Always wanted a Speedmaster but it is a little bit out of my budget the professional one but I was thinking about the reduced automatic model 3510.50.

I´ve read some good and some bad reviews but anyone here that actually own one and is willing to throw in a vote ?

 

I don't own a reduced but if you truly want the professional, I would suggest you hold off and save more money. Not only will you get the watch you want, but it will feel better when you do get it. If you're not dead set on the professional then wait for others who own a reduced to chime in. I considered the reduced since I prefer smaller diameter watches, but once I tried a professional I fell in love.

 

I owned a reduced for a while. It was a fine watch but ultimately I got a Speedmaster Professional and sold it.

I never had any issues with mine and had I not bought a moonwatch I’d still have it I’m sure. If you really want a moonwatch just save the money and get that. They really are pretty different in look and feel.

This pic is the only one I have of my reduced. You can see a Mk40 I still own in this pic as well.

 

Generally low cost reduced tend to need a not cheap service. Most people think Speedy Dates, and MK40’s are better at that price and size.

 

My wife liked to wear the 3510.50 a couple of years. There were no problems, it kept time and did what it should. Then she decided it was too big and she really needed a smaller watch... Since then, many watches came along for her.

I think that the 3510.50 is a very good and reliable watch / daily rocker, same as the Pro. Maybe you should try to compare both watches on your wrist?

Finally all that counts is if you'll like to wear it or not.

 

Keep searching for a pro, you will get a good value one (hold out for one with a bracelet).

I recommend putting an alert on watchrecon and biding your time. Also always buy the seller above all else.

You don't say what your budget is but patience will get you a pro for between $2,200 and 2,600, and will be a one in good condition. I have an alert set up and one hits those prices about every 90 days

 

There are probably 100 threads regarding this question on the forum. Check those out as I am sure that they will be quite helpful.

 

I am very happy with mine, and have paid the "reduced tax" to get it properly serviced.

For anything else over 20 years old you will be advised to buy what you like and to hell with values, and I like my reduced. It is with a couple of others the largest watch I own, which is one reason I do not have a manual Speedy. Too big -- although I would accept a loan of a full-fat Speedy for a couple of weeks to see if I could live with it .

If it were not in competition with the normal speedies I think it would be a classic.

My biasedXXXXXX favourable opinion.

 

I own both, though my wife has also claimed the reduced and added her strap so I cannot even wear it now. I have paid for a full service with Omega and yet a few years later it has chrono creep.
As a watch I like the way it looks but the movement does not seem as robust as the manual wind Speedie pro

 

I have both, I like the reduced but I love the pro. You need to try both on and then decide there really is night and day difference.

I have no complaints about the pro but the reduced:
Small size. It's a 39 and wears small 42 seems to be my comfortable spot.
Catches hair. Sometimes the bracelet can be a hair puller.
Can't sync it. For some reason, even though it hacks, I can't synchronize the minutes and seconds...at least not to that under a loupe standard I like.

Actually I take it back, I don't have a complaint about Speedy Pro, I can't afford all the vintage pieces I want.

 

Yeah, that too!

 

I've owned both pro and reduced (and an 39mm valjoux date reverse panda) so I can share how it worked for me.
I originally wanted a speedmaster pro but hadn't the budget, and with my 6,5" wrist I thought that a reduced would be even better. Actually it was pretty nice, fitted my wrist perfectly and I loved it. However I wanted the professional who looks a bit better (case slightly different, 20mm lug width, dial with more depth) and of course the aura of the true moonwatch with the nice manual caliber.
I ended up selling it and bought my first moonwatch right after.

The prices for the reduced went up a bit lately so depending on the condition and where you live the price gap with a professional may not be so much.
It also depends on how you are. If you tend to be passionate about watches and pretty addicted as a lot of people here I'm pretty sure that you'll end up flipping your reduced for a professional if you go that way. However if you're not constantly looking at watches and that buying only one fully satisfies you my advice would be to get the reduced.

However there isn't really any bad choice here. Even if you go with the reduced and decide later to sell it to buy a professional you shouldn't loose money (except if you keep it for a while and need a service but you can't avoid that) on it.

Just my 2 cents.

 

I would recommend holding it for the pro, it's just 1k usd more, give yourself a bit of time and there it is. Servicing the modular movement in the reduced might be a hassle, but the pro is certainly robust and easy to get it serviced.

Alternative, as some suggested, you can consider the speedy date with modified 7750 movement. I had one for a while, liked it, but sold it to fund other watches.

 

When I bought my reduced 30 years ago, I had no idea what a reduced was when compared with a Pro. After some initial problems with it, and a substantial “noob tax” paid when I had to replace the movement, I love mine. Better than I love my Pro? Well, yes!

 

I love mine, but if I had bought it first I’d still be lusting for a Pro.

My advice would be to keep saving.

 

I own and have worn my 3510.50 for years, it's reliable and keeps time within + 5 sec per day. It fits my wrist as a watch should and have found the 42mm pro too large.

Try one out, they tend to keep their value so if you don't like it should be easy to recoup the funds paid.

 

I have both and wear the reduced way more often:

1) I like automatics better than manuals for convenience.
2) Case size is right for me..fits in sleeves better than full size.
3) A bit thinner and lighter...wearability is better for me.
4) Way less expensive used, half of a full size speedy...but same panache.

My 0.02

 

Speedmaster reduced with “bling”. Stainless steel bracelet.

 

Well. If you want some more perspectives outside of this forum, this just popped up on my Google news feed.

http://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/omega-speedmaster-reduced-vs-professional-moonwatch/

 

Some inaccuracies in that article...

First off the claim that "Most people use an independent watchmaker who will simply replace the chronograph module, rather than service it." This makes it sound like you can call up the local "Modules-R-Us" location and get a 1/2 dozen DD modules for servicing those reduced watches at the drop of a hat. Not the case at all as Omega doesn't sell modules for this purpose. What happens in most cases is that the independent watchmaker services the base movement only, and doesn't service or replace the module...they just remove it, set it aside, and put it back on after servicing the 2892 portion of the movement. You are typically only getting 1/2 the job done in these cases. Although there are people who will service the module, they are not around every corner.

Second, the author is grouping the "reduced" models with the "automatic" models, at one time saying this:

"The modern iteration of the Reduced / Automatic is called the “Speedmaster 38 Co-Axial Chronograph” and this "The modern version of the Speedmaster Automatic (Reduced) can easily be identified by a date window at 6-o’clock."

The Speedmaster Automatic is not in any way the same as a "reduced" model, as the Speedmaster Automatics use some version of the ETA 7750 in them, which is a fully integrated automatic chronograph, not a modular chronograph.

I would take information on blogs like this with a grain of salt, since most of the people writing these blogs don't have a lot of technical knowledge.

Cheers, Al