Aaron Shapiro

In 2007 Steve Jobs got on the stage at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters and changed the world with the release of the first iPhone. There are several reasons why the iPhone was revolutionary, but one of the biggest innovations that it brought to the mobile phone landscape was user interface. I believe that Breitling did the same when they released the Aerospace line back in 1985. The Aerospace is by no means a “new,” release, but when I first experienced the watch it changed the way I thought I could interact with a time piece…

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Breitling introduced the Aerospace line in 1985. It was marketed at pilots and world travelers who needed multi-functionality in a piece. It was set apart by it’s dual LCD displays, titanium case, and large arabic numerals on the dial. They’ve been polishing the design pretty steadily since then. My example is the newest EVO model. I bought this watch new in 2016. Before we get too far into that let’s go over some general specs:

• Case Width: 43.03mm
• Case Thickness: 10.93mm
• Lug to Lug: 51.59mm
• Lug Width: 21.94mm (for 22mm straps)
• Weight: 3.5oz on the Titanium bracelet
• Movement: Breitling 79 Thermocompensated SuperQuartz Movement

Fit

Let me skip to the TLDR portion of this review. This watch weighs 3.5oz on the bracelet and is just under 11mm thick. I can’t imagine what would make this watch wear better… I’ve been beating the drum of, “thin cases = comfy watches,” and the Aerospace really takes the cake here. 11mm of case thickness is one of the thinnest watches I’ve ever owned and worn and man, is it comfortable.

Weight is also a pretty serious factor when it comes to a watch’s comfort. As I’m sure a lot of you know Titanium is way lighter than steel, and that becomes apparent as soon as you pick it up. This 43mm watch weighs 3.5oz on the bracelet whereas my 45mm Planet Ocean head only weighs 4.5oz. It makes a difference.

Movement

There’s a line in the 2012 documentary The Art of Rap, when after interviewing Eminem, Ice Cube narrates, “Who would have ever thought one of the greatest rappers of all time would be a white cat (in reference to Eminem).” I have to say that’s exactly what I think about this watch. Who would have thought that after owning Rolexes, Panerais, Omegas, and countless others that my favorite watch would be a quartz from Breitling.

A lot of serious nerds get an enormous amount of heart-burn about quartz or “non-mechanical,” movements. I, however, want to submit that the amount of complexity and resulting immense functionality packaged in a high-end quartz bears some consideration by even the most uppity-horophiles.

The movement Breitling developed to be used in the Aerospace EVO is a thermocompensated Quartz regulated movement called the Breitling 79. It’s a modified variation on the ETA Thermoline family of movements and it packs some serious clout.

The Breitling 79’s complications are as follows:

• Chronograph
• GMT (or second time zone)
• Alarm
• Timer
• Minute Repeater
• Date/Day (wrapped into a perpetual calendar)
• Night Vision Compatible Backlight

And all of these functions in addition to, you know, chronometer certified time keeping are controlled and set by manipulating the singular crown. Being that this is a COSC certified quartz movement you should/can expect +/- 0.07/s variation per day. Not that accuracy has ever been a struggle for quartz watches but it is worth noting the quality and attention to detail even with just the time keeping.

Case and Crown

The case on the aerospace is almost yawn-ably simplistic apart from the fact that it’s made from Titanium. It’s brushed, and slightly darker than what it would be if it was steel. And it is ridiculously light, I mean like, whoa. Just for kicks, I took the watch off the bracelet to weigh the head only and it weighed in at 1.7oz (that’s insane).

The crown, in my opinion, is slightly too small considering how much you interact with it. Apart from size it is the one way you interact with all the different complications on the watch, and it serves well in that role. You can choose between fast turning it to switch modes or jump whole hours, or slow turning it which will activate the back light. You can pull the crown out to set the time, or press it to activate the alarm or minute repeater. All in all it’s a cool UI option, but would benefit from being slightly larger to make it a little easier to use.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

So working top down on this watch the crystal is a beautifully ARed flat sapphire crystal. This particular element of the Aerospace is simplistic but effective. I can’t imagine that I would want a domed crystal on this watch.

The bezel is a uni-directional steel diving bezel with numerals at every 5 minutes. There is a massive, sapphire protected, lume pip at the 0 position. I find the rotating bezel a little peculiar. On this particular watch you have two ways to time events with the chronograph and timer, so the inclusion of the diving bezel simply adds a third method. Not really a negative I suppose, just something that I thought was interesting. It looks good on the watch, and I guess that makes it worth it.

The Dial on the Aerospace EVO is what attracted me to this version over it’s earlier iterations. The dial itself is black with applied/polished details at the quarter hour and logo. There are two windows for the digital displays, as I stated earlier the displays do have a backlight that can be activated by slowly rotating the dial. The lume on this watch is off the charts. The numbers apart from the quarter hour applied markers, are lumed. All in all it offers a lot more refinement than what was offered in the earlier versions. It’s apparent that Breitling wanted to fold these superquartz models into their luxury lines, and wearing this watch you can feel that difference.

Strap/Bracelet

The bracelet that came with my example of the Aerospace is titanium and the links are screwed together construction. Again, the titanium is super light. The entire package is less than 4oz. The links are made of 3 separate pieces so when you size the bracelet you actually have to build the links. I’ve seen this sort of link construction in Damasko bracelets. It’s effective and reasonably easy to size yourself, but it is a little fidgety to get it right.

On wrist the bracelet is comfortable, and the clasp leaves a little to be desired. The late 90’s version of the Aerospace had springy clasps that would expand slightly as your wrists swells or shrinks with temperature. I think the EVO would benefit from a modern interpretation on that clasp. This clasp is a simple folder over Ti construction, that’s really pretty ho-hum.

Additionally, I bought a Breitling rubber strap to go with the watch. I had one of these on an older Aerospace and really loved how it wore. That feeling is echoed on the newer Aerospace. Between the bracelet and the rubber strap you have plenty of excellent OEM strap options to wear the Breitling on. I have found that it rides very nicely on a Cincy Black “Stealth Bond.”

Breitling Aerospace EVO Review – Final Thoughts

I’m not really sure that a conclusion is necessary with this particular time piece. For years I was a pretty staunch mechanical only watch collector. I’ve generally kept the occasional g-shock around as a “beater,” but never really considered how one could fit into my collection. The Aerospace changed that.

This is truly an excellent watch that would handily serve as a one-watch. However, it would fill a great slot in a varied collection as well. With the large variety of functionality and it’s focus on precision this is really something that would do anything (and everything) that you’d need it to. I really cannot recommend it more.

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I recommend purchasing the Breitling Aerospace EVO at Amazon or JomaShop.com. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

There are timepieces that you take on adventures, and then there are timepieces that make whatever you’re doing feel like an adventure. Marathon Watches are the latter in that statement.

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When I first started getting into watches I was presented with an opportunity to pickup a Marathon TSAR, which is essentially the quartz version of the Marathon GSAR, which is the watch I’ll be reviewing today. I mention the TSAR because that watch left an impression on me, to the point where 3 or so years later I picked up the GSAR.

Marathon watches are made primarily for military contract, they began making watches for allied forces in 1941 and have maintained a reputation for that ever since.

Marathon watches aren’t jokes. Modern marathons have NSN numbers and are issued to military units. They are also manufactured on contract, the units available for civilian purchase are overruns from those contract batches. I bought mine from a gentleman on an USAF base, and mine does say that it is US Government contract (I have no idea if it was actually issued to him or not). So with all that said, these are truly purpose built watches, that are built to a high standard, we’ll go more into that later. But first some specs:

• Case Width: 42mm
• Case Thickness: 13.68mm
• Lug to Lug: 48mm
• Weight: 4.1oz on rubber, 6oz on bracelet
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Movement: ETA 2824-A2

Fit

The Marathon GSAR comes with a 42mm case, but it’s on the taller side. On my 7.25” wrist it wears like an Seiko SKX with a little more girth. The bezel overhangs the case a little bit so in terms of actual case size fit, it wears smaller than it looks. I’ve found that on both the rubber strap and the bracelet it’s very comfortable and relatively unobtrusive in your day-to-day, with the exception of the crown. The crown itself is oversized for quick adjustments but it can also dig into your hand at times.

Movement

Marathon chose the ETA 2824-A2, a robust and well known Swiss-Made movement with a 42hr power reserve. ETA movements are a well known variable in the watch world, the A2 iteration is slightly thinner and has a longer power reserve than the regular ETA 2824-2. The data on the performance of this movement by Marathon is a bit mixed, but my experience has been really good. Spot on time keeping observationally, with my WatchTuner app showing +/- 1-2s/day. I’ll take that.

Case and Crown

The case on the GSAR is utilitarian, brushed steel facets with an oversized bezel and crown. The bezel overhangs the case by a good millimeter on each side. That is largely what contributes to the watches wearing smaller than it is. The crown is a 5.5mm knurled crown, the knurling is a very cool touch. The crown is also gently cradled by two very angular crown guards that do a decent job of protecting the it from any serious knocks. The lugs are simple, but they have the greatest feature of them all… They’re drilled. Some dudes get a lot of heart burn about the holes in the case, but man does it keep you from scratching your lugs with a springbar tool.

Dial, Bezel, & Crystal

Let’s work top down on this one, starting with the bezel.

The Marathon Bezel (regardless of SAR model) is a 5.17mm thick with a black aluminum insert in it. The bezel is a traditional diving bezel with minute markers all the way around. There is a traditionally lumped pip at the 0 mark, my example lines up perfectly with 120 clicks around the circumference of the dial.

The crystal is a highly functional albeit unremarkable flat, AR coated sapphire crystal. This is a watch you would NOT want a dome on, it’s already a tall (approx 1.5 Oreos thick) case and a domed crystal would just attract knocks. The AR on it is done very well, making it look as if you can reach in and touch the hands if you want to.

The dial, is complex, but highly functional as you’d expect from a watch meant for military service. First things first, the dial has green tritium tubes on all the hands as well as for the hour indicators. The noon marker is in amber tritium. Tritium tubes are small glass tubes filled with tritium gas that give off a benign radiation and thus glow. I’ve owned a few other watches with tritium dials, in particular Deep Blue watches. Deep Blue uses T100 tritium tubes, whereas Marathon uses T25 tubes. The basic purpose behind this is making sure that the dial is always visible, but not so bright that it may give away a position or provide a distraction. The T25 tubes are visible at night, but not overpoweringly so. The T100 tubes, you could read by.

Moving past the lume, we have a black painted dial, with arabic numbers all the way around. Inside the large 12-hr numerals there are the related 24-hr PM numerals. This makes the watch easy to read in either 12 or 24hr time as long as you can keep track of AM/PM. Between the 4 and 5 o’clock hour is a date window, the date is on a white date wheel that pops against the black dial. Lastly the hands are “syringe-style,” that lend themselves to precision both when reading and setting it.

All in all the dial is function forward that once you get the gist of reading it, it has the ability to communicate a large amount of information at once, and be visible at realistically any time of the day.

Strap and Bracelet

My GSAR came with both the steel bracelet and the vulcanized rubber strap. I’m going to address each separately, but the TLDR version is that both are excellent depending on what context you want to wear them in.

Bracelet

The steel bracelet that Marathon makes and offers with the SAR series of watches is a great example of why bracelets don’t need to be ridiculously expensive to be quality. The links are screw together construction, it takes two small screwdrivers to size it, but it’s a better system than split pin or pin and collar. I’ve found in day-to-day use that the bracelet in comfortable and dresses up what would otherwise be a pretty rugged looking watch. The end links are separate pieces that are attached by the spring-bar, but everything is solid metal.

Vulcanized Rubber Strap

The best part about the Marathon rubber strap is that it smells like vanilla, and not a passing slight scent, but a vanilla frosting on a cupcake smell. When I’m driving with my Marathon on I can smell the strap if the AC is blowing across the watch, it’s crazy. Apart from that the rubber strap is very high quality, it’s roughly 4.5mm thick, and tapers from 20mm to 18 at the buckle. The edges are beveled, and the buckle is signed. A very cool and rugged way to wear this particular piece.

Marathon GSAR Review – Final Thoughts

If what you want is a no-nonsense mechanical time piece that uses a proven Swiss movement, tritium, and an overall toolistic approach. The GSAR (or really any Marathon watch) is perfect for you. There is a lot to like about the GSAR, and very little to fault about it. It is a bigger watch, but the way that Marathon kept the case trim and allowed the bezel to absorb that size keeps it wearing nicely. The time keeping on mine is excellent, and the tritium lume is a really cool feature. I really cant recommend the Marathon GSAR enough.

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I recommend purchasing the Marathon GSAR at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Last Updated: August 7, 2019
I’ve stated over and over about how much I love Tudor, and that I think they are a great entrance point into the higher end watch world. Tudor is owned and operated by Rolex, and benefit from that investment into watchmaking.

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Traditionally Tudor utilized Rolex cases but put in generic (ETA) movements to bring the cost down. There are even vintage Tudor Submariners, using the Rolex Submariner case, with an ETA (or comparable) movement inside. Tudor’s use of outsourced movement was true up until the release of the Tudor North Flag. The North Flag introduced a movement that was COSC certified, had a greater power reserved, and held the prestigious titled “in-house” to satiate the watch community.

One thing that I think is worth noting in this review is that I have owned this particular watch twice. I bought a used Black Bay ETA back in December of 2016 and wore it for a couple months, including on one Caribbean trip where I took it diving. When I got home, I sold it, for reasons that escape me at this moment. My preference for this watch never really left me though, and I was looking for opportunities to get it back. I bought a Tudor Ranger (previously reviewed here) and that was great, but didn’t quite fill the niche I wanted. So on a fateful trip to my Tudor AD I found that they were clearing out some of their ETA Black Bays at a deeply discounted price. So yes, watch world, I re-bought the watch I used to own. I was able to get a bezel color I preferred, and my name on the warranty card. All that to say that I am pulling from a spectrum of experiences to write this review, both the first version I had on bracelet, and this one that I bought on leather.

The Black Bay was released by Tudor in 2012, as part of the “Heritage Line,” alongside the Heritage Chrono and Advisor Alarm. In a lot of ways the Black Bay became the flagship line for Tudor, they’ve created many different variations now including three different case sizes. They have brought on widely targeted brand ambassadors, most notably Lady Gaga. Some people say that they feel that Tudor is leaning too heavily on the Black Bay line while neglecting some other pieces in their catalog. I can see and understand that logic, however the versatility and popularity of the Black Bay makes it hard for me to fault Tudor too much, anyway I digress…

Before we go any further lets dive into some specs:

• Case: 41.1mm
• Lug to Lug: 50.3mm
• Case Thickness: 13.3mm
• Weight on Bracelet: 5.9oz
• Movement: ETA 2824

Fit

Rolex, by majority opinion, has the watch game down. Their bracelets are some of the nicest I’ve owned, and their cases are simple, but made to be worn. The nice thing about buying into the Tudor line is that you’re getting the benefit of that heritage and R&D that Rolex has, at a more affordable price point.

The Black Bay wears like a Submariner, except perhaps simpler, if that makes sense. Sure, there are going to be some (minor) differences particularly in the bracelet, but the Black Bay wears comfortably and trim to the wrist. The ETA case has a flat caseback, whereas the in-house versions have a rounded (bubble) caseback. I don’t personally have the in-house version but I’ve heard some people say that it didn’t bother them, and others say that it did, I’ll leave it to you to make your own assessment there.

Movement

So the modern black bay comes in two flavors. ETA, as pictured, and the in-house version. While there are subtle differences to the dial and case between the two versions of the watch, the real differences are mechanical. On one hand the ETA version has a dial that’s closer to vintage Tudor pieces, is more easily serviced, and is no longer being produced. The in-house version is Chronometer certified, has a longer power reserve, and satisfies those that must have in-house. Here’s what I’ll say, when it comes time for a service any competent watch maker will be able to get a 2824 up and running to spec whereas with the Tudor in-house you’ll need to send it back to Tudor. That may or may not be an issue for you.

In terms of time-keeping, the ETA version keeps excellent time within COSC specifications, so I don’t see much of a debate in that regard.

Case and Crown

The black bay takes a lot of inspiration from it’s bigger Rolex brother’s when it comes to case design. In many ways Rolex has built their reputation on making simplistic diver designs, and Tudor is following along nicely. The case itself is simple, largely polished, with subtle bevels on the edges.The tops of the lugs are brushed offering a nice contrast. The crown and crown tube set the Black Bays off from other dive watches. The crown itself is 8mms, jimped, with the Tudor rose printed on the end. The crown stands off the case on a crown tube that is anodized to match the bezel. It’s a striking feature visually.

The watch itself is rated to 200m, this seems shallow when you compare it to other dive watches that have a depth rating of 300 or more. What I can tell you about this is, I took my Black Bay diving in the Caribbean and it functioned perfectly fine, granted we no where near approached the max depth of this watch (who would?) but it maintained a high level of visibility, not to mention it’s implied water proof-ness throughout.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

So following our traditional top down approach let’s start with the crystal on the Black Bay. It’s a nicely raised sapphire crystal that terminates in a slight dome with great anti-reflection coatings making the dial easily read. I think the raised crystal here really lends itself to the vintage appeal to this classically inspired watch.

The bezel is a simple diving bezel, 120-clicks around the circumference, single minute ticks during the first 15mins then just 10 minute intervals from there out. It’s a very sturdy bezel with no slop in the action, the indicators snap directly to each minute marker. It’s a very satisfying action to play with honestly.

And lastly the dial. Tudor knows how to make watch dials. The red bezeled version has a gilt dial with gold accents and vintaged lume. The blue bezel seen here has silver accents and white lume. The polish on the hands and applied indices really makes this watch catch the light, and it’s easy to get stuck staring at it. The hands themselves are worth commenting on, Tudor uses a modernized snowflake hand on the Black Bay. This causes the hour hand up really jump off the dial at a glance making reading the time very easy. They can be polarizing, but I really like the hands. And the lume used on the Black Bay is excellent.

Strap/Bracelet

Black Bays are available on a variety of strap options. Tudor really benefits from having Rolex’s experience with bracelets. The steel oyster style bracelet that comes on the Black Bay is excellent with screw together links, and a really nicely executed fold over clasp. They are extremely solid and compliment the case very well. As I stated earlier I’ve owned this watch twice. One of them on the bracelet and one of them on the leather strap. As of the writing of this article I actually have gone out and sourced the bracelet on the secondary market. They are that good. The OEM leather can be hit or miss on watches, but I find that to be less of a big deal due to the fact that it’s pretty easy to source your own leather strap later on if you want. That being stated, the dark blue leather compliments the blue bezel really nicely, and the deployant clasp is excellent.

Something else that I am pretty excited about, the heritage versions of Tudor watches ship with a Tudor OEM Nato. These are my favorite NATO straps in existence. There are sewn in pockets for the spring bars, and the length of the two keepers is adjustable. The weave of the material is very tight and the straps have a feel that is unlike any other nylon strap that I have. Tudor utilizes the same company to make these straps as the Vatican uses to make their textiles. So, that’s pretty cool.

Tudor Black Bay Review – Final Thoughts

A watch so nice that I bought it twice. It’s difficult for me to summarize how I feel about this watch in particular. It was a watch that I owned, sold, and regretted. That’s unusual for me, I typically have very little remorse when I buy and sell things, but I couldn’t let the Black Bay go.

Tudor gets a lot of friction about how much the focus on the Black Bay line to the detriment of other models they make, but that doesn’t really matter to me. They’re great watches and they offer enough variety to fit anyone’s aesthetic. In short, if you’re into a very classic vintage styled diver, this might be the one for you.

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Automatic Mens Watch 79230B-BKSS

$4,050.00

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I recommend purchasing the Tudor Black Bay at Amazon or JomaShop. Thanks!

Seiko is easily one of my favorite watch companies in business currently. They are one of the few manufacturers that holds the illustrious distinction of being entirely in-house. Everything from growing their own quartz crystals to making their own o-rings. That’s a distinction that is worth noting.

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One of my newer Seiko watches is the Limited Edition SRPB009, or as some call it “The Blue Lagoon Samurai.” Seiko’s original Samurai came out in 2004 only to be discontinued a couple years later. It was originally made in Titanium and then later in some stainless steel models, but they always fit in a weird spot in the Seiko diver lineup and thus the reason Seiko didn’t carry them longer. This was all until earlier this year, when they announced they were reviving the Samurai, this time in steel and a couple different color ways. Before we get into that let’s go over some specs:

• Case Width: 43.87mm (without the crown)
• Lug to Lug: 48.3mm
• Case Height: 13.5mm
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Weight: 6.5oz on bracelet

Fit

The Samurai is a big watch. It wears big, feels big, and looks big. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing however. I have a 7.25” wrist and it fits me really nicely, I think this is largely due (as always) to the case height. The case itself is wide, with a wide bracelet lug, but it doesn’t stick up from your wrist like other large watches do when you wear them. The lugs descend from the case in such a way to “hug” your wrist, honestly the first word that pops into my head when I look at it, is “pancaking,” it allows the whole watch (especially when worn on the bracelet) to wrap around your wrist instead of sit on top. It’s a little abstract to try and explain but it amounts to the watch wearing very well in spite of it’s actual case size.

Case and Crown

I think the case of the Samurai is the biggest thing that sets it apart from other Prospex diver offerings. The lugs are very angular, almost pyramid-y descending down abruptly from case. All the surfaces of the watch are brushed apart from some minor polished details on the non-crown side. The crown is also another feature on the Samurai that sets it apart from other Seikos, it’s large, knurled, and sits at 3 o’clock. Most prospex divers have their crowns at 4, and only have serrations on the crowns instead of the actual knurling.

Movement

The SRPB009 runs on the Seiko 4R35 movement, which essentially is the same movement that the new turtle reissues are using with the exception that that day complications is redacted. Ideally I would have liked the Sumo movement (6R15) with it’s longer power reserve and slightly more proven track record, but honestly mine is running around +5s a day, that’s pretty hard to complain about in a ~$500 watch.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

Okay, the bezel on this watch is complete fire. It’s dark blue with a light blue accent from noon to the 15min counter. The edges are knurled offering great grip at the noon and six o’clock position allowing you to turn it easily. You are sort of limited to only gripping it in those two positions, there isn’t clearance around the sides of the watch to actually turn the bezel.

The dial is a sunburst blue with applied markers for the hours. There are small yellow accents on the quarter hours chapter ring, these match up with the yellow tip of the seconds hand. The hands are lumed with the same proprietary LumiBrite compound that Seiko uses. It’s incredible… if you left this watch on your nightstand it could keep you awake at night.

Lastly the date window sits at 3 o’clock, the date wheel is white with black text on it. Conceptually I’d think this would clash with the overall aesthetic of the watch, but it blends in nicely.

Overall I think it’s important to take a second and comment on how the the dial and bezel of the Blue Lagoon are the elements that make it THE Blue Lagoon. There are several other color combinations available in the new Samurai, including a Pepsi and all black, so if for some (weird) reason the blue doesn’t match your curtains you could opt for a different version.

Okay, and the crystal… I feel like this is where Seikos catch a lot of heat. They used a flat hardlex crystal. I have scratched Hardlex in the passed (dunno how), but this one sits down below the bezel and is relatively protected. You’d really have to try to damage it.

Bracelet

Seiko isn’t known for their quality bracelets. The Samurai bracelet however is pretty decent. It has some cool polished accents on the center links without having the entire center link polished. There’s a nice diving extension to the clasp if you require it. The biggest criticism I think I could give it, is just that overall it’s sorta, “jangly,” there is a definite rattle to it when you wear it, but apart from that I don’t mind it. The end-links are really cool on this particular one, they fit tight to the case, and really accent the angular features of the Samurai itself.

Seiko Samurai Review – Final Thoughts

I’ve owned a bunch of Prospex Seikos. I’ve had two MM300’s, couple Tunas, Sumo, Turtles, etc. The Samurai is a really cool piece in contrast to Seiko’s other offerings. I think the casework, and dial choices are just different enough to set them apart from the rest of the Prospex line without making them seem detached entirely.

The Blue Lagoon specifically is a striking piece on the wrist, with great lume, a proven and dependable movement, at a price point that should fit most people’s budget if they’re looking for a nice “sub-$1k” watch.

Seiko Prospex Samurai Stainless Steel Automatic Dive Watch 200 meters SRPB51

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I recommend purchasing the Seiko Samurai at Amazon.

Watches have been a peculiar journey for me. The first nice watch I bought was an Omega 2534.50 Seamaster. My choice was reasonably arbitrary in that I knew I wanted an Omega and it became available at the right time. However, this wasn’t the watch I really wanted.

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A friend of mine had taken me into an Omega Boutique and the watch that stood out to me right away was the Omega Speedmaster Pro. I’ve cycled through a pretty serious watch collection over the last few years. Panerais have come and gone, I did the IWC thing, and even messed around with some Rolexes. The watch I kept coming back to was the Speedmaster. I’ve owned several different versions, including the reduced automatic, the MkII reissue, a 43mm early Coaxial, as well as the 3570 (which I wore exclusively for a year) and now presently the 3573 Sapphire Sandwich. It’s a watch that I never go too long without. I always return to the moon watch.

So, Moonwatch, what is this? And why do we call it that? The Omega Speedmaster was one of several watches chosen to be tested by NASA for manned space flight. This was during a time when computers barely fit inside entire rooms, and the only wrist watches were mechanical ones. The watches picked for the testing needed to survive a series of rigorous conditions, including high G-forces, heat, cold, high pressure, low pressure, vibration, etc… The three major contenders for NASA’s use were Longines, Rolex, and Omega. With the speedmaster being the only watch that would pass the tests. As a result it was the first watch worn on the moon. An interesting trivia piece is, according to my research, it was the first watch on the moon worn by the second man on the moon. Neil Armstrong left his speedmaster in the Lunar Module because the clock had stopped ticking, so when he took his legendary first steps on the lunar surface, he was WATCH-LESS *gasp*. It wasn’t until ole Buzz Aldrin descended the ladder to the Moon’s surface had there been a Swiss timepiece on the lunar surface.

The Omega Speedmaster originally debuted in 1957, as a racing watch to compliment Omega’s standing as the official time keeper for the Olympics. The first “certified” Speedmasters went to space on the wrists of Gus Grissom and John Young on Gemini 3 in 1965. Since the moon landing the Speedmaster has continued to be a watch that collectors seek, and build collections around. That’s largely due to two reasons. The first reason being that your Speedmaster still carries that NASA provenance, Omega has done a very good job in making sure that that tie is not broken. Secondly, the modern Speedmasters are very similar to the ones actually worn by the astronauts. Even mechanically, the 1861 movements are very similar to the 861 movements introduced in 1968. To the untrained eye it’s difficult to tell vintage speedmaster’s apart from modern. That’s part of the charm and also part of the challenge when it comes to collecting them.

Alright, so about a review. This watch has been my constant companion, on and off, for several years now. I have consistently been a fan for years. It’s just worth you knowing that on the front end.

Let’s go over some basic specs:

• Case Width: 42mm (roughly 43 with the crown)
• Lug to Lug: 46.6MM
• Case Height: 13.8mm
• Weight: 5.3oz on Bracelet 3.1 on nato

Fit

The Speedmaster wears larger than you might think. 42mm isn’t a small watch but by today’s standards it’s not a large one either. They make large case sizes for Speedmasters, in particular their coaxial models, but I am specifically reviewing the “Speedmaster Professional.” With all that said, the Speedmaster wears very nicely. With the 46mm lug to lug it is noticeable and with a good wrist presence, but not something that will become a burden to wear.

Movement

In 1957 when the Speedmaster released it was using the Omega 321 movement which was a column wheel chronograph, manual wind, movement. In 1968 Omega replaced that with the 861. The 861 was a cam operated chronograph that beat at a faster rate than the 321. All modern Omega Speedmaster Professionals use versions of this movement. The particular Speedmaster I have is a 3573 or Sapphire Sandwich that has a sapphire display back. It has a 1863 movement only difference between the 63 and the 61 is that the 63 is decorated. My experience with the movement has been really great. I had it serviced right when I got it, and ever since it’s been consistently keeping COSC time.

Case/Crown

The case of the Speedmaster Pro is a case study in simplicity and grace. It has subtle transitions from brushing to polished surfaces, and very graceful arcs in the lines as the case move outwards to the lugs. Most people, with a piece like this, often want it to make a statement, and the Speedmaster does that on the wrist very well. If I could levy one negative criticism of the Speedy Pro it would be that the crown is small, and on a hand wound watch that can be aggravating at times.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

On the Speedmaster let’s start with the crystal. The Speedmaster has one of the most noticeable crystals in the watch-world. This massively domed crystal sticks up past the bezel. On the regular Speedmaster that crystal is a hesalite (or acrylic). This is softer and can scratch easily, but it can also be polished out using a gentle compound. On my particular Speedmaster the crystals are sapphire. The bezel surrounding the crystal is a tachymeter scale. This is designed to determine speed.

The dial itself is simple in the most complex way possible. We have three sub dials, the right hand dial is the minute counter, the lower middle is the hour counter, and the far left is the ticking seconds. The hour and minute markers are simple white, with lume on all the hours, and the hands are slender white hands, nicely lumed. The white contrasts very well with the black dial making everything very legible and time acquisition quick on such a busy watch.

Strap/Bracelet

The Speedmaster bracelet is one of Omega’s nicer bracelets, comfortable with plenty of customization to make sure it fits you well. The links are held together by a pin/collar system that isn’t as difficult to size as Seiko’s but it still sends me to the Omega boutique to get it sized correctly. The watch also came with an OEM NATO strap… Now while the price on these straps by themselves is insane (+/- $125) it’s easily the best made NATO I’ve ever used.

The Speedmaster is a great watch to have an assortment of straps for. It also wears on leather very well if you’re not into steel bracelets as much. It’s also a great watch to wear on a NATO and I think it would look at home on almost anything except maybe rubber.

Omega Speedmaster Professional Review – Final Thoughts

It should be pretty clear by this review that I am a huge Speedmaster fan-boy. I think that if I had to own only one watch, it would be some flavor of a Speedmaster. Now how does the Speedmaster work for someone that might be not a super-fan but does like watches? It’s a good general use piece if you’re not going near water. They have a rated depth rating of 50 meters but I wouldn’t take it swimming unless by accident. The watch wears well, keeps great time, and has one of the more useful complications, a chronograph. It’s a watch with enough history and provenance that it can be something you talk about with friends and not come off as “the weird watch dude.” Maybe I’m the only one that has that problem.

Anyway, I can’t recommend the Speedmaster enough. Give yourself enough time to consider all the options that Omega has, surely there’s a config of this watch that will suit nearly every wearer.

Omega Men's 31130423001005 Speedmaster Analog Display Mechanical Hand Wind Silver with Black Dial Watch

• Stainless steel case with a stainless steel bracelet. Fixed stainless steel with black PVD with tachymeter bezel. Black dial with silver-tone hands and index hour markers. Minute markers around the outer rim. Dial Type: analog. Luminescent hands and markers.
• Chronograph - sub-dials displaying: three - 60 second, 30 minute and 12 hour. Hand wind movement. Omega calibre 1861 engine. Scratch resistant hesalite crystal. Pull/push crown. Solid case back. Case diameter: 42 mm. Case thickness: 14.3 mm. Round case shape. Band Width: 24.1 mm. Band length: 9.5 inches. Deployment clasp. Water resistant at 50 meters/165 feet. Functions: chronograph, tachymeter, hour, minute, second. Dress watch style. Watch label: Swiss made.
• Mechanical-hand-wind Movement
• Case Diameter: 42mm
• Water Resistant To 165 Feet

$8,350.00

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