What's different between a normal speedmaster & a Moon Watch? Thread
What's different between a normal speedmaster and a Moon Watch?
Posted By: David Wan Date: 6/18/0 - 01:47:51
Hi,
I am trying to buy my first Omega Speedmaster.
What is the difference between the normal black dial speedmaster and the so call moon watch.
I understand that the moon watch is the professional version of the speedmaster.
Are they essentially the same movement etc... as there is a big price difference between the two. I know I want a speedmaster now, but not sure whether to pay extra for the moon watch.
Any advice would be gladly appreciated.
David Wan
Differences between a normal speedmaster and a Moon Watch...
Posted By: David (1cust89.tnt37.chi5.da.uu.net) Date: 6/18/0 - 04:27:36
The words seem confusing, and the price of the watch is, in part, related to the words. But in the marketplace, the price is the opposite of what you might expect.
In simple terms, the manual-wind Speedmaster IS the "Moom Watch." Before the moon landing in 1969, of course, they did not say "First Watch on the Moon." Because there were only 12 years of Speedmasters before the moon landing, and 30 years since, the "pre-Moon" versions are more rare and, therefore, more expensive. Also, because the first watch actually worn on the moon was one of those earlier models not engraved with reference to the moon, they are more "historically accurate" and are more expensive, Lastly, the models actually worn on the moon and earlier, used Caliber 321 instead of 861, and they are more rare and more expensive.
Again, in simple terms, the manual-wind Speedmaster IS the "Professional." But the dial was not marked "Professional" until 1966. Since there were only 9 years of production before the "Professional" marking and 33 years after, the "pre-Pro" models are more rare and more expensive. The pre-Pro models also had a smaller case with different lugs and no crown guard. Again, they are rarer and more expensive.
There are also special anniversary models 10, 20 and 30 years after the moon landing, limited editions engraved with special serial numbers. And, there are versions with sapphire glass crystals on the back of case for viewing the movement. These are more expensive than the standard model, as are other special variations.
There is also a "1957 Re-Edition" model with a steel bezel instead of a black one and "dagger" hands instead of the current "baton" hands. This looks more or less like the first Speedmaster from 1957. I believe it, too, is more expensive than the standard model, although not outrageously so.
It sounds like what you wish to buy is a standard, relatively modern vintage Speedmaster Professional with manual-wind Cal. 861 and the "First Watch on the Moon" engraving on the back. The median price for a pre-owned version is around $1000, with like-new examples running around $1200 and well-worn pieces as low as $800. But if you want a really "vintage" Speedmaster, you will want to look at 1969 and earlier, with prices beginning where the standard models leave off and rising to $2000 or more.
Chuck Maddox posted a more comprehensive discussions of models and prices on 6/16 in response to your question about prices [Also in TZ Classics!]. You should read that again, it will probably give you more details and elaborate on or correct any errors I made in this post. But I believe I have presented you with general guidelines.
GREAT POST DAVID: Only one error, Little elaboration necessary...
The only error I see (and of course I'm reading this very early in the morning) are the dates of the Anniversary models. To my knowledge (and the Time Capsule Book) Omega did not produce a 10th anniversary edition of the Speedmaster. Omega started with 1989's 20th anniversary (2,000 unit production run), again with the 25th anniversary in 1994 (2,500 unit's), and 30th (9,999 units).
The only elaboration I would make, is that the c.321 movement which Omega used through 1967 was replaced with the simpler, robust, and less expensive c.861 in 1968. However, from what I and others have been able to determine NASA had an accumulated store of Speedmasters already on hand and used them [c.321's] throughout the Moon Missions and Skylab. We have been unable to document that if c.861's were worn into space at least until Apollo Soyuz when a commemorative production run of 500 units with the c.861 was made. However, while few of the pictures I have of the astronauts who made this flight are clear, Alexsei Leonov wore a Flightmaster on a bracelet, and it appears that none of the three American astronauts wore a commemorative model. The pictures that I have seem to show ordinary Speedmasters. Only Slayton's Speedmaster appears clearly enough for me to make a tenative id as a c.321, Stafford's and Brands have reflections on the crystal that make identifing dicey enough that I can not determine the specifics other than they do not look to be the commemorative model.
By the time John W. Young and Robert L. Crippen flew Space Shuttle Columbia on the first flight of the Space Transportation System (STS-1), NASA had retested for flight chronographs with the c.861 Speedmaster Professional as the representative from Omega (as opposed to the c.321). The c.861 passed the same tests as used earlier and was adopted as the standard astronaut chronograph. It is not known if either Astronaut wore a c.321 or c.861. John Young would probably have retained his c.321 (from his 2 Gemini, and 2 Apollo missions), and Crippen might have had a c.321 as he was a backup astronaut for one of the moon missions, and capsule communicator during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project.
So, the Moonwatch is generally considered to be the metal back manual-wind Omega Speedmaster in c.321 or c.861 with no elaborations (like date, moonphase, display-back, etc.). The actual watches worn on the moon were almost certainly of the c.321 variety, although other watches _were_ worn on the moon.
