What’s your best hot-take on watch collecting?
Whispering in hushed tones, they exchanged secretive glances, their words cloaked in veils of caution, wary of prying ears and curious eyes as he said to his watch fam “I don’t think the Speedmaster is deserving of its hype…”
I’m ready for the hate, but only if you too share your best/worst hot-take. Let em rip.
*** Photo is not mine and used only for attention and context ***
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Aaron
It started with a Timex Expedition. Baltimore, Maryland.
Baltimore, MD, USA
Member since
Last active: 1 hr ago
6.50” / 16.51 cm
The snowflake hands the Tudor uses are UGLY. I get it, more surface area - more lume. Plus it's distinctive. Doses not make them any less ugly.
You don't give reasons for your take. Defend it.
Rolex (all luxury watches, really) is a house of cards. If a significant portion of the watch buying public quit huffing the brake cleaner for long enough, they'd realize it. But Rolex keeps pushing the high.
They are good watches, but not as good as the hype.
My sincerest hot take, "don't start watch collecting"
😂
Quartz are more accurate, cheaper, and less of a hassle. :)
The snowflake hands the Tudor uses are UGLY. I get it, more surface area - more lume. Plus it's distinctive. Doses not make them any less ugly.
I go back and forth with the snowflake hands. I can respect your take tho, for sure.
My sincerest hot take, "don't start watch collecting"
😂
That’s a great hot-take lol
You don't give reasons for your take. Defend it.
Rolex (all luxury watches, really) is a house of cards. If a significant portion of the watch buying public quit huffing the brake cleaner for long enough, they'd realize it. But Rolex keeps pushing the high.
They are good watches, but not as good as the hype.
I think that the entire popularity of the Speedmaster is based on the single example that went to space. Connecting with a story and heritage is fine but not to the point that it’s hailed as “the best” chronograph. The WR might as well be non-existent, the lug to lug is too long for its dimensions, the bezel is almost certainly never used by anyone for its intended purpose, the dial is cluttered, and someone decided the 12 o’clock marker would look best if it were super phallic.
Overhyped. I hope that was enough of a defense 😂
They look like fantastic watches, but I can't wear a watch with this guy's name on the dial.... 😂. IFYKYK.
Quartz are more accurate, cheaper, and less of a hassle. :)
I detect no lies.
I think that the entire popularity of the Speedmaster is based on the single example that went to space. Connecting with a story and heritage is fine but not to the point that it’s hailed as “the best” chronograph. The WR might as well be non-existent, the lug to lug is too long for its dimensions, the bezel is almost certainly never used by anyone for its intended purpose, the dial is cluttered, and someone decided the 12 o’clock marker would look best if it were super phallic.
Overhyped. I hope that was enough of a defense 😂
Fair enough
I think that the entire popularity of the Speedmaster is based on the single example that went to space. Connecting with a story and heritage is fine but not to the point that it’s hailed as “the best” chronograph. The WR might as well be non-existent, the lug to lug is too long for its dimensions, the bezel is almost certainly never used by anyone for its intended purpose, the dial is cluttered, and someone decided the 12 o’clock marker would look best if it were super phallic.
Overhyped. I hope that was enough of a defense 😂
Don't knock it too much. The Speedmaster is still the only watch that is certified by NASA for Extravehicular Activity. It is the only watch NASA Astronauts are certified to wear outside in open space. It might not be the best chronograph on earth, but it is the only one certified off of it. (at least for the USA)
90% (could be 95, or could be 70 ... but you get the point) of all watches don't have anything new to say.
The F-91W is not “God Tier”.
The F-91W is not the original black-resin-cased digital watch by Casio. That had been been around for at least a decade prior. It is pre-dated by the first G-Shock by about seven years. It has no unique functionality. It was a cheap, low-end watch when it was launched, and it remains that to this day. It is the watch equivalent of a disposable ball-point pen.
The only notable feature of the F-91W is they made a LOT of them. It has probably contributed more landfill than any other watch in history.
Oh, and it is the watch of choice for terrorists; which is always a nice thing to associate yourself with, isn’t it?
Gerard Genta designed the "Emperor's New Clothes"
Date complications should be banned
No one notices your watch IRL
Tudor are the "poor man's Rolex", Wilsdorf himself intended them to be.
I could go on ..🤣
The snowflake hands the Tudor uses are UGLY. I get it, more surface area - more lume. Plus it's distinctive. Doses not make them any less ugly.
Woha I love the snow flake hand, I stare at my black bay heritage 41 just for the hands, cathedral hands are the same for me, but Mercedes hands…..pass me a bucket 🤮🤢
Guys who wear smaller watches are much more vocal, opinionated than fellas who favour slightly bigger watches. When I started working in a large development company, a senior VP who was at least 6ft 4 inches told me to keep my head down and avoid the guys in charge who were shorter than me.
Beahahahaha. This is very funny and probably true.
Well it wouldn't be an interesting hobby if we all agreed on everything
Oh, for sure. The fact that I’ve worn them/considered them should say a lot about my view on them. I don’t dislike them, I just don’t connect with them. I had the same experience when it came down to choosing between an Explorer and the BB36. The Explorer just didn’t feel like I thought it should for all of the hype around it and I ended up going with the BB36.
My wife says the same thing! It’s pretty awesome. It kind of helps that I got her into it too🤣
G-Shocks. I buy her G-Shocks quite a bit and it helps grease the wheels lol
I appreciate your valuable contribution to the topic. God forbid I have the same hot-take as someone else, right. All hot-takes in this thread are 100% original, I’m sure. 🙄
Sorry, I see what you mean now. I was trying to make a broader point not specific to your take on the Speedy.
If the watch doesn’t have special sentimental value to you and you haven’t worn it in a month, sell it
I’m actually a huge fan of this. I may give it 3 months, but the same concept.
Sorry, I see what you mean now. I was trying to make a broader point not specific to your take on the Speedy.
It’s all good man. Just a bit of fun to be had. I genuinely appreciate the discourse around any watch topic - getting to need out on the thing that most of us are passionate about. 🤝
I might agree - if you could get them at their retail price point. Gray market pricing tho…
20k plus for a submariner is an absolute bargain
It strikes me as a TV wearing headphones. 😂
Excellent analogy.
I actually quite like your Speedy with the gold registers. That one’s a real looker. Well-balanced, good contrast, pure class.
Don't worry, my friend. Your secret is safe with me. 🍻!
20k plus for a submariner is an absolute bargain
Bwahahaha.
“In house” is inconsequential and a load of marketing crap.
I think we’ve heard this many times and I’m interested in seeing the document that states so and also defines the exact Speedy model. That’s a watch that I’d like to own.
I tried doing some research over the weekend, but I cannot find anything official from NASA. I found through forums and other watch websites that NASA has certified a few watches for space flight to include a Timex, Casio DW5600 and the Omega X-33, but the Speedmaster is still the only certified for EVA. Russia has approved a Fortis Chronograph for EVA. In my opinion the Fortis is cooler than the Speedmaster. All in all these are the watches that have supposedly been in Space outside of a craft.
1965, June 03 Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 (Gemini IV - Ed White)
1966, Sept 13 Glycine Airman automatic (Gemini XI - Charles Conrad)
1971, Aug 02 Bulova 88510 chronograph (Apollo 15 - David Scott)
1994, Sept 09 Fortis Official Cosmonauts (Mir-16 - Yuri Malenchenko)
2008, Sept 27 Fiyta chronograph (Shenzhou 7 - Zhai Zhigang)
2008, Dec 23 Seiko Spacewalk Springdrive (ISS Exp 18 – Yuri Lonchakov)
2022, Jan 19 Panerai Radiomir or Vostok (ISS Exp 66 – Anton Shkaplerov)
I don’t actually dislike the Speedy - I just think it’s overhyped. I can appreciate the utilitarian aspect of the watch deemed appropriate for space by NASA - I just don’t care for them as much as most collectors seem to.
I used to be pretty anti chronograph, but I have to admit the Speedy is growing on me. I think it is the story more than the watch itself. I mean I can't blame Omega for utilizing the fact they make the watch that was the first ever to go into vacuum of space.
I tried doing some research over the weekend, but I cannot find anything official from NASA. I found through forums and other watch websites that NASA has certified a few watches for space flight to include a Timex, Casio DW5600 and the Omega X-33, but the Speedmaster is still the only certified for EVA. Russia has approved a Fortis Chronograph for EVA. In my opinion the Fortis is cooler than the Speedmaster. All in all these are the watches that have supposedly been in Space outside of a craft.
1965, June 03 Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 (Gemini IV - Ed White)
1966, Sept 13 Glycine Airman automatic (Gemini XI - Charles Conrad)
1971, Aug 02 Bulova 88510 chronograph (Apollo 15 - David Scott)
1994, Sept 09 Fortis Official Cosmonauts (Mir-16 - Yuri Malenchenko)
2008, Sept 27 Fiyta chronograph (Shenzhou 7 - Zhai Zhigang)
2008, Dec 23 Seiko Spacewalk Springdrive (ISS Exp 18 – Yuri Lonchakov)
2022, Jan 19 Panerai Radiomir or Vostok (ISS Exp 66 – Anton Shkaplerov)
Dear Andrew - thank you for the great research, and sorry if my question made you change your weekend plans! But the answer is really interesting :-)
Maybe 'someone with authority [like @Max ]' could ask the question 'officially' from Omega? It'd be interesting to see how they respond.😉
Dear Andrew - thank you for the great research, and sorry if my question made you change your weekend plans! But the answer is really interesting :-)
Maybe 'someone with authority [like @Max ]' could ask the question 'officially' from Omega? It'd be interesting to see how they respond.😉
It was fun looking into it. I am sure the official answer is out there somewhere.