Entry Level Omega vs Others

vesnyder · Nov 23, 2021

I am relatively new to the Omega scene and purchased a Triple Date Speedmaster. Now I am looking at the Speedmaster Racing and heard these lower costs watches referred to as "entry level" Omega's. What differentiates these entry level watches from the rest of the Omega line? I thought it might be the movement but the Speedmaster Racing has the co-axial movement? Thanks

dsio · Nov 23, 2021

vesnyder
I am relatively new to the Omega scene and purchased a Triple Date Speedmaster. Now I am looking at the Speedmaster Racing and heard these lower costs watches referred to as "entry level" Omega's. What differentiates these entry level watches from the rest of the Omega line? I thought it might be the movement but the Speedmaster Racing has the co-axial movement? Thanks

It’s probably more people making a big deal about some movements being more in-house than others, like the Speedmaster Triple-Date which is typically referred to the MK40 is an ETA based movement (ETA 7751), the Speedmaster racing has a co-axial escapement but is still based on an ETA movement that’s quite similar (ETA 7753) to the one you already have. By contrast the Omega 8500/9300 and the movements spawned from them over the last decade are considered in-house and are Omega specific, so a Seamaster Pro 300M with Cal 8900 is a bit more unique to Omega than the racing or MK40.

That said, the MK40 is an excellent watch known for reliability, accuracy and ease of maintenance so you’ve started off very well. The Speedmaster Racing is also a great watch, nothing wrong with it at all. It’s more perception and marketing than reality ultimately.

Walrus · Nov 23, 2021

Did omega used to be more welcoming to “entry level” with the cosmics and seamaster devilles and what not than they are today? That was a complaint a friend of mine had about modern omega and on its face it does seem to be true but I can’t say I know everything they are making today or price equivalence back in the day to speak intelligently on it. It may very well be I am missing something.

8100_RPM · Nov 23, 2021

I've had this Speedy Triple Date since 2000 and it is an excellent watch. It was worn almost every day for sixteen years before I really got the watch itch. It has been reliable and fairly accurate.

dsio · Nov 23, 2021

Walrus
Did omega used to be more welcoming to “entry level” with the cosmics and seamaster devilles and what not than they are today? That was a complaint a friend of mine had about modern omega and on its face it does seem to be true but I can’t say I know everything they are making today or price equivalence back in the day to speak intelligently on it. It may very well be I am missing something.

The Geneves and Devilles were cheaper but still not really cheap even back in the day, the reason Omega doesn’t have a low entry level like TAG Heuer does is that Longines and Tissot effectively perform that role for Omega within the Swatch brand hierarchy and it doesn’t pay for them to directly compete with each other at the same price point.

As an entry level today, vintage Geneves, Devilles, Cosmics etc are a great way into Omega as are many Seamasters that can be bought under a grand but thats just because Omega made so many watches in that era that were built well and survived

Walrus · Nov 23, 2021

dsio
The Geneves and Devilles were cheaper but still not really cheap even back in the day, the reason Omega doesn’t have a low entry level like TAG Heuer does is that Longines and Tissot effectively perform that role for Omega within the Swatch brand hierarchy and it doesn’t pay for them to directly compete with each other at the same price point.

As an entry level today, vintage Geneves, Devilles, Cosmics etc are a great way into Omega as are many Seamasters that can be bought under a grand but thats just because Omega made so many watches in that era that were built well and survived

Well that’s a good point when you stop thinking of it as “just omega” and take in the whole Swatch SA. No need to compete with yourself. Swatch knows what they are doing better than I.

SkunkPrince · Nov 23, 2021

Walrus
Did omega used to be more welcoming to “entry level” with the cosmics and seamaster devilles and what not than they are today? That was a complaint a friend of mine had about modern omega and on its face it does seem to be true but I can’t say I know everything they are making today or price equivalence back in the day to speak intelligently on it. It may very well be I am missing something.

Entry-level back in the day was Timex. When the Swiss took over in the 60s, Omega and Rolex were still small houses, relatively speaking. After the quartz revolution, everything changed. Watches were no longer the heirlooms and prizes... they were mass produced and you threw them away when they stopped working.

I have to give credit to microbrands who are using SII and Miyota and Selitta movements to produce accurate mechanical watches. But it's a niche. You can't compare then to now with watches. Nor can you compare an IBM 360 to a smartphone. Our obsolete tech is fun but most people just don't care.

dsio · Nov 23, 2021

Walrus
Well that’s a good point when you stop thinking of it as “just omega” and take in the whole Swatch SA. No need to compete with yourself. Swatch knows what they are doing better than I.

There was a time in that late 70s early 80s period when Omega made some watches that were exceptionally cheap and just frankly complete junk with poor quality quartz movements and nasty finishing, and you can find those on eBay if you look around, things like Calibre 1337 DeVilles which are mostly garbage. The whole Swatch group rationalization and segmenting the brands really did save Omega and it took most of the 90s and 2000s for Omega to rehabilitate its brand into what it is today after dipping their toes in that end of the pool. It really is so much better that each brand within the group swims in its own lane.

Donn Chambers · Nov 23, 2021

vesnyder
I am relatively new to the Omega scene and purchased a Triple Date Speedmaster. Now I am looking at the Speedmaster Racing and heard these lower costs watches referred to as "entry level" Omega's. What differentiates these entry level watches from the rest of the Omega line? I thought it might be the movement but the Speedmaster Racing has the co-axial movement? Thanks

the Speedmaster Racing is hardly “entry-level” - the MSRP is more than the standard Speedmaster Pro! It is just a different style of Speedmaster with an in-house co-axial automatic movement.

Perhaps the comment were along the lines that the only “real” Speedmaster is the Pro, and all others are “entry-level” because the commenters haven’t bothered to investigate the racing line. Or they think they are the same as the triple date you already own, which at the time it was produced, was marketed as a cheaper entry in the Speedmaster line. But that was 20 years ago and times have changed.

richiv · Nov 24, 2021

Donn Chambers
the Speedmaster Racing is hardly “entry-level” - the MSRP is more than the standard Speedmaster Pro! It is just a different style of Speedmaster with an in-house co-axial automatic movement.

I believe the Speedmaster Racing model being referenced is the 40mm model that is no longer in production.

Omegafanman · Nov 24, 2021

Not sure wh this 32205000 would sit as not an 'in house' movement. I owned it from new for a while and was very happy with it / nice watch.
.

S.H. · Nov 24, 2021

Generic non in-house movements are marketed as cheaper, lesser options these days. But don't forget that they work well, and are maintainable by any good watchmaker. A brand specific movement locks you in with the brand, usually. For better or worse.

Donn Chambers · Nov 24, 2021

R richiv
I believe the Speedmaster Racing model being referenced is the 40mm model that is no longer in production.

the original poster mentions a Speedmaster Racing model with the co-axial movement in the last sentence, which is why I responded the way I did. Of course, he may be confused and IS looking at the older racing models and thinks they have co-axial movements. The post was not very clear on exactly what he was looking at.

3nicewatches · Nov 24, 2021

8100_RPM
I've had this Speedy Triple Date since 2000 and it is an excellent watch. It was worn almost every day for sixteen years before I really got the watch itch. It has been reliable and fairly accurate.

Same-ish. I bought my TD in 2008 and wore it pretty much every day for the next 10 years, until I got seriously infected by the watch itch. But even after getting the itch I still wear it regularly and it's a great and very accurate (+1sec/day) watch. In fact I am wearing it today...but I just noticed in my photo below that when I set it last night I forgot to advance the day of the week 🤦

Bucks · Nov 25, 2021

I believe the speedmaster racing 40mm was aimed at the Asian market because of their small size. Some may consider the movement not in house as it has a heavily modified valjoux 7753. This movement has the coaxial escapement, free sprung balance, 52 hours of power reserve, silicone balance spring and a column wheel. Apparently the line just wasn't very popular and was discontinued. I love reverse panda dials so I bought one new. Yes it doesn't have the hype of the moon watch (which I love btw) but the dial and size suit me well. And it is more consistent than my new smp 8800. Don't have any concerns about the movement, it is brilliant.

guppydriver · Nov 25, 2021

This racing model was one of the first Omegas that really caught my eye years ago. I loved the price point and thought the bumblebee look was different and cool. I still look for them from time to time and if I ever find a really good day, I may snap one up. I was a little bummed when they discontinued the series.

Alphasports · Nov 25, 2021

As a few have implied/stated already, there really isn't an "entry-level" Omega per se, they are all excellent just different, same as (cough) Rolex... the OP may be the "bottom of the line" but it's still a Rolex.

worldwidewes · Nov 25, 2021

Honestly, I hate to be cynical about it, but it's probably price. A lot of things could contribute to price being the differentiator (more expensive pieces might have better quality, more complications, or may just be more expensive because of the hype around them). It's tough for me to say that any watch that costs a few thousand dollars is "entry-level".

vesnyder · Nov 27, 2021

I believe the speedmaster racing 40mm was aimed at the Asian market because of their small size. Some may consider the movement not in house as it has a heavily modified valjoux 7753. This movement has the coaxial escapement, free sprung balance, 52 hours of power reserve, silicone balance spring and a column wheel. Apparently the line just wasn't very popular and was discontinued. I love reverse panda dials so I bought one new. Yes it doesn't have the hype of the moon watch (which I love btw) but the dial and size suit me well. And it is more consistent than my new smp 8800. Don't have any concerns about the movement, it is brilliant.

That is the exact Omega Racing I was considering. Interested in the fact that you bought it new. How has the watch grown on you overtime?

Bucks · Nov 28, 2021

vesnyder
That is the exact Omega Racing I was considering. Interested in the fact that you bought it new. How has the watch grown on you overtime?

I bought it from a Japanese AD online as these seemed popular in Japan. It came with full box and papers and a four year Omega international warranty. I wanted to buy it new to get the warranty and to ensure a service was quite some time distant. There are still some unsold new stock available in Japan. I actually sold off a lot of my watch collection on eBay and bought the speedmaster as a place to store money and get enjoyment until I saved up enough to get a moonwatch. The thing is though, I really enjoy wearing this speedy racing so much I don't think I will sell it. It's light and wears much thinner than its 15mm thickness suggests. The chronograph registers are reasonably easy to read. The movement is a cracker - about +1.5 secs per day and the reverse panda dial is stunning and goes with just about everything I wear. Yes in the watch world I guess there's the stigma that it's one of the cheaper speedies, but its size is perfect for my 17.5cm wrist. And my son genuinely wants to inherit it one day which makes me want to keep it. Also the movement beats at 4Hz and is more consistent than my Seamaster that beats at 3.5Hz. It's dressy but can be casual as well. It's quite versatile imho. My only gripe would be that it doesn't have the on the fly adjustable clasp of the Seamaster. There are only two adjustment holes.

Entry Level Omega vs Others

vesnyder

dsio

Walrus

8100_RPM

dsio

Walrus

SkunkPrince

dsio

Donn Chambers

richiv

Omegafanman

S.H.

Donn Chambers

3nicewatches

Bucks

guppydriver

Alphasports

worldwidewes

vesnyder

Bucks

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