zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: Would appreciate you expert help in choosing am
: Omega Chrono. I am of course considering the
: Seamaster Professional 300M, ideally in
: titanium....but was curious about how some
: of the Speedy's compare, particularly the
: 3523.80 (I kind of like the month, day, date
: feature). I like the looks of both and since
: I am not a diver I am fine with a non diver
: watch as long as it can handle showers and
: the occasional dip in a swimming pool or hot
: tub :-)

Although Omega lists the Speedy Day-Date as having a 100 meter water resistance rating, I'm still not 100% comfortable with the idea of swimming with this watch on, let alone taking it into a hot tub or shower. Diver's watches like the Seamaster 300M chrono have screw down crowns and 300 meters of water resistance, so these watches are far better suited for water use. Hot tubs and showers pose additional problems because of the extreme temperature difference between the hot water and the ambient air temperature. The soap used while showering can also be a concern, as it can cause damage to the seals if it were to enter the watch.

While some people have posted about wearing their various Speedmaster models in the water without any problems, there have also been reports of water damage. These watches were not designed for this purpose, and, as I said, the lack of a screw down crown would be a big concern to me. I always err on the side of caution, so if I want a watch to wear in the water, I'll buy a diver's watch.

: Would appreciate comments on the quality,
: accuracy and robustness of the movements. My
: other watches are a vintage, fully restored
: Vacheron manual wind in 18K gold, an
: Audemars Royal Oak Dual Time Zone, an old
: Omega Constellation automatic, and two
: Russian Poljots I picked up at the Moscow
: factory store 4 yrs ago (one has an ETA
: movement in it!!). I had a Breiting
: Chronomat, but it was very innaccurate - so
: sold it 6 mos ago. Thanks in advance

Seismic Sam on this forum owns the black dial Seamaster chrono in titanium, and he loves it. Sadly, Omega has discontinued the "Bond" style titanium model, so if you want a titanium diver's watch, you really have only one option. I'd do a forum search on Seismic Sam's posts or contact him directly to get his first-hand impressions on his watch.

Good luck with your decision,
John