: I own both watches. I first got the Seamaster,
: but later fell in love with the Speedmaster.
: I originally wanted the Speedmaster
: Professional to use as a backup to my
: Seamaster. But now I have changed my mind.
: Here is why. Being a diver, I was at first
: concerned with water resistance. But it has
: not been an issue. Not because I dive with
: it, but because I don't dive quite that
: often. I mostly swim and sail and use the
: Speedmaster for both. It never comes off
: unless I have scuba tanks on my back. I
: shower with it and all, and come to think of
: it, that is how my grandfather used his. One
: must remember that in the old days, the
: Speedy was had very good water resistance so
: most people did everything with them.
: Second, I like hesalite crystal more. After
: wearing it for a few months, I started to
: appreciate the clean look of hesalite
: instead of the gooped up look of the saphire
: unless I clean it constantly. Also, for
: those in doubt, the hesalite crystal is next
: to unbreakable even though it scratches.
: Kind of like lexan. Also, I found that
: scratches come off easily. Besides, I have
: broken saphire in the past anyway. To break
: either, one has to put the watch through
: some serious abuse like a bike wreck I had
: once. But the real convincer for me was
: looking at 30 or 40 year old Speedmasters
: that still keep great time today, while some
: have never had maintenance. The Caliber 321
: and 861 are workhorses. Also, most Speedys I
: see that are decades old still have the
: original crystals in. This is a much
: stronger watch than people think. Actually,
: it is problaby the toughest mechanical watch
: known to man. But the best part is looking
: at the speedmaster on the wrist. With all
: the black and white on the dial, there is a
: seriousness to the look of the Speemaster
: that really goes hand with its NASA history.
: Every other watch looks hopelessly decorated
: by comparison. Even my Seamaster looks a tad
: so now. I also like the fact that I see
: Seamasters a lot more often than
: Speedmasters Pros. Even at shops. I like
: that kind of rarity. While I love both my
: watches, the only one I can say for sure
: will be in the family for generations is the
: speedmaster. Actually most do get passed
: down. The Speedmaster is a very special
: watch. So lately, my Seamaster has become
: the drawer queen waiting for those times
: when I free dive or scuba which isn't often.
Thanks for the post.
I really like the idea of a manual wind movement, and as you say the 861/1861 movement has proven to be very reliable. The thing that concerns me most about an automatic movement is the shock resistance, or lack thereof.
I think the 1861 movement is inherently more rugged than the 1120 movement. You state that you think it might be the toughest movement known to man, but do the chronograph functions, compromise that? It would seem that would be a source of potential problems.
Do you use the chronograph functions on your Speedmaster very often? No problems?
Do you think the Seamaster with the 1120 movement would be capable of being handed down to the next generation or are automatic movements simply not as long lasting?
Lots of questions, but I'm playing catch up to learn as much as I can before I make my purchase.
