| Dial
and Hands: Probably
the best watch dial (at least chronograph) I've met. It's full
of information, crystal clear and legible under all lighting conditions
(tested personally on various conditions). In full dark it glows
like a candle and one can tell the time to the minute (and if
you operate the stop-second hand - to the second!). The dark matte
finish of the dial is again one more great feature of this dial.
The hesalite
glass is problematic - It is close to the original material used
in the "moon watch" (crystal could shatter in space and hurt people
and gear while plexiglass only scratches) yet it's the "weakest"
point in an "almost perfect" watch - the sturdy watch must be
handled with care if one wants to keep the glass intact. The hesalite
cannot be glareproofed like crystal so it at times reflects light
and thus dims the clarity of the dial.
The Chronograph
function: the seconds, minutes and hours stop-hands are user-friendly
and easy to read and use. The start-stop button has a sleek smooth
operation and doesn't need too much force to start (as happens
with many vj7750 based chronos). The hands show no "jumping" upon
starting , stopping or re-starting. The only drawback is the lack
of luminescence on the chrono's sub-dials.
Accuracy:
It keeps good
timing for a new watch: on average it gains +9 seconds in 24 hrs.
Some official test tables of this mvt. Published by the Swiss-German
"Chronos" magazine report a range of +6 to +15 seconds in 24 hrs.
Unlike the test results I couldn't detect a substantial effect
of the chronograph function on the accuracy of time keeping.
Strap,
Buckle or Bracelet:
The original black leather strap is massive and strong with a
regular buckle in steel, carrying the "Omega" emblem. The strap
seemed to be a bit "stiff" to begin with but after a few days
wear it fitted the curve of the wrist. The only thing is I had
to avoid putting the watch into its flat box - to avoid straightening
the strap again…
User
Manual and Packaging:
The watch was delivered in a long flat box with a somewhat reddish
leather like finish, carrying a golden medallion with the Omega
sign. The box is lovely and impressive but being flat - you need
to "straighten" the straps if you want to keep the watch in it.
Personally I would prefer the "cube style" box with a typical
pillow that allows one to store the watch while keeping the straps
form… It comes in a white carton box which has special room for
the sale documents and paperwork. The warranty is a plastic card
which is very comfortable and easy to keep.
Comfort:
This is easily the most comfortable watch I have. It fits my wrist
with an admirable degree of precision. It is not at all bulky
and has no nasty protrusions to bother one.
Value:
The
official price in Switzerland, true to April 99' was 2800 SFR.
The tag price said: 2500 SFR and after tax reduction and cash-payment
reduction it was 2130 SFR (approx. 1380 US $). Here are some benchmarks:
In my native country the tag price at the official agent is the
equivalent of some 3000 US$ (!!!) and the jeweler would take it
down to around 2200 US$. A Speedmaster pro from the late 70's
in extra-fine(?) condition is currently being offered from "Paul
Duggan" for around 1200 US$.
To
sum it up: There
are not many new watches left in the market that are still made
the same way they were when they made history… Such are the classic
(and way more expensive) JLC Reverso, PP&C Calatrava, Zenith elPrimero
and others… The Omega Speedmaster Professional is a true piece
of watchmaking history still available today as a "pure" product.
I'm more than happy with its functioning and quality but I'm absolutely
delighted with what it stands for…
Omega Speedmaster
Professional picture was taken by me , using a Canon EOS500n Camera
w/ 28~80 mm F/3.5-5.5 Lens and a Kodak ISO160 film using 2.3 sec.
exposure at maximum aperture.
Leehu Zysberg |
