I just took delivery of my new Speedmaster Racing watch (model 329.30.44.51.01.001). This is my first ever Omega so of course I am pumped about it.
I had been wearing a Seiko Divers watch daily for the last 20 years, ever since receiving one as a gift from my wife on our first anniversary. As a 26 year old just out of grad school, that Seiko was a special “real watch” to me; I loved it and wore it almost every day for 20 years. But over time it became less and less right for daily wear, and in recent years I got the itch for something more. So recently I purchased a couple Swiss watches that I liked, including a Bell & Ross BR-03 and a Ball Aviator GMT. Enjoyable, but somehow these are secondary watches… good as alternates, but neither one is “the watch” to be worn daily for a decade or more. So I was seeking something special, something classic, something for daily wear, stainless with stainless bracelet, meant to last for decades. That was my spec as I went out shopping.
I considered going for a Rolex and especially the GMT Master II, which I really like. (And I value the GMT function, as I travel often). But somehow Rolex is not the brand for me. I am an engineer and entrepreneur. The guys I know wearing a Rolex are bankers, golf pros, country-club guys. All fine for them; but this is not my crowd. I looked at the Oris ProPilot with their in-house Calibre 114; seemed a very nice watch but I didn’t fall in love with it. I also looked closely at the Seamaster Planet Ocean. But I’m wearing a coat and tie more often now, which suddenly makes a dive watch a bit wrong. For that reason I gravitated toward something less dive-forward: the Seamaster Aqua Terra GMT. Like the Oris, the AT seemed very nice. But somehow I wasn’t inspired to pull the trigger.
So while mulling over the AT, I revisited the Speedmaster. I’ve always loved the look of the Speedmaster Professional, which I consider a true classic. But I had written it off because it didn’t have a GMT complication; and because I’m always wary of a black bezel that fades over time (as my beloved Seiko did). Then I saw the new Speedmaster racing. The 9900 movement and 44mm footprint were appealing .. and ceramic bezel! All the reviews I saw were on the orange-handed version on black strap… but if you dig you can find the new “Racing” version in a traditional moonwatch-esque look with black-face, white-hands and steel bracelet. That modern-take on a legend suddenly came into focus as the right choice. And so here it is (GMT function be damned!).
My only complaint is the chrono register hands being mirrored… wow they are hard to read. Are they that way on the original/classic SMPs?.. it’s hard to tell in pictures. Otherwise a ton to love, including daily accuracy about +0.5s per day so far. So this is my daily driver for the next decade or two. A few pics attached….
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