Forums Latest Members

First Impressions - First Omega

  1. aesguerra May 2, 2015

    Posts
    315
    Likes
    1,558
    It's important to take note of this one fact: Up to a couple days ago, my nicest watch was a Seiko Solar Pilot Chronograph. I issue that warning because I am still very new to the world of high end watches, so try as I might, there's a chance that I STILL don't know what I THINK I know. (lol) That disclaimer tended to, let's get down to business.

    [​IMG]

    It's almost ridiculous to introduce this particular timepiece here. After all, Omega makes the biggest deal out of it's Speedmaster Professional line. I'm not saying that is a wrong thing, mind you: Any watch that has adorned the wrists of all but one of the Moonwalkers from the Apollo days WHILE they were on the surface of the Moon is indeed a big deal. But with that watch so well known, I'll keep it short and sweet and be more specific to the specific Speedy that I broke my quality-watch virginity with, the Speedmaster Apollo 15 35th Anniversary LE, here on referred to as the 3366.51.

    Description
    For the most part, the 3366.51 is a 3752.50. Besides having the same case and bracelet, the watch shares the combination Hesalite front/Sapphire back feature that made the 3752.50 popular to those who wanted a display back so that they could admire the inner workings of their Speedy. But where the 3572.50 has the 863 movement, the 3361.50 has the less polished 861... and for good reason. More on that will follow.

    In celebrating the 35th anniversary of the fourth mission to pull off a moon landing, the subdials, the hands, bezel, chronograph buttons, crown, and markings are adorned in 18k Rose Gold. On the back, on the underside of the Sapphire is the mission patch of Apollo 15 is etched in color (hence the 861 movement - it's concealed under the etching), and the outer portions of the caseback is engraved "Omega - Apollo 15 - 35th Anniversary - Limited", along with the issue number of the watch. Omega limited the total number of 3366.51s to 1,971 pieces, the year of the mission.

    Aesthetics... Thru My Eyes
    Some may find the use of gold on a Moon Speedy a bit too flashy. Me, I found it to be just about right, with just enough applied as to not overblow it. The richness of the gold contrasts quite nicely with the black dial, and adds a nice level of class to the timepiece. Another reason I like the gold is that Apollo was the golden era of space exploration. As for the back, I prefer the color rendition of the mission patch under the Sapphire verses an etching on metal. Such markings should stand out in color. It was a colorful time indeed when we shot for the Moon.

    The use of a traditional 1998/849 bracelet balances out the gold, and reminds me that this is first and foremost Moonwatch. If it has been two tone bracelet or crocodile leather strap, I might've balked at it as either would've rendered the 3361.50 as the watch equivalent of an astronaut in a tuxedo... ON the Moon!

    First Impressions (from a Newb)
    It's been 36 hours since I first put the 3366.51 on my wrist. Now mind you that much of my impressions come from the timepiece that this Speedy is supposed to replace as my primary wearer, the Seiko Solar Pilot Chronograph. Like it or not, it has served me well for almost two years now, and provides all the contrasts that I noticed when switching to my Moon Speedy.

    [​IMG]

    The first thing I noticed was a change in weight. Being a couple mm narrower and noticeably thinner in thickness, the Speedy was much lighter. That was somewhat funny considering that a review I read stated the 3566.51 was heavier than other comparable Moonwatches. It's also funny considering how used I had gotten to my Seiko - I could almost miss the fact that the 3366.51 was strapped on my wrist... if not for the matter that how much I paid for it constantly reminded me that it was indeed THERE! That said, it's a very comfortable wear, with no bracelet rattling as I went about my workday.

    Build quality, I've noticed a couple of small things that pointed out that this wasn't a typical Macy's buy. The clasp on the Speedy's bracelet lacks a hold latch (that's what I call it, anyways) that, along with the clasp itself, keeps the whole affair from becoming undone. The chronograph buttons are another item. When you push them, there's a very satisfying thunk when they activate that sweeping counter. This is very contrary to the Seiko, which I have to double check to see if I HAD managed to activate the chrono. Last, there were none of the traditional cotter pins holding the bracelet links together; more solid pins were used, and they were FIRMLY in place when I tried once to remove them. After 30 seconds of effort, my usual impulse of, "I'll size this sucker myself" dissolved - I took it straight to an authorized Omega dealer.

    As for the movement itself, I am still learning about the 861. But I will say these things. First is that I find myself grinning as I manually wind my new watch when I arrive at work. The second item is that she seems to be very good at keeping time; when I synched it to my Seiko and checked after the first 12 hours of wear, it had not gained nor lost a single second, and same is true after the last 15 hours of use. Only at night in it's box did it deviate, by a grand total of 2-3 seconds.

    Oh, by the way, it's true what the fans say about Hesalite - it DOES give a warmth to the watch. This former all-Sapphire user just kept noticing that the watch seemed to glow under the sun whenever I looked at it. Maybe it's just me being star-struck by the magnitude of finally pulling the trigger, but I swear, that plastic just makes the watch even more impressive to the naked eye.

    [​IMG]

    Conclusions
    Overall, I'm completely satisfied with my first Speedy. She comes from the line of watches that I've admired for decades, differing just enough to where it satisfies my tastes without departing too far from the source. The build quality is truly amazing, the wearability is outstanding, her time-keeping is exactly what I had read about. Needless to say, I'll be recommending Speedmasters Pros to anyone who asks, but an extra vote will be thrown out for the 3366.51.

    Thanks for reading.

    Alex
     
    Jwit and TLIGuy like this.
  2. CanberraOmega Rabbitohs and Whisky Supporter May 2, 2015

    Posts
    5,570
    Likes
    6,208
    Great write up and great photos. I think the only point I (and a few other members) might disagree on is the point about bracelet vs leather. I've got both my normal Speedy and this one on brown leather and thinks it looks great.

    Welcome. image.jpg image.jpg
     
    JamesBrokengoat and TLIGuy like this.
  3. aesguerra May 2, 2015

    Posts
    315
    Likes
    1,558
    Oh I'm sure a lot will. ;) Like I said, what do I think that I know that I don't really know. Lol.

    But your leather strap, I can see for casual wear. But the croc strap I mentioned (like the one on a 311.33.42.30.01.002) - too fancy for my jeans. :cool:

    Alex
     
  4. bryanmanio May 9, 2015

    Posts
    161
    Likes
    493
    Slight correction - the 3572.50 has the 1863 movement in most models. Apparently it was a transitional thing.