Hello,

I'm in the market for a Speedy with the 9300 movement but have some questions before I purchase one. I did a search to see if I could find answers to my questions but didn't have much luck. I will purchase this watch used by the way. I don't have the budget for this watch new.

1- It seems the 9300 movement was launched in 2011. That makes it a relatively new movement. Were there any issues with early model 9300s? As is the case with the PO8500 and PO2500, there were modifications made to the movements during their life cycles such as 2500A, 2500B, 2500C, 2500D and 8500A/8500B. Is this the case with the 9300? If so, which movement type should I look for?

2- I'm not understanding the range in MSRP pricing. I simply want a 9300 and don't care if it's a Dark Side Of The Moon, etc. On authenticwatches.com I noticed these two are significantly different in MSRP price:

MSRP: $8700
http://www.authenticwatches.com/omega-speedmaster-31130445101002.html#.V28FoPD3aK0

MSRP: $12000
http://www.authenticwatches.com/omega-speedmaster-31192445101003.html#.V28Fo_D3aK0

I'm not seeing what constitutes for the difference in price. Is it just due to aesthetics, with the DSOTM being fancier? Are there any differences in the movement that account for the price difference?

I don't plan on buying grey market by the way.

3- What's the deal with this? It doesn't look like the typical Speedmasters with the 9300s as this has 3 chronograph dials that resemble the Speedy Pro.

http://www.authenticwatches.com/omega-speedmaster-31130445001002.html#.V28In_D3aK0

That's about all I have for now. Thanks in advance for your input!

 

1) To my best knowledge, there have been no systemic issues with the 9300 movement and it's been pretty solid out of the gate. I believe there is only the one iteration and you should feel comfortable and confident of the quality.

2) The higher price points on the xSOTM versions are for the ceramic casings. Movement is the same between models. The .003 DSOTM you linked is for the older version with the tang buckle vs the .007 which comes with the much preferred deployant clasp.

3) I'm unsure of this one. Searching the Omega site for this reference comes up with nothing. It looks like one of the prior automatic speedy models but I am less familiar with them. Perhaps one more knowledgeable will be able to fill in the gaps?

Cheers and happy hunting.

 

I have a speedmaster '57 with the 9300 movement. No issues at all. The price difference between the watches you linked is mostly because of the ceramic cases. The dark side, gray side and so on all have ceramic cases with the 9300 movement inside. From what I can tell from omegas marketing material the ceramic cases can be extensive to produce thus the higher price.

I could be wrong but the last link you had to the moonwatch I don't believe has the 9300.

 

3) looks like it's a calibre 3313. Before the 9300 was released.

 

Just wondering -- why are you focused on the 9300 movement? Some of Omega's 8xxx movements and even earlier ones are very very good.

Does the appearance matter to you? What are the top aspects that matter most to you?

 

Thanks for the helpful replies. They definitely clarify some concerns I had.

I was looking at the Speedy Pro 3572.50 before since I like the hesalite front and sapphire display back, but the lack of a date feature really bothers me. I have two Planet Ocean 8500s and one SMPc and I'm just so used to having a date on those that I don't think any future watches could lack that functionality. This is why I targeted the 9300. I also really like the look of the watch too

 

Understand and respect your fancy for a 9300 variant, but to me there's just something more satisfying about a 1861/1863-equipped Speedmaster. As for Date, I use the chronograph hand to serve this function - if you establish the habit of winding the watch and setting the chrono hand one 'second' onward every morning, it's very reliable and is aesthetically better than having that great dial 'violated' by the insertion of a Date window.

 

Hello - others have answered items 2 and 3 for you, but I'll jump in on your first question (that is 2 questions really).

So to date there is only one version of the 9300, so it's the A version - that answers one aspect of your question so there's only one version to look for.

The second part of the question is if there were any problems with the 9300, and the answer is yes there were...

The first was the hand synchronization problem that affected 8500 and 9300 series movements, where the hour hand was not tight enough on the post and over time would move, causing the hour hand to not be a 12 when the minute hand was at 12.

The second is the DLC coated mainspring barrel problems, where Omega had to modify the barrel's DLC coating so that the coating didn't come into contact with the barrel arbor, as that was causing some debris to form and eventual loss of power on some watches. Omega had an exchange program in place for a couple of years (ending earlier this year) where you could send in barrels you had in stock for exchange free as they rolled out the modified barrels to the various movement variations.

I believe the hand synchronization problems were far more widespread than the barrel problems were, at least I saw more posts on the hand problems. The barrel problem would be more difficult to recognize as being related to the barrel, so that one is harder to judge.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Al

 

Are watches made in 2015-2016 still affected by these possible issues, or have they already implemented fixes?

 

Does it have to be a Moonwatch? The Speedmaster 57s are beautiful as well...

 

I would expect the hands issue is sorted. The barrel resolution was implemented in stages as they produced different barrels with the change in the coating, and the 9300 appeared to be the last movement that the issue was resolved in, so that one I am less sure about. In any case, it would be covered by the warranty on a new watch (although I do understand people want to avoid problems if possible).

Cheers, Al

 

I'd call this movement not less than amazing. Super-stable, accurate, no problems whatsoever.
If you have enough wrist to wear it buy it without any doubt.

 

Thank you all very much for your replies. I now have the answers to my initial questions.

Now this is interesting. I heard people talk about using the chronograph as a date function and that it improvises quite well. This could be a game changer for me regarding my choice. But, Im sorry, I'm still not following and comprehending how this is done with the Pro. Which dial on the chronograph is used to serve as the date function (left, middle or right)?

 

Main chronograph hand - stop it at 1 second for the 1st, 2 seconds for 2nd, and so on...

 

The big centre seconds sweep hand is used. For the first of the month just give the top pusher a couple of clicks and the hand will be pointing at 1 second past the hour. Next day another two clicks on the pusher and '2nd' is indicated. Simple innit?

 

Sorry Al to be repetitive - your reply wasn't evident when I just typed mine.

 

Thanks! I get it now. Now I'm back to square one deciding between the 3572.50 and the 9300. The main concern with the 9300 is I'll undoubtedly buy it used, which could mean no remaining warranty depending on when it was purchased. If the problems are really that prevalent I'm not sure I'd be wanting to pay out of pocket for any servicing it might need stemming from the issues mentioned. If I can avoid it, why not, right?

I'll think long and hard on this one.

 

I would encourage looking around this forum for ideas on buying new Omegas at a discounted price. Some great savings are possible!

 

Oh believe me, my local AD is offering it (Speedy Pro 1863 on leather) to me for $4125 brand new since I'm a repeat customer. I'm not sure it can get much better than that

 

I own both a 9300 and a 145022. For what it's worth, having the latter has not diminished my appreciation of the former one bit. I've found the 9300 to be reliable and accurate and I love the watch as a package. I think the stainless steel 9300 as pictured above is a really successful blend of traditional look-and-feel with modern tech. With such an interesting mechanism residing inside, the inclusion of a display back is a genuinely enjoyable feature of the co-axial Speedy. The sapphire crystal, automatic movement, date display, and ability to easily track a second time zone with the combined chrono subdial add practicality and functionality. The 44mm case of the newer model has presence without being garish (at least on some wrists). Now, of course, the 9300 movement did not go to the moon. I get it. But then again, neither did the 1861/1863 I'd encourage you to try them both on if you've not already done so. They do wear a little differently.