Hey all. New to the forum and my first post.
I'm planning on buying my first Speedy Pro and am looking for the winning strategy.

After digging through this forum (great resource and great community) Ive come up with 3 options:
Am I on the right track?
Which would you recommend or would you suggest an alternative I haven't considered?
(This will be my first mechanical watch.)

1) Buy a passible beater on the cheap, wear it for a year. If it suits me, sell it for what I paid for it and get a NIB.
2) buy a nice used one and pick up a few different bands to keep it fresh.
or
3) Drop the cash, buy a new one and dont look back.

If I'm getting a used one, is ebay reliable? are there calibers i should look for?
I live in NYC so can anyone recomend a reliable shop?
Any advantages in buying in person or online?

Yes yes, sorry these are pedestrian questions...
Like I said, it will be my first time buying one. Remember you too were once in my shoes!

thanks!
Chris from NYC

 

A good strategy but the main issue I see is that there aren’t any about which fit option 1 any more. All sellers seems to think they have Buzz’s missing watch, no matter how mundane or grotty and price accordingly so you may as well get something nearly new as it won’t cost much if anything over a filthy beater.

 

This - I looked around for ages for a cheap one to fit a mitsukoshi dial to. Quite rare to find anything close to GBP 2.5k. At above that you are close to getting a new one at around 3 with discount.

With the 5 year warranty now offered, I’d pay the extra couple of hundred quid.

 

For the first time purchase, the safest way is to buy a new one from AD or reputable dealers.

 

ask your friends near you if they own a speedy and acquaint yourself with their opinions. dont rely on ebay.

 

Hi guys, i want to buy my first speedmaster, give advice about this watch please.

 

Start your own thread as this is @Smackhappe s thread.

And read below

https://omegaforums.net/threads/is-...-the-price-helps-us-better-to-help-you.64471/

 

Just buy a new one and thrash it, mine nearly 5 years old

 

I'm gonna agree with the last post, buy it, wear it, trash it. It's a tool watch and should be enjoyed. Now if you went the LE route I'd say keep it fresh but you mentioned just a speedy pro. Biggest mistake I made was lying to myself that I was going to baby it, which I did for about 2 months and I didnt fully enjoy the watch. Now it's my daily and the lower end watches I also own which were supposed to be my dailys to preserve the speedy are collecting dust. I'd rather have 3 nice watches that are worn regularly than a drawer full of lower end ones that are "preserving" my higher end ones.

 

Forget #1. (I did this for years and now have about 6 watches that collect dust).
Go with #2 or #3, but really that is up to you...
If you are looking for modern, there really is not MUCH price difference between a new one from a trusted seller on here or a used one.
If it were me, I would just go with #3.
That's the only one you won't possibly regret. (As long as you aren't buying a watch you can't afford, and then have buyers remorse)

 

I think it depends a bit on who you are as a person.

Buy brand new if you are the kind of person that likes brand new. You will have warranty and functioning lume and the watch will only be yours. If you buy from OB or AD it will probably be a really nice experience, and if there is any problem with your watch they will help you.

Buy an older version with tritium lume because you like the nicer, imho, creamy colouring of the lume. The watch will have its own history and possibly some scratches already, so you dont have to worry as much as you would with a brand new watch.
Reference 3590.50 would probably be the cheapest option.

I have bought both from different OBs and also two watches here on the OF courtesy of @Kringkily whom I believe is local to NY.

 

I share other's sentiments in that I would skip Option 1, but more because it sounds like a plan that won't lead you to were you may want to be. Buy a watch you want to keep.

My first Omega was a pre-owned PO Chrono model about five years ago. I had made a few trips to the OB and tried on a bunch of different models but I knew, at the time, that I wanted a Seamaster. Had it down to the PO Chrono and an SM300 Chrono. I stumbled onto a listing for a pre-owned PO from a store in Boston, European Watch Company at a great price, far better than buying new in the OB. EWC was great, had a few calls to answer questions and sent the watch promptly. Couldn't have been happier and it was a near daily wear once I received it. Zero regrets and I wholeheartedly recommend them. While no direct experience, from what I've seen of others experiences, would definitely recommend sellers here as well.

Then last year, I was able to scratch the itch and buy the SM300 Chrono that I still wanted. This one I bought in the OB because I wanted that experience, and because I couldn't find the exact one I was looking for on OF, or a brick and mortar store that I felt I could trust. The staff at the OB were amazing, as one would expect, as I made a few visits, tried a bunch of others on, and kept coming back to the SM300. Buying experience was great. I stop by the store every so often, they remember who you are, love to chat, and it's cool to get to see some of the new offerings. Zero regrets and would definitely do again for the right watch.

Now I am about scratch another itch, the Speedmaster Pro. It was always one of the three Omegas that I had narrowed my search down to and I never bought it because I knew that it would always be around. I am so glad that I waited to buy because I've since learned about finding a birthyear watch. I had never been one for vintage, anything. Not that I always have to have the latest and greatest, but seeking out antiques and vintage items just never crossed my mind, until I learned about seeking out a birthyear speedy. Not sure if it is the milestone birthday approaching or reading stories on here of people finding a birthyear watch and what it meant to them, but the idea of finding a watch as close as possible to my age just made so much sense. Especially a watch with such a rich history.

So again, whatever you choose, new, used, or vintage, buy one you want to enjoy (by wearing often) and keep.

 

OP here.
Man, thank you all for the replies. I loved hearing the different journeys you each too. Im still looking forward to make my own.

So, option 1 is out it seems.

And option 2 wont save me any money, so I guess ill buy a new one, surely I can find one for under 3500usd.

Regardless, Its a tool watch that Ill keep for ages. the first thing ill do is ding it so as to not baby it too much!

I own motorcycles and the big joke is the first thing you do with a new bike is knock it over so you can stop worrying about knocking it over.

thanks team.
Ill come back to this thread to show off my new purchase shortly!

 

Make sure you check out duty free shops if you can! Nice saving with peace of mind in transaction, and you can get it on the spot. There are grey dealer who can give you a better price than duty free, but the difference isn't huge.

 

For a first speedy, i would go brand new. It’s the most reasonably priced watch i know.

I got mine after my wife just bought a bag. And i told her: you know what, just accross the store, there’s a nice watch that i can buy for less than what you paid for the bag.

She got intrigued and thought i was bluffing.

She didnt think there would be a watch that affordable. Good for me, got my speedy moonwatch. Finally.

 

been there done that. I searched a lot to find a birth year speedmaster (born in 78) Then you get a dilemma; production year or year on the receipt. 145.0222-78 or a 76. It took too long a couple of years ago since i wasnt that deep into the vintage rabbit hole. So i bought my self a new one. After one or two weeks I got completely bored with the luminova flat dial. Vintage Speedmasters with a step dial are something else.

 

To be honest I did have the same feeling when I saw a new speedy in person for the first time. The aged tritium hands and markers are much more interesting to me, and I don't care about night time readability as it won't be the sleeping watch for me. However, I have not had the chance to compare new and vintage side by side, so...

 

it’s almost like comparing apples and oranges

 

My last watch purchase was due to the wife getting a new L.V. handbag Haha. I guess you can say I was a little jealous.

 

Just went through the same issue looking for a 79. Given the challenge in finding, I decided to go with the closest date that fit all the requirements with the caveat that I would rather it be my age or older. Ended up with a 77 production that was first sold in 79. Will still feel like a birthyear watch with a good story.