# Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch - Auto v Manual Wind



## sja_time (Dec 12, 2014)

Hello 

I have decided to purchase a speedmaster after months of deliberation and research. I am new to the world of luxury watches but I have just fell in love with the design of this watch. While I was at the store they showed me the manual wind(hesalite and sapphire) and the co-axial automatic movement. All with exactly the same front design. I prefer the sapphire with display but not sure which version(manual or auto) to go with. I am new to the world of luxury watches so many thanks for everyones patience. 

Could someone kindly shed some light on the PROS and CONS of the co-axial automatic v manual winding? My question is not so much on the history of the actual moonwatch and which version is closer to it, but more from a mechanical watchmaking point of view; movement, durability, longevity, servicing intervals?

Any help to a newbie fellow watch enthusiast, would be massively appreciated.

Seasons greetings all.


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## BrooklineWatch (Oct 21, 2010)

Are you speaking of the three sub-dial automatic (3313 movement) or the two sub-dial automatic (9300 movement)? There will be a big difference here in terms of the kind of recommendations you get.


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## Slowturbo (Jun 12, 2008)

Pros of the automatic are convenience and a date feature. The manual wind is nice because it is a much slimmer watch and generally a very reliable movement. That being said, it has no date function and you have to wind it regularly. It all comes down to preference. I went with the original pro because I loved the history and look of the hesalite in addition to the low profile. At the end of the day, its a personal choice. The moonwatch is also significantly less expensive than the newer automatic models, so price may be a consideration as well.


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## mazman01 (Sep 26, 2011)

Coming from a guy who's only had autos and recently purchased a speedy pro, the manual wind is hardly an inconvenience. Maybe that's just me though.


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## Choo Yao Chuen (Dec 3, 2014)

One major difference would be accuracy of the movement.
If I'm not wrong, the manual wind is not COSC certified, therefore you might find yourself having to adjust the time every month......


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## [email protected] (Aug 9, 2008)

QUOTE=Choo Yao Chuen;10911449]One major difference would be accuracy of the movement.
If I'm not wrong, the manual wind is not COSC certified, therefore you might find yourself having to adjust the time every month......[/QUOTE]

First world problems eh!


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## sja_time (Dec 12, 2014)

BrooklineWatch said:


> Are you speaking of the three sub-dial automatic (3313 movement) or the two sub-dial automatic (9300 movement)? There will be a big difference here in terms of the kind of recommendations you get.


Sorry I didnt realise there was a difference between the co-axial models. Just checked again and can confirm it is the 3313 movement. Is this movement not as good? and therefore also not preferable to the manual wind?


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## GTTIME (Jun 28, 2009)

Go for the 9300 version.


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## mpalmer (Dec 30, 2011)

The Speedmaster Professional (manually winding Lemania based movement) is arguably the most iconic chronograph out there. The reason it is well known is because of the movement's ability to pass NASA's torture tests, and it remains one of a few select watches flight qualified by NASA. The reason the watch is so widely renown and owned by collectors is due to this movement and the heritage of the watch. Therefore, It is difficult to do as you ask and remove the movement from the equation.

The Co-axial movement is a great movement and clearly worthy of owning. Personally, I would not buy a Speedmaster without the hand winding Lemania based movement because I would forever be reminded that the watch is not a Speedy Pro. There are plenty of other great watches that utilize co-axial movements to pick from if this is the way you want to go.


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## BrooklineWatch (Oct 21, 2010)

The manual wind movement (1861) is one of the most tested and bulletproof movements out there -- this is why it has endured for 50 years or so. The 9300 movement is completely in-house and a great technological achievement, and gorgeous to look at. I am no expert, but I would opine that the 3313 is the least of these, while still a good movement (I believe some people have experienced problems with it, but I think Omega ironed these out).


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## traf (Jan 21, 2014)

As stated above, however all the cons for the speedy pro can be turned into pros over time and based on user experience.

Speedy pro:
+perfectly symmetrical 42mm dial 
+original unfettered design since late 60s
+ultra reliable very serviceable lemania based movement
-manual wind
-no date 
-plastic crystal
- flight qualified for EVA 

Speedy auto:
+ chronometer spec automatic (set it and forget it)
+ in house movt (9300 only)
+ sapphire crystal
+ date window
- expensive omega servicing likely
- too big at 44-45mm
- too thick ~15-16mm
- not nasa flight certified 
- not vintage/modern looking at same time

Obviously I'm biased. The speedy pro is THE one. Everything else is just trying...










Sent from my  iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## ScholarsInk (Apr 7, 2009)

There is no automatic Moonwatch. You're confused with something else, I expect.


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## KAW (Jul 15, 2012)

I agree with the posters recommending the Speedmaster Pro with the Lemania-based movement and Hesalite crystal as the one to own but since your question was about comparing the movements I think traf has covered most of the bases. I wouldn't describe the lack of a date window or manual winding as cons but that's always going to come down to personal preference. It's worth pointing out that although you may have more limited servicing options for the co-axial movements they should, in theory, have a longer service interval since the co-axial escapement experiences less friction than the traditional lever escapement.


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## Quartersawn (Nov 20, 2008)

I am a fan of the manual winding Moonwatch. I will take a manual movement over an automatic everytime unless the watch has a screwdown crown. The Speedy Pro movement is not COSC but both of mine keep COSC time. The movement does not hack but simply turning the crown back a bit stops the second hand if needed. I find the lack of a date function a plus since the dial looks so much nicer without a hole cut into it and it is much quicker to set the time. The acrylic crystals look nicer IMO, they do not have the glare of sapphire and they have the nice little *Ω* symbol in the center. They are also much less expensive (several hundred dollars) to replace than a sapphire crystal.


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## Ipromise (Jan 14, 2013)

Auto's are great, but if you can borrow a manual wind to live with for a bit, you might find yourself falling in love with it. There's something about it... I look forward to getting to wind my Speedy rather than "having" to.


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## jeffgo888 (Jun 13, 2013)

The speedy pro MANUAL wind hesalite. Without a doubt. There simply is no substitute.


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## Tompj (May 2, 2013)

Choo Yao Chuen said:


> One major difference would be accuracy of the movement.
> If I'm not wrong, the manual wind is not COSC certified, therefore you might find yourself having to adjust the time every month......


The fact that it is not COSC tested officially doesn't mean it isn't as accurate as the testing standards. Testing hardly ever makes a watch more accurate. ;-)


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## Farlius (Jan 11, 2014)

+1 on a Hesalite/Solid caseback 'original version'.



And go for the most recent reference 311.***.005 version--the presentation case and the extra goodies and straps are fantastic.



The 9300 movt and the iterations of the Dark Side, Grey Side and Anniversary Editions are all spongeworthy. But nothing beats a classic.



Good luck in the hunt.



Cheers



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Ajax_Drakos (Aug 20, 2014)

Unless we're talking about the legendary Zenith El Primero movement, I would love for all of my chronos to be manual-wind. Manual-wind chrono movements are very beautiful -- more so than auto chrono movements. That's a huge selling point for me. Also, that's really your only tactile interaction with the watch movement, so it's something that should be appreciated.


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## sja_time (Dec 12, 2014)

excellent advice everyone and many thanks for taking time out to post your views. I think I will go for the manual wind simply because everyone keeps talking about how much they love the interaction they get with it. 

I read that it has 40hrs power reserve. Does that mean that if someone forgets to wind it the next day, does the watch gradually slow to a stop therefore losing time, or does it just stop dead all at once, when the power reserve is used up?

Also is it easy to scratch the sapphire given that it does protrude out a little with it being a dome?


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## KAW (Jul 15, 2012)

I think the power reserve for the 1861 is closer to 48 hours. The watch should keep running until it's out of power however there is always some variation in timekeeping related to the amount of power reserve. Common advice is to wind a manual watch daily for the most consistent timekeeping. It's often recommended to wind the watch in the morning so that you start the day full power reserve although I tend to be in a rush in the mornings so I prefer to wind my manual watches just before bed (plus it makes me feel like I'm tucking them in ). I wouldn't worry too much over it though.


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## ScorpionRS (Mar 15, 2013)

The Omega 9300 is a massive technological advancement and has a long service interval ( 10 years possibly) but it comes at a price: the service costs are high and has to go back to omega for now. It's also COSC so it'll be more accurate.

The Lemania on the speedy pro is steeped in history and easily serviceable and cheaper to service even with Omega themselves. It's also a beautiful movement to look at.

I had a seamaster with the coaxial and sold it to get a Speedmaster pro. Can't beat the history and the clean symmetrical look.every part of the speedypro is iconic- the watch, the movement and the history can't be beaten.


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## Mike Rivera (Feb 21, 2006)

I had all autos (and a handful of quartz) until I bought my moon-watch. It only takes 10 seconds each morning to wind it and if you ever let it run down, add another 10 seconds to set the time. Each weekend I adjust the time (usually it's about 1 minute off). Seriously, anybody who thinks this is too much effort should just stick to G-Shocks (and no offense, I have and enjoy G-Shocks). Go for any model and enjoy the love ...


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## Jephen (Feb 14, 2014)

I enjoy winding it every morning that I choose to wear it. I also advance the chrono second hand one second forward each day, using it to mark the date. Before I found out this trick, it bugged me that it didn't have a date complication.









I find that the hesalite scratches easily. It's usually tucked under the cuff of my dress shirt, but still it gets light scratches. Nothing too deep though; you have to get it at the right angle to notice. I can always rub Polywatch to get it looking fresh. When I compared it to the sapphire version, the domed sapphire produced this "halo" around the dial that I didn't like at all. I did like the clear or "cold" look of the sapphire. The hesalite does have a certain warmth to it, and the distortions under certain angles is nice.

Is the newer 311.xxx model worth the extra $750 markup? Not really, but at least they tried justifying the markup with extra goodies this time. I do like the official Omega NATO strap that it came with. It's on the NATO about 75% of the time. If I could do it all over I'd probably get it on the alligator instead of the bracelet.


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## mazman01 (Sep 26, 2011)

Jephen said:


> I enjoy winding it every morning that I choose to wear it. I also advance the chrono second hand one second forward each day, using it to mark the date. Before I found out this trick, it bugged me that it didn't have a date complication.
> 
> View attachment 2392849
> 
> ...


I did that. For no other reason that I got a good deal on it over the bracelet combo. What is the reason you would've done it that way?


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## Jephen (Feb 14, 2014)

mazman01 said:


> I did that. For no other reason that I got a good deal on it over the bracelet combo. What is the reason you would've done it that way?


More versatility. Omega NATO for casual/work, alligator for work/dress.

The NATO is my go to strap for everyday use right now. Even with business attire I can get away with wearing the NATO. I'm finding that more and more often I need to dress in formalwear (weddings and the like), and wish I could use the Speedy on those occasions. The bracelet works, but the alligator would look even better paired with a tailored suit, AE shoes and matching belt. Also, I don't find the bracelet to be all that comfortable.

It is a nice bracelet, though.


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## mazman01 (Sep 26, 2011)

Jephen said:


> More versatility. Omega NATO for casual/work, alligator for work/dress.
> 
> The NATO is my go to strap for everyday use right now. Even with business attire I can get away with wearing the NATO. I'm finding that more and more often I need to dress in formalwear (weddings and the like), and wish I could use the Speedy on those occasions. The bracelet works, but the alligator would look even better paired with a tailored suit, AE shoes and matching belt. Also, I don't find the bracelet to be all that comfortable.
> 
> It is a nice bracelet, though.


I was going to go the bracelet combo but I must say the leather strap is nice, but a bit of a pain to break in. Looks great though. The nato is the best and that's mainly what im using it on. Thanks for getting back to me.


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