I know this is an eye-raising question for a number of reasons, but I’d like to push the envelope here. While the Speedmaster is considered a luxury watch nowadays, I want to assess it based on its origin as a durable tool watch.

I typically switch to a Swiss Army when I do something active (weight lifting, running, yard work, etc.), and for a while was considering an Explorer as a beater. Now, I’m wondering if it would be superfluous to my Speedmaster, since it matches NASA’s specs requiring:

1. Shock – Six shocks of 40g each, in six different directions, with each shock lasting 11 milliseconds.
2. Acceleration – The test item shall be accelerated linearly from 1g to 7.25g within 333 seconds, along an axis parallel to the longitudinal spacecraft axis.
3. Decompression – 90 minutes in a vacuum of 1.47 x 10E-5 psi (10 E-6 atm) at a temperature of 160° F (71° C), and 30 minutes at a 200° F (93°C).
4. High Pressure – The test item shall be subjected to a pressure of 23.5 psi (1.6 atm) for a minimum period of one hour.
5. Vibration – Three cycles of 30 minutes (lateral, horizontal, vertical, the frequency varying from 5 to 2000 cps and back to 5 cps in 15 minutes. Average acceleration per impulse must be at least 8.8g.
6. Acoustic Noise – 130dB over a frequency range from 40 to 10,000 HZ, for a duration of 30 minutes.

If my Speedy can withstand the above (albeit with some impact to timekeeping), so what if I knock it against a few weights from time to time? Obviously, an Explorer would be preferable - Rolex claims their watches “have to pass more than 20 different drop tests before their launch...exclusive shock-testing equipment submits the watch to an impact equivalent to 5,000 G – hundreds of times more than a car crash test. Yet the watch has to remain unharmed and fully functional afterwards...” but I wonder if it’s really necessary if you own a Speedy.

Plus, there are fun anecdotes on these forums, like a Speedmaster that was run over by a car and still worked. Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, I read a story of someone who knocked their pusher off on the door frame of an RV...

What do you guys think?

 

I don't really believe in the concept of beaters since I bought my watches to wear them. My Speedy is my daily companion and it does just fine. Like they say, if it was tough enough to go to the moon... Having said that, I have a Seamaster Pro 300 2264.50 that is is true grab and go watch perfect for fulfilling a nice beater role. With this combo I often wonder why I need anything else, and I have slowly been culling out others that simply don't get wrist time. I may keep my Hamilton GMT because it serves a travel watch role. Aside from that who needs anything else? I'm with you, wear the hell out of the Speedy and enjoy it. It does no one any good sitting in a box!

 

Speedy is indeed capable as a tool watch and I consider it as one. Can do everything except diving. Probably best to buy a standard modern one and wear without worry, although vintage is a lot cooler.

Yep there was also one post where someone's friend had the crystal randomly pop off during use.

 

I am one for having a beater, but I work with my hands and smash my daily watch around regularly. My daily might be someone else's high end so its really up to the wearer

 

Wear it! Beat it up! It’s a tool watch afterall. One shortcoming of my Speedy is the low water resistance. Otherwise like commented above, it’s a daily. My beach beater is a seamaster.

 

Yea..... I must admit I'm going through the same decision making process. I bought a speedy limited edition at a local Boutique for about $8,000 I've been treating it like the sacred meal. I just started wearing it on a more regular basis and really love wearing it. Then I'll start looking at my age of 68 and thinking why the hell am I keeping this thing in the Box? My beater is a marathon Gsar... and it is a great watch but I love my speedy. I have seriously considered buying a standard speedy from the grey market dealer for 3600 bucks but I keep asking myself is it really worth it to change a blue dial into a black dial .....Ihave a beater watch that replaces is my Marathon gsar..... bottom line I love the speedy I didn't think I would love it as much as I do. What a great watch. I wish I had a dozen of them but I was just be confused as to which one I wanted to wear every every day

 

that's what my wife is for.

Enjoy the Speedy!

 

Enjoy the watch man. As a former bodybuilder and now power lifter, I don’t know how you can wear a watch in the gym. It doesn’t dig into your wrists when benching or squatting?

 

yes,......you do.

my definition of beater watch is one that i can take on vacation and in all types of water without worrying about much.

my g shock frogman is pretty amazing on all levels

 

I think the Speedy can take a lot of abuse but physically I like to keep certain watches in a position to avoid unwanted dings, dents, and scratches. I feel like wearing a watch while helping a friend move is likely to lead to scratches on the crystal and case and since I have multiple watches why not wear one that I don’t mind getting beat up? I wear a certain pair of shoes when I mow the lawn for the same reason. My other shoes could certainly take it but I’d rather they not be green and covered in dog crap

 

everybody needs a beater regardless of what's on their collection...and here's mine

 

Agree, my Speedmaster is kinda special to me, it was my 72nd birthday present, given to me early, specifically on July 20th, I wear it often, but in a careful manner, treat it as a dress watch, worn on a brown leather deployant strap most of the time. I prefer to keep it as unblemished as possible. Thursday I will attempt to purchase a Seamaster 300M 42mm blue dial on a bracelet (strangely currently listed as "unavailable") for use as my everyday watch due to it's being damm near bulletproof, waterproof and METAS Certified.
Just as an aside, Speedmasters are apparently quite prone to becoming magnatized, mine was running +10 sec/day, de-magnatized, about +1 sec/day. Gave me a perfectly legitimate reason to get a METAS Certified watch as I work around a lot of sources of magnatizism, anyway, that's what I told my wife, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

Yes, I would need a beater because the one area the Speedmaster is lacking that I require in a beater is water resistance to at least 100 meters.

 

You don’t need a beater unless you spend time in the sea. A well maintained speedy is an excellent beater and look good on your wrist even with some battle scares. I actually have an idea to get my 3’rd Speedy just to use as beater

 

Wear mine to work each day and knock it a bit climbing over big vessels and machinery. Never baby it and have been in the pool a few times, don’t cringe when it gets bumped or hits something. Even wore it playing indoor beach volleyball last week as safer on my wrist than in the car or on the bench next to volleyball
Want to make my own vintage watch so bought it new in 2013 and wear it daily.


Have a beater or two for the wet stuff or fishing on weekends. ( if I remember to change watches )

 

Your wife is for what?
I hope you dont mean for beating!

 

I wear mine pretty often in hairy situations. As a bartender though, I would never think to wear my Speedmaster. The thought of banging it against liquor wells and constantly submerging it in sinks would never sit well with me.

It's true that the Speedmaster WAS a tool watch meant for rugged use... but let's not kid ourselves. in 2019 these are toys for adults, and there are much better things that get the job done and put much less of a dent in your wallet.

A 145.012 at retail in 1967 would have been around $1800 in today's money... Even after accounting for the modern presentation and NATO, prices have definitely out-scaled inflationary factors.

 

My FOIS is my beater and so was the Pro before.

 

You have a few typos in your title.

If you have an SKX you don’t need a beater.

 

Mine does most things with me

But I have the Moana instead of an SKX for the really horrible stuff