Omega Speedmaster Automatic (“Reduced”) vs Omega Speedmaster Professional

Omega Speedmaster Automatic (“Reduced”)
Reference: 3510.50.00

MOVEMENT
Caliber: Omega 3220
Self-winding chronograph movement with rhodium-plated finish
Power Reserve: 40 hours

CASE & CRYSTAL
Stainless steel case
Hesalite crystal

WATER RESISTANCE
Down to: 30 meters / 100 feet

SIZE
Case Diameter: 39 mm




Omega Speedmaster Professional
Reference: 3570.50.00

MOVEMENT
Caliber: Omega 1861
Famous manual-winding chronograph movement that was worn on the Moon. Rhodium-plated finish
Power Reserve: 48 hours

CASE & CRYSTAL
Stainless steel case
Hesalite crystal

WATER RESISTANCE
Down to: 50 meters / 167 feet

SIZE
Case Diameter: 42 mm



Review of the Omega Speedmaster Automatic

Movement: Technical Info
It is powered by an exclusive decorated, rugged and reliable movement - the Omega 3220 caliber - which is different than the previous versions of this model, since they used to have the 1140 movement that lacks the desirable luxury finish. It has rhodium-plated finish, beautifully decorated with perlage (circular graining) on the plates, and Côtes de Genève (Geneva stripes) on the winding rotor mass and bridges. This movement, exclusive to Omega, is a slim 45-jewel self-winding Chronograph with central hour hand, central minute hand, small seconds at 3 o'clock, 12-hour totalizer at 6 o'clock, 30-minute totalizer at 9 o'clock, and central chronograph hand. The movement is of modular construction, based on the ETA 2892-A2 with the exclusive Dubois-Dépraz 2020 module. Power reserve: 40hours. This movement's dimensions are 30mm diameter by a height of 6.5mm. The high 28,800 beat-per-hour frequency (4Hz) make the small seconds hand at 3 o'clock as well as the central chronograph hand glide smoothly--noticeably smoother than on its big brother the Omega Speedmaster Professional which has a slower frequency of 21,600 beats-per-hour (3 Hz).

Case and Bracelet
This 39mm x 12mm Speedmaster case with its satin-finished sides and gleaming bevelled edges give it the distinguished sporty and desireable, sleek and immaculate appearance. This watch is related to the Speedmaster Professional in design with the same flat bezel style and the same combination of brushed and polished surfaces. It is essentially a reduced Automatic version of the Professional that will not dwarf your wrist, and instead of the hand-wound movement is fitted with a contemporary reliable and exclusive Omega Automatic movement. The Tachymetric bezel gives it the look of a precision instrument that it is. It comes in very handy for sportsmen wanting to measure speeds in miles or kilometers per hour and for entrepreneurs alike, as it can be used to. The back of the watch has the Speedmaster Horse medallion in relief and the intact serial number. The sporty bracelet is the newer type and is composed of 5 parts across, with the middle three being polished and the outer two brushed, providing a nice combination of shiny and matte surfaces that like giving an elegant play of lights. It has solid links and solid end-pieces that will not pinch hairs. The clasp shuts very safely with a crisp click, and is signed with the Omega symbol and the title "Speedmaster." The matte dial has good luminosity at night: The white baton hour markers are coated with luminous material, and the baton hands are lacquered in white with luminous material inserts as well.

Comments - slimmest Speedmaster
The modular architecture of this exclusive movement gives it an unusually low profile by today's standards for automatic chronographs. For this reason the watch has the desirable status of being one of the slimmer chronographs and the slimmest Speedmaster with a profile of < 12mm. The other current Speedmasters are based on the popular Valjoux 7750 and 7751 movements, while the Speedmaster Professional--based on the Lemania movement all have a thickness of ~14.5mm. This watch is an excellent choice for those who want a handsome rugged automatic chronograph that will NOT dwarf their wrists. For that reason, this watch is adequately referred to as the "Speedmaster Reduced" since it has a 39mm diameter and a 12mm profile. This is a great watch!



Notes:
1) Pictures and technical info taken from Omega site

2) Omega website lists the Speedmaster Reduced as having a 35.5mm case size, when it's actually about 39mm. Here is Omega's official explanation: "At the time the Speedmaster Reduced was launched the diameter was measured between 12 and 6 o'clock on the case body (without the bezel/tachymeter scale). This was common practice and we kept the dimension (35.5 mm) even for new Speedmaster Reduced models to avoid any confusion with the former versions." (info from John Rochowicz, at WUS). So, the correct sizes are the ones listed: 39 and 42mm.

3) review based on article at http://www.geocities.com/mtflight/OMEGA/