Getting into watches... at apparently the wrong time! Should have discovered this interest 15yrs ago. I do have one question, and not sure which forum would be best. New classic Speedmaster (solid back / hesalite) or early 90s full set for about the same money? I like the tritium lume as it ages, but completely new vs 25yrs old? Not sure which route to take. Thanks for the great resources! David
well it depends. if you are just getting one for your first good watch/ limited budget maybe, i would go the "new" route. if in the future you take more the collector route and start looking for vintage then there will be plenty of speedmasters to get. i was in the same boat a few months ago and decided to buy new.
Would be a personal decision and completely up to you.... The 25 year old watch should not drop In price anymore or if it does, not that much. And as they are not produced anymore, not more will come to the market. The actual watch is certainly one of better quality but at the end it al depends on what you want... both would be a good choice and at the end, chances are high you’ll have both of them in the coming years, if that is the case, buy the old one now as they are not produced anymore, and should not drop in price anymore
Two questions you need to answer Are you buying to keep for the next 20-30 years? Yes = New ( age it yourself ) Do you want to collect Speedmasters? Yes = Neither as you would want a earlier than 1990 like a cal 321 or 861 My opinion only folks - I am a firm believer of making my own vintage Speedmaster and bought new when I was at the OPs fork in the road. ( I don't even own a tube of poly watch)
One factor to consider is servicing costs. A new Speedy should give you at least 5 years (or more) of worry-free operation before you need to have it serviced. An older model may require servicing right away, which can be expensive (figure +/- $800 to $1K) so factor a service into your cost analysis. If I had to do it over again (I bought a current-gen Speedy) I would have pick up a 3572.50 tritium model... it’s the previous-gen mode with the exhibition caseback. Virtually NOS examples pop up from time to time in the dealer sales thread here on OF. Something like this: https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-speedmaster-professional-3572-50-tritium.60160/
I don't see the point in buying a 90's Speedmaster. It is nor new nor collectible (yet). If you are new to watches, I'd suggest you to buy the new one, but try to get it around 30 % lower than MSRP. I think you need a few years of experience to find a nice vintage Speedy/or a friend who can help you. Right now the 145.022's with cal 861 are good buys, they are still around the same price as a new one, but with a lot more potential worth/price-wise.
I personally did not want a display back. Speedmasters are desirable because they're the moon watch. With the display back, they're no longer as antimagnetic as they are with a steel back, therefore not qualified for space. I got a 145.022.
All of this is great advice. I also want the most traditional Speedmaster that I can afford. Solid back for me. The '93 watch is a very full set including original purchase receipt, and a full Omega service (with receipts) within the past 15 months. True, not old enough to be really vintage, but nearly the last of the tritium years. Also, I do have a very knowledgeable watch friend that is going to offer an opinion locally on this watch. Even if he says the watch is great, still have to decide new vs. sort-of old...