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miroko
·After owning Omega Speedmaster Racing for already about half year I thought to write a small user review, maybe someone can find it helpful.
This is how it looks on about 17cm wrist plus few more pictures.
All the time before purchasing I was afraid that it will be too large.
It is indeed large, and I would not recommend it for a smaller wrist. Maybe 16cm will still be ok, but anything smaller than that will not be good. It will just be a bit overwhelming in size, but it is also personal preferences.
For me it sometimes look a bit on an edge of mine size as well.
It is also quite thick, but fits under normal clothing. However, if I have bit tighter shirt, it is not going below (but why it should, it is so nice after all).
Comparing to manual-wind watches (as i.e. model 57) it is definitely thicker and feels larger. Model 57 and also such like Speedmaster Professional are more delicate/elegant in appearance.
Someone can say that it is just two-three millimeters “here and there” difference but it really makes a difference in real life.
You have to definitely try them in real to see.
But I ended up with the automatic Racing with orange accents that fits apparently in color to some of my clothes as well.
The black version on black strap looks smaller than white version. It is only illusion of course because they are exactly same size.
As of which is nicer (white or black dials) is up to personal opinions.
As you see it is not on steel bracelet but on black leather with clasp.
I though it will be a better choice since all the steel bracelets that I had were always tearing hair off hand and I could not stand it anymore.
Advantage of bracelets is their superior adjustment possibilities. Especially if additionally, to just removing the links you have extra “micro” adjustment in the clasp.
Well, if you take the leather version you can forget about any micro adjustments apart from the holes on the strap.
They are of course as well made for it and working fine but adjustment goes in larger steps and cannot make this final small adjustment.
Someone can wonder why I use so much effort for this particular detail but apparently on my wrist the last hole is bit too tight while the next one is bit too loose. Coming back to wrist size, less than 16cm will make it completely loose on original strap/clasp.
So, for sometime I was wondering and trying which one is better and I ended up using the one which is bit too loose. Reason was that if it is warmer then more loose fixing seems working better for me that tighter. Maybe hands are expanding in heat, don’t know.
But if it is cold I experience that it is a bit hanging down on wrist. So perfect would be for my part extra holes in between the current ones or that all holes are moved.
Who knows, maybe I will end up in having summer setting and winter setting after all.
Otherwise, clasp is working fine and I enjoy using it as this is a very quick on/off way top put a watch on wrist.
As a typical first Omega owner I of courser used lot of time for accuracy checking. I used some apps for tracking the time like “Twelve” and “Chronolog”.
And in general, I can say that it has superior accuracy although it depends also on few factors described below.
The storing position (when not in use) has a lot to say. Everyone who is crazy about accuracy need to do small tests in beginning and find best storage position for the watch.
I did some measurements lasting for half to whole day/night and in general results are such that best position in this case is 12-up. Then watch is then either exactly same time or is losing up to 1 second.
I checked all positions, and the worst were 6-up (so basically upside down) and face down.
The upside-down storing was giving even +3sec over night. Well, no one likes to be upside down.
Apparently, I did not notice any changes between fully wound and almost empty power reserve.
During normal day wearing it is usually having +1sec, so +1sec wearing, -1sec resting 12up and you are landing on 0 in perfect conditions.
But I also noticed that watch likes systematic using, this also applies to apparently temperature conditions.
I took it to "hot countries" for a month (temperature range from 25 to 40) and then was a mess…
Watch suddenly went a bit crazy regarding the accuracy. I was not wearing it regularly and it was resting in different positions, so this also is part of the problem.
But when I realized this then I started putting it regularly in 12-up best positions but still watch was going even +2-3 seconds per day (as if still remembering bad treatment).
I think it had to do something with maybe temperatures and longer resting in some unlucky positions.
After some time, I had to set it again back to original timing because it was going too crazy. But it took about a week of “correct storing” and steady temperatures before it came back to standard accuracy changes.
So, seems to me that watch likes regularity/systematicity rather than uncontrolled storing positions and temperature changes.
It is automatic, so all you need to do is to wear it.
I noticed that when I wear it half day and then half day resting then it is not losing the power reserve in whole sequence.
There is not any power reserve indicator, but I managed to check it in other way. I was wearing/resting it for few days like that (50% on, 50% off) and then left it over weekend from Friday evening to Sunday evening and it was still ticking after two days, so looks like winding mechanism works very well.
It stopped night to Monday, just few hours before I was to pick it up. So, power reserve matches about what is in specification (and it was without manual winding in the meantime). But if left over two days then need to remember to manually wind.
Interesting thing what I noticed also is that apparently when you just have it on a hand and walking (so hand is just slightly swinging back and forth) then winding mechanism is not really picking up this movement. It needs more dynamic moves like running or lifting hand up/down for something. I checked it by holding it in hand and simulating movement back-forth – mechanism stands still in lower position or moves very little. This is question of forces/physics, not really any watch related issue. I just often hear that you just need to wear it. Well, it is not completely truth, because if you just take it for a walk tour and your hand will be just swinging back-forth slightly, it will not be charging apparently. This applies to all this type of mechanisms.
About manual winding. It is relatively easy in beginning (I guess when power reserve is small) and then it becomes more and more hard pretty quickly.
What I noticed that it can be a pretty “finger shredder” as some call it.
I also like the possibility to adjust hour without stopping seconds (useful for traveling and when time changes between summer-winter).
It has date, which you have to set manually few times in year as the clock does not distinguish between months that have 31 days or less. This is not really a problem as you have the possibility to fix it per above described function (but need to of course remember to change time by 24h and not only 12h).
Here is some list of pros/cons with few extra comments.
PROS
+superior accuracy (but see also cons related to the same)
+very efficient automatic winding mechanism in normal day activities and good power reserve (however may not be enough for whole weekend rest)
+build quality
+easy on/off thanks to clasp
+hour/date change without stopping seconds
CONS
-accuracy highly dependent on storage position and possibly also temperatures ranges
-can be considered too large/thick, personal opinions
-leather strap version does not have as much adjusting possibilities as the bracelet (if you are unlucky you end up somewhat “in between holes”)
-relatively hard manual winding, could be considered as “finger shredder”
This is how it looks on about 17cm wrist plus few more pictures.
All the time before purchasing I was afraid that it will be too large.
It is indeed large, and I would not recommend it for a smaller wrist. Maybe 16cm will still be ok, but anything smaller than that will not be good. It will just be a bit overwhelming in size, but it is also personal preferences.
For me it sometimes look a bit on an edge of mine size as well.
It is also quite thick, but fits under normal clothing. However, if I have bit tighter shirt, it is not going below (but why it should, it is so nice after all).
Comparing to manual-wind watches (as i.e. model 57) it is definitely thicker and feels larger. Model 57 and also such like Speedmaster Professional are more delicate/elegant in appearance.
Someone can say that it is just two-three millimeters “here and there” difference but it really makes a difference in real life.
You have to definitely try them in real to see.
But I ended up with the automatic Racing with orange accents that fits apparently in color to some of my clothes as well.
The black version on black strap looks smaller than white version. It is only illusion of course because they are exactly same size.
As of which is nicer (white or black dials) is up to personal opinions.
As you see it is not on steel bracelet but on black leather with clasp.
I though it will be a better choice since all the steel bracelets that I had were always tearing hair off hand and I could not stand it anymore.
Advantage of bracelets is their superior adjustment possibilities. Especially if additionally, to just removing the links you have extra “micro” adjustment in the clasp.
Well, if you take the leather version you can forget about any micro adjustments apart from the holes on the strap.
They are of course as well made for it and working fine but adjustment goes in larger steps and cannot make this final small adjustment.
Someone can wonder why I use so much effort for this particular detail but apparently on my wrist the last hole is bit too tight while the next one is bit too loose. Coming back to wrist size, less than 16cm will make it completely loose on original strap/clasp.
So, for sometime I was wondering and trying which one is better and I ended up using the one which is bit too loose. Reason was that if it is warmer then more loose fixing seems working better for me that tighter. Maybe hands are expanding in heat, don’t know.
But if it is cold I experience that it is a bit hanging down on wrist. So perfect would be for my part extra holes in between the current ones or that all holes are moved.
Who knows, maybe I will end up in having summer setting and winter setting after all.
Otherwise, clasp is working fine and I enjoy using it as this is a very quick on/off way top put a watch on wrist.
As a typical first Omega owner I of courser used lot of time for accuracy checking. I used some apps for tracking the time like “Twelve” and “Chronolog”.
And in general, I can say that it has superior accuracy although it depends also on few factors described below.
The storing position (when not in use) has a lot to say. Everyone who is crazy about accuracy need to do small tests in beginning and find best storage position for the watch.
I did some measurements lasting for half to whole day/night and in general results are such that best position in this case is 12-up. Then watch is then either exactly same time or is losing up to 1 second.
I checked all positions, and the worst were 6-up (so basically upside down) and face down.
The upside-down storing was giving even +3sec over night. Well, no one likes to be upside down.
Apparently, I did not notice any changes between fully wound and almost empty power reserve.
During normal day wearing it is usually having +1sec, so +1sec wearing, -1sec resting 12up and you are landing on 0 in perfect conditions.
But I also noticed that watch likes systematic using, this also applies to apparently temperature conditions.
I took it to "hot countries" for a month (temperature range from 25 to 40) and then was a mess…
Watch suddenly went a bit crazy regarding the accuracy. I was not wearing it regularly and it was resting in different positions, so this also is part of the problem.
But when I realized this then I started putting it regularly in 12-up best positions but still watch was going even +2-3 seconds per day (as if still remembering bad treatment).
I think it had to do something with maybe temperatures and longer resting in some unlucky positions.
After some time, I had to set it again back to original timing because it was going too crazy. But it took about a week of “correct storing” and steady temperatures before it came back to standard accuracy changes.
So, seems to me that watch likes regularity/systematicity rather than uncontrolled storing positions and temperature changes.
It is automatic, so all you need to do is to wear it.
I noticed that when I wear it half day and then half day resting then it is not losing the power reserve in whole sequence.
There is not any power reserve indicator, but I managed to check it in other way. I was wearing/resting it for few days like that (50% on, 50% off) and then left it over weekend from Friday evening to Sunday evening and it was still ticking after two days, so looks like winding mechanism works very well.
It stopped night to Monday, just few hours before I was to pick it up. So, power reserve matches about what is in specification (and it was without manual winding in the meantime). But if left over two days then need to remember to manually wind.
Interesting thing what I noticed also is that apparently when you just have it on a hand and walking (so hand is just slightly swinging back and forth) then winding mechanism is not really picking up this movement. It needs more dynamic moves like running or lifting hand up/down for something. I checked it by holding it in hand and simulating movement back-forth – mechanism stands still in lower position or moves very little. This is question of forces/physics, not really any watch related issue. I just often hear that you just need to wear it. Well, it is not completely truth, because if you just take it for a walk tour and your hand will be just swinging back-forth slightly, it will not be charging apparently. This applies to all this type of mechanisms.
About manual winding. It is relatively easy in beginning (I guess when power reserve is small) and then it becomes more and more hard pretty quickly.
What I noticed that it can be a pretty “finger shredder” as some call it.
I also like the possibility to adjust hour without stopping seconds (useful for traveling and when time changes between summer-winter).
It has date, which you have to set manually few times in year as the clock does not distinguish between months that have 31 days or less. This is not really a problem as you have the possibility to fix it per above described function (but need to of course remember to change time by 24h and not only 12h).
Here is some list of pros/cons with few extra comments.
PROS
+superior accuracy (but see also cons related to the same)
+very efficient automatic winding mechanism in normal day activities and good power reserve (however may not be enough for whole weekend rest)
+build quality
+easy on/off thanks to clasp
+hour/date change without stopping seconds
CONS
-accuracy highly dependent on storage position and possibly also temperatures ranges
-can be considered too large/thick, personal opinions
-leather strap version does not have as much adjusting possibilities as the bracelet (if you are unlucky you end up somewhat “in between holes”)
-relatively hard manual winding, could be considered as “finger shredder”
