39 mm case  /  18 mm lug width  /  12.8 mm thick  /  44.5 mm lug to lug  /  sapphire  /  100m water resistance

My journey with the Speedmaster began when I was looking for my first luxury timepiece. I’d just started exploring mechanical watches and had been rotating between a Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic 37 (H32455557) and a 1964 Omega Seamaster (reference 165.002). I wanted to add a versatile piece to my collection, one that I could wear at the office and on the weekends. I was seeking out a well-designed piece; something with heritage, class, and value.

 

Switzerland vs Germany

I flirted with the possibility of picking up a Sinn 556i or 556a because of my appreciation for German design and masculine dials. The 556i looked new, minimal, and had a top-grade Swiss movement. It had a rugged no-nonsense toolwatch presence with a glossy black dial and thick indices. The 556a variant had a unique 4:00 date window that was “corrected” so that it always displayed horizontally, a subtle detail indicative of the nature of those behind it. Both had a caseback that revealed the beautifully displayed top-grade ETA 2824-2 movement with blued screws, swirling perlage effect, and the modified Sinn gold rotor. It made total sense to buy a brand new Sinn; my logical brain had already made a decision, but as with all decisions, the heart has a say.

 

Variations Of The Reduced

I began my search for the Speedmaster “Reduced” poking around in the usual places: eBay, Chrono24, and Reddit’s Watchexchange, but nothing was catching my eye. Since it was not a new release, I needed to navigate this journey with all of the cautions involved with seeking out a pre-owned timepiece. I had discovered that two models were readily available: the older 3510.50 variant with hesalite acrylic crystal and minutes on the dial, and the newer and rarer 3539.50 variant with sapphire crystal and indices that mirror the classic Speedmaster design. From an aesthetic standpoint there was no question that the latter suited my taste a bit better and was overall the better watch.

Every collection needs a chronograph, and what better chronograph than a Speedy? Yes, the Speedmaster Automatic would be more difficult to service and cost twice the price of the Sinns, but from all of the photos I had looked at it appeared as though the Speedmaster would fit my wrist better both tangibly and figuratively.

 

Journey To Japan

Through various forums I learned about eLady, a second-hand Japanese accessories store that had a reputation for reliability and authenticity. At the time, eLady updated its inventory every Monday and so for a couple of months every week of mine started with an inventory check. My requirements were that the watch must have an “A grade” ranking and include a clean inner and outer box, warranty cards, and manual.

After sifting through what seemed to be a million used 3510.50 models (most without boxes and some with boxes that appeared to have been submerged in saltwater for a decade), I finally found an unpolished near-mint condition 3539.50 with bracelet, box, and papers. It was the best looking one I had seen for a fantastic price- and upon delivery it turned out to be virtually brand new. The only flaw was a microscopic ding in the tachymeter at 65 (which was visible in the photos). For well under 2k I am glad I bought it, as prices have skyrocketed since then. My only fear is that it may cost somewhere in the ballpark of $750 to be serviced by Omega (mainly due to the piggyback chronograph which is basically disposable), but since it’s from 2012 I’ll likely run it until something goes terribly wrong.