The newest addition to the Mister Wrist(er) collection that takes daily wear past the stratosphere.

The Universe of Watch Hunting Is Both Vast & Dark.

The search for a new watch always boils down to a few key elements, what place will this watch hold in the current lineup? How often will the watch be worn? Modern or Vintage? After these initial considerations are set, the options in all cases are rather dizzyingly numerous. When the opportunity arose to add a new thoroughbred to the Mister Wrist(er) stable, there were so many roads that could have been taken.

The goal was to find a solid, tool-adjacent watch that could be worn daily, but also came from a brand with provenance and watchmaking prowess. The budget was set in the range of $2K – $3K CAD. After a quick browse of all the major players, for example, brands like Breitling, Tudor and Omega, I quickly realized that MSRPs had skyrocketed in the past few years at an alarming rate. All of these brands at retail would not work for the budget exercise, so these were put aside at first and relegated to the “maybe if I find a good pre-owned deal” pile. My mind then drifted to Longines, as this brand has a few standout pieces at the high end of the budget that could have worked very well in the collection (enter the Legend Diver). However, Longines already took its place as the dress watch in the collection, as my last big watch purchase was the Heritage Flagship for my 30th birthday. Tag Heuer’s Aquaracer and Carrera line also entered the chat, but these also fell over the top of the budget spectrum.

I finally came across two brands that had models that hit every mark; the Oris Aquis Titanium, and the Doxa Sub 300T. Two incredibly capable tool watches from brands that both have cult followings in their own rights. I was able to try on an Oris Aquis with the green dial at a local jeweller, and was immediately struck well by the proportions. The only issue was that the bracelet was very polished and just appeared a little to flashy on the wrist, which was not the aesthetic I was going for. The Doxa Sub 300T (either the Searambler or Sharkhunter model) appeared to be in the lead then. In all factors, this watch was the perfect choice, being at the forefront of diving watch history, and worn by certified, bonafide professionals. One issue rested at the back of my mind though, the fit, as every photo I could see online made the watch appear very large on wrist. I perused countless videos on Youtube, listened through the podcast The Grey Nato for mention of the model’s proportions by two of my heroes Jason Heaton and James Stacey, and still could not assuage my hesitation. The only way would have been to try the watch on myself, but here in Canada, the options to see one in the metal are few and far between.

I honestly had given up by this point, thinking perhaps my budget was too low to capture the aesthetic that I so dearly craved. Should I wait another year or two and save for a Tudor Black Bay or Breitling Superocean? At the proverbial precipice’s edge, I looked down and remembered that “pre-owned deal” pile that was gathering dust on my mind’s shelf.

Pre-Owned? Another Black Hole Or Contact Made?

This line of inquiry led to its own set of variables; Professional or Private dealer? Serviced? Box and Papers? Bracelet Size? Condition? A battle began to rage between my search history in Chrono24, and local pre-owned options here in Montreal, ie. Time Merchants. Still, nothing jumped out at me and grabbed my heart and soul. Pre-owned Tudors, Breitling and IWC were still out of the price range, as these brands hold value quite well. Once again, I left my search and told myself this was not the right time.

There was one brand however that I had always thought about, but had set aside as a “when I reach 40 milestone”, which kept flittering to the forefront of my thoughts; Omega. I decided to take a chance and check Chrono24 for neo-vintage models (20-30 years old) from professional dealers in good or very good condition. I actually fell on a treasure trove of Seamaster and Speedmaster automatic models out of Japan, in all varying conditions. One reference stood out from the pack, and subsequently led to a mini panic attack, had I finally found the watch of my dreams?

Enter The Speedmaster Automatic Day-Date

Omega, Speedmaster, Chronograph, Triple Calendar (Day/Month/Date), Silver Dial, AM/PM Indicator, 39mm, Bracelet size 18.5mm…all of the specifications dazzled in front of my eyes as I scrolled through the listing. I dragged my wife to come and take a look (she is a trained watchmaker), and she gave me the nod of approval. This was a gem, nay, a diamond in the rough. This watch would fit perfectly under my Submariner, and above my Longines in my collection. I had found it! And the price was at the low end of my budget! After trading a few more detailed questions with the dealer, I still could not bring myself to purchase it, was I really ending my long and arduous search? Was I at the end of my journey? As my wife began to see the hesitation creep up on my face, she grabbed the computer and hit the BUY button. “It’s done” she said. “This is the watch for you, now be happy!” she cried. I cried. It was a glorious moment.

The watch arrived in record time, 3 days from Japan and packaged to perfection. When I opened the box, I could not believe my eyes at the level of condition. The listing had marked the watch as “Good” but the watch in front of my eyes was near perfection. Just a hint of wear around the bezel and on the bracelet. All functions checked out with flying colours. The serial number gave an approximate production year of 1999.

I took the watch into the local Swatch service center to re-size the bracelet, and they were incredibly courteous and helpful. I requested that they open the caseback and show me the movement so I could tick all my boxes, and they were amazed at the condition. They had mentioned to me that most watches they see coming out of Japan are in this meticulous condition.

On the wrist, the watch wears incredibly well. Perfectly sized at 39mm, and the bracelet is thin and beautifully brushed and polished. The silver dial variant gives it a healthy dose of elegance, and the 8 (that’s right, 8!) hands offer the tool-watch aesthetic in spades. The famous Omega twisted lugs are on full display here, and add the perfect amount of extra style to the watch. The 1151 movement beating at the heart of this watch is a workhorse, and the chronograph pushers are nice and tactile with a great response.

Houston, The Eagle Has Landed.

The Omega Speedmaster is a dream watch, its mix of historical significance with the Apollo program, robust capability and generational provenance all made this the ideal choice for the next watch in the collection. Yes, the reference I chose was not the Professional model that is directly associated with NASA, but the design elements, functions and wow factor are all present, in a more manageable case size I might add. The search was deep, the goal lofty, but the outcome was more than I could have dreamed of. This watch truly takes the collection up and out of the stratosphere.

-Mister Wrist(er)