters?

See below the 3507 sporting the new Omega NATO strap. (Really nice)
image.png

If it's giving you problems, then by all means change the hands. I love the broad arrow hands, I think they look very striking. Do what makes you happy.
 
SeanO
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lovely watch..... but the dial is so busy that I doubt that a set of broad arrow hands will make any significant difference to readability.

you'd probably have been better off with a standard speedy pro (wash my mouth out with soap).
 
kurtj29
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SeanO SeanO
lovely watch..... but the dial is so busy that I doubt that a set of broad arrow hands will make any significant difference to readability.

you'd probably have been better off with a standard speedy pro (wash my mouth out with soap).

I worry you may be right. But the hands are so thin on my watch I have to believe the broad arrows would work better. I have heard the other moon watch Speedmasters with metal hands are also hard to read - Apollo 11 White Panda, Apollo-Soyuz meteor dial, etc. Is that true?
 
STANDY
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How about a set of white Speed Master hands Instead of broad arrow. The new white would stand out.

image.jpeg
 
kurtj29
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STANDY STANDY
How about a set of white Speed Master hands Instead of broad arrow. The new white would stand out.

image.jpeg

I thought about that, would a set of hands from an 1861/1863 movement fit the Omega 3507.51 - 3301 movement?
 
VetPsychWars
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See if you can live with it for another week or two. When you look straight on at silver hands, they do indeed disappear... but if you can train yourself to look at a slight angle, you might find it's not so bad.

I put polished leaf hands on my Speedmaster and had a similar issue before I remembered to turn my wrist slightly.

Tom
 
dragoman
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It could be worse

Omega-Speedmaster-Moonwatch-Apollo-XVII-40th-Anniversary-Limited-Edition-Dial.jpg
 
kurtj29
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Part of my problem might be that my other watch is the hyper-legible Rolex Explorer II - Polar - you can read that watch from across the room.
image.jpeg
 
Bushido
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kurtj29 kurtj29
Wow! Took me a minute to realize it had subdials.

Holy crap! I read that post, then yours, then had to go back and actively look for them!

I'm not going to be much help with the hands. However, allow me to compliment how nice the Nato looks with that watch. Very attractive.
 
tyrantlizardrex
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Hey Kurt,

Ultimately your watch, and your decision, but I think it might throw the look of the watch a bit off balance if you change the hands (given the silvered hour markers).

I've never seen this model before, and it looks awesome, but man is it hard to read... So much going on! 😀

Maybe leave this as is, and grab something else if legibility is of highest importance?

Cheers

Chris
 
rbob99
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That watch looks great in the photograph, but I can imagine the legibility issue. I had a 3570.50 that I modded with the Mitsukoshi type panda dial and silver hands. It looked absolutely gorgeous BUT I couldn't read the damn thing. I sold it.
 
Nitzbar
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You could try alpha hands like the below Speedmaster '57. And they would match your sub dial hands.

image.jpeg
 
oddboy
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Might be best to confirm which hands will fit th 3301 before you buy any. I don't know if they're interchangeable. If they're not, selling and getting a traditional speedy pro might be the best way to go. The black dial with white hands would be a nice contrast with your Explorer.
 
Flingit1200s
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oddboy oddboy
Might be best to confirm which hands will fit th 3301 before you buy any. I don't know if they're interchangeable. If they're not, selling and getting a traditional speedy pro might be the best way to go. The black dial with white hands would be a nice contrast with your Explorer.

This. I'm sure it shows my age, but I always consider how easy a watch is to read before I buy and my speedy is easy to read for a chrono. I wouldn't spend the money to switch the hands and then have to probably spend the money to switch them back before you sell it on (seems watches in their original state sell better here from what I have observed). The reason I started looking for a new watch which led me to this site which led me to the speedy was because my 50 yr old eyes had a hard time reading my Citizen Skyhawk Titanium. It is a great watch but not easy for me to read.
Citizen Titanium1.jpeg Citizen Titanium2.jpeg Citizen Titanium3.jpeg
 
alam
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tyrantlizardrex tyrantlizardrex
......Maybe leave this as is, and grab something else if legibility is of highest importance?

may I suggest...

😀
 
iphonetime.PNG
abrod520
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kurtj29 kurtj29
I have heard the other moon watch Speedmasters with metal hands are also hard to read - Apollo 11 White Panda

I haven't seen an Apollo-Soyuz in person, but the Apollo XI 35th Anniversary (panda) was very difficult to read, yes. I didn't really like that
 
U
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kurtj29 kurtj29
Would it be a high crime against humanity and all things Omega to source a broad arrow set of hands and replace the hands currently on the watch?

Not even a misdemeanor! Just keep the original hands. As mentioned by several members already, it is your watch. Also, the primary function of a wristwatch is to tell time at a glance. If that isn't getting done, make a change.

kurtj29 kurtj29
Comments?

Yes, I'd like to comment. Get that freakin' watch off that stuuuuuupid NATO!
 
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