hi all, i recently been thinking to pick up a speedmaster as part of my collection. i have yet to decide on the vintage late 80s-90s or the modern iterations. been reading up on the upgrade in material and movement etc, do you think the upgrades (and mark up) are worth it? or are the 3590.50 is already as good as it gets, and all the newer upgrades are just cherry on top, good to have, but not quite worth the mark up

 

I have a 90's tritium speedy and a modern one and I wear my tritium the most.

 

The 1861 is pretty d***ed good. It's basically the 861 but with better corrosive protection, which is basically the 321 but with cheaper maintenance and not as hard to finds parts as the 321.

Anything with darkened tritium lume is beautiful on your wrist and enjoyable to look at.

The new 3861 is pretty nice. The stepped dial, AML (depending on crystal you choose), dropped chrono end, hacking and 105.012 case style are nice "upgrades" (bringing back some vintage features.)

The power reserve on the new watch is noticeably longer and the METAS accuracy is really better than my 1861 and 861. But whether that is important or useful is something you need to decide. There are enough differences to justify the price increase. However, the previous speedys were about perfect. They were inexpensive relative to their place as an iconic watch from a quality mid-level luxury watch maker.

If you want the biggest bang for your buck, you probably will find it in a 90's tritium or possibly later superlume. It is my goto daily wearer (seen here as 1861 previous moonwatch with modded dial.)

 

thank you for sharing! i do enjoy the patina and darkened tritium lume. I probably have to inspect the cosmetic differences closer to decide what else might work for me. i think accuracy per se is not exactly an important thing for me, given that it would be unlikely that i wear a watch everyday. i think of accuracy more of an indicator that the watch is working as per its specs and not yet in need of servicing.

 

I do not think it worth the upgrade..but it's only my opinion. Regards.

 

The comment from @pdxleaf sums it up perfectly. If it’s a design decision, the question is mostly if you prefer the look of nicely aged Tritium or the clean whiteness of a modern example.

And then, of course, they come with a significant difference in the price tag.

 

thanks for your input! i will probably hunt for a 80s-90s tritium ones. my friend suggested that i should pair it with the modern omega bracelet as it is very comfortable

 

Which modern iteration are you considering? There are a lot of options these days.

 

The 3590.50 is a great value proposition. It’s the last Speedmaster Pro model with a tritium dial and handset and the 1479/812 bracelet is well constructed and has a nice vintage look to it.

 

To me, if you got a 3592.50, you'd have the ultimate modern-vintage speedy: tritium dial, display back with hesalite, 863 movement and the 1479 bracelet. It's got the right mix of period adornments and character. While they're expensive, they're decidedly awesome watches.

 

I'll put in a vote for a 3592.50 or a 3572.50. To me, the 3592.50 is really one of the best "rare" Speedy's that are still affordable. It's a lot of bang for the buck.

 

Another vote here for the 3592.50, but I might also be a bit biased…..

 

Same boat- Very biased here also... Nice piece!

 

One more vote here for the 90's Speedy.
I have a 3572.50 and cannot immagine switching it for the 3861.
I actually went to try it last week, to see how big the changes were compared to mine and sure, the bracelet is comfortable and extremely light and the watch looks a tad smaller but that's about it.

Bear in mind that if you go for a 3592.50 or a 3572.50, you won't have the same movement, also the finishing is different (rhodium for the 3572.50 and gilt for the 3592.50).
You'll also have to choose beetween tritium (3592) and superluminova (3572). There were some exceptions to these specs but that is what you are more likely to find.

 

thanks for your input! i'm sold and i think i should start my hunt for a 3592.50!