Writing about the Omega Speedmaster Reduced 3510.50.00 is like trying to write about a classic muscle car. Words fail you and you fall back on cliche – classic, understated, collectable, impressive. It’s because of this that I took so long to start writing about my own Reduced – or Automatic, if you will – and why it’s one of the most important timepieces in horology.
The Speedmaster Professional is the moon watch, the one work by Buzz Aldrin on the first moon walk. The Speedmaster Reduced Automatic is the post-moon watch. It is a beautiful reduction of everything we love about the Pro with none of the manual winding hassle. With a stark black face and beautiful white baton hands, the Reduced allows you to own a piece of history while making the leap into a new era.
Made of brushed and polished stainless steel, the 38mm case is a bit understated by the white lettering and chapter ring make sure no one misses a beat. Based on the Omega 3220 calibre, an ETA base with the Dubois-Debrois chronograph module, the reduced looks great on a band or steel bracelet. The crystal, made of acrylic to mirror the Professional, scratches easily but can be buffed out without problems.
The watch has two pushers, one at two and another at four, and a crown at three. The movement handwinds but it is completely automatic and lasts about 40 hours when not on the wrist. The dial is eminently readable and the sub-registers offer an instant read on elapsed time.
The bezel has a tachymeter scale and the chapter ring marks second and split second intervals. It is comparatively waterproof, but don’t go diving in it.
The bracelet consists of polished and brushed links with a solid, if unadorned, clasp. While the Pro often benefits from a leather band, the Reduced looks great with its attendant bracelet.
Cons? Not many. The case may be a bit small for some big watch fans and the hours register only goes up to 12 and the sub-registers are not lumed. Big whoop, right? The time is extremely readable in the dark and if you need to time something for more than 12 hours, maybe try a sundial.
Priced anywhere from $2400 to $1800, the Speedmaster Reduced Automatic is not just an also-ran to its bigger brother. It is actually a completely separate and exciting watch, full of history, aesthetics, and tradition.
Quality: 4/5
Style: 5/5
Overall: 4/5
– John Biggs
Why is it called the “reduced?” Is it smaller than the Pro?
By the way, you’re making it very hard for me to remember that I don’t like chronos!
Nice and pics, and review, thanks!
And yes, I believe it’s a couple mm smaller than the pro, and of course automatic. As such, the geometry of the registers is a bit different too.
Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/
You failed to mention one annoying aspect of this movement – it has a lot of what I would call “slack”. That is, when you set this watch you have to allow for the fact that the minute hand will not move for about 30 – 40 seconds after you push in the crown. So you have to stop the watch at the 20 – 30 second mark and set the minute hand on the upcoming minute marker and then push in the crown at the 20 – 30 second mark.
Omega says this normal for this movement.
Beautiful watch. One of my favorite Omegas. I do like sapphire crystals, though. I’m clumsy, and like not having to look down at my watch in horror every time I slam my wrist into something.
James, re: “slack,” this is true with almost every mechanical watch I’ve encountered and can be rectified by moving the minute hand 20 or so minutes beyond the time you want to set your watch to and then moving the minute hand back to desired time.
The omega speedmaster day-date is a much better watch. The blue dial one looks amazing.
I am interested in this watch. What did you mean by “The movement handwinds and lasts about 40 hours without winding.” I thought automatics are set and forget – as long as you are wearing it everyday, it should not stop?
lovely watch, just bought one and I am absolutely delighted with it, love the pro as well but it is a little too large..now all I need is a nice stainless rolex submariner…
great watch but sapphire instead of a haselite would be better as haselite scraches easily,moreover not many of us will go in space ,and have to worry about the anti shattering properties (of haselite) to protect our eyes.
Is not a every day Watch,my one it’s scratch free and Is one year with me now….Not a big deal to polish it.
All
Check out the newly released “reduced”. Same size but new dial is similar to the Pro (ie. No arabic numbers at the sticks) and they have now added the a sapphire crystal
I have just ordered the new reduced. The dial is slightly different, the sapphire crystal gives a more solid feel to it and it also has a 100mtrs water resistant rating. Can’t wait to get it!
Can any other owners tell me what sort of water resistance that equates to as there are wildly varying reports.
Cheers
Hi,
great watch – but. Yesterday I received my long-waited cal321 ref 145.012 from 1967.
Now – that’s what I call a watch.
Hi to all.
Excellent review. Only one comment. One distinguished feature the Reduced has and the Professional does not: The second hand hacks. That is, when you pull the crown out, the second hand in the right dial will stop. This is particular useful wehn you want to reset the watch time according to an accurate time signal.
Regards,
Sergio.
Great review, I have just bought my speedmaster 3510.50 from a seller on eBay, what a great watch, good quality and functional. This watch will be an every day watch not like my fifty or so vintage watches
Also just bought a Speedmaster 3510.50 on ebay. Looks to be in near mint condition and thought it a bargain at $815. Not nearly as clunky as my Rolex GMT which I love, but gets left on the winder a lot just because of its size.
The review said that the watch case is 38mm without crown/pushers.
But on the Omega website, it stated a 35.5mm case size.
Whos right?
Question for anyone out there who may know what the answer is. I have an Omega Speedmaster reduced with a deep blue dial, and the serial number 54029971 on the case back. Why does this watch have a hexagonal shaped crown with Omega mark, and not the usual round Omega crown? Is this watch rare/collectible? Thanks for your replly/replies.
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! ndebauzedp
Very nice review and a great “understated” looking watch.
I am now interested in a Speedmaster reduced, on ebay there are a couple of platinum sellers who you can usually get a used one for $800 to $1000 bucks and if you get realy luck maybe a bit less.
Looks great and being an Omega would be a lifetime watch.
My dad gave me a Speedmaster Pro (Moonwatch) to me on my 21st. He bought it the year i was born (’73) for £70. I loved that watch and coveted it for a long time and was made up when it came my way. (hitting the reset on the second hand entertained me for hours)
As u can imagine i was quite upset when it was taken in a burgalry a couple of years ago (im 34 now) – the insurance company would not pay out since i had no proof of purchase (like this is a 34 year old watch). Hats off to my dad after a root around, he’d kept the original documents, so i got the replacement cost back – onto a high street jewellers voucher.
I didnt fancy trusting myself with £1700 watch – so ive kept the voucher for the last 18 months – 18 months is a long time for that to burn a whole in your pocket, so i deciced to replace it anyway
I went into the jewellers and they no longer stocked Omega in that particular store ( i went in and said i want a “moon watch”, when i was 7 i knew this was THE first watch worn on the moon… ) then the guy went, i have a “reduced” (he ment automatic, not professional) one in the safe.
Well it was on sale (£1000 RRP) and i paid £625 for it. I dont have to wind it up, its lighter, and to me its identical (the semi-dials are switched) but its my dads watch nevertheless. A timeless classic….beauty
The Professional is more expensive because of demand, it is the only watch worn on the moon, and its re-sale value retention is higher than the automatic…i wont be re-selling…im happy…
Just received my one which I bought via e-bay for only 700 euros (1000 dollars). Looks brandnew. Came with a box as well which is remarkable for that money. I am over the moon with this watch despite it being an automatic. Don’t envisage space flight myself so no need for the big one. Tried on both in a jewellers but I found the moonwatch just a tad too big. Must say however that the day/date is my favourite. That’s gonna be number 4…. 😉
well written review! I have a Schumacher reduced and love it as well.
Who doesn’t love classic cars? Seems everybody does and hollywood has jumped on the bandwagon too. You see them in just about every movie and TV show now.
I just got my new automatic…new model, ref 3539.50.00, (http://www.omegawatches.com/index.php?id=305&pos=1&no_cache=1)…Man, am I happy….!!!
By the way,thanks for Ur review, long due someone putting the word out for this watch, I was getting sooooo tired of the usuall “snobbish” “Yeah,well, its NOT really THE moonwach,U know…”
Screw that, your car analogy was very ilustrative on this point…
Also bought an Automatic on ebay and am thrilled with it. All of the beauty and functionality of the Professional without the (for me..)size. I wear it every day and get many compliments on its good looks and classic design.
I had a schumacher reduced red dial for my 21st birthday present. Love it very much and is still beside me. =)
I’ve wore it for 3 yrs and I nvr love a watch that much. I’m a watch collector and I dont know why I love omega tht much. Now, I’m considering on buying the latest Omega speedmaster reduced. Is really beautiful piece.
Just got a brand-new “reduced” during my last US business trip, now that the Dollar is low ;-).
Lovely watch.It indeed comes now with the sapphire glass. It simply looks very ‘sporty & sexy’ without being too pretentious. I specially like the clarity of the contrast deep-black display with the white pointers. Needless to say, it has ousted my 20yr.company-award Datejust Ro…. back to the safe.
i am a big fan of omega. i have some speedmaster watches. i like the mars watchi have had it for about 7 years and it is still the best watch omega have made.
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Great watch! I’ve had mine for 5 years, broke my arm under it with no damage to the watch just the arm. Speedmaster geeks always pile hate on the auto, but it is a great, reliable, and very functional watch for those of us not into the big dick contests of many “watch guys” who seem to want to wear larger and larger timepieces to make up for their declining home values.
i bought this watch in 2003,but its been nothing but a disapointment, its had a 2 minute delay every 24h since the purchase,it fell from my wrist once because of a faulty pin on the wrist band only by luck i din`t loose it,and now it stopped working on the 16th 0f april 2009 sent it to repair. and i had bombastic news from the repair shop reporting that the movement(the great machine) is rusty and it will cost to repair between 550 to 600 euros,RIDICILOUS,i don`t go swiming with it
I got a brand new Speedmaster Reduced for my birthday
in 2001. I used to wear it every day of the week.
For some reason, one year later or so the second hand
would no longer go back to zero when pushing the
rest pusher.
In 2005 one of the pushers just fell off the case.
A few weeks later the watch stopped working completely
having it on my wrist while drilling a hole into
my bathroom wall. So, don’t ware the watch
while using a drill.
It costed me some 500 euros in 2006 to get it repaired
and revised by Omega. Another 3 years later, in march
2009, I was wearing the Speedmaster Reduced while
bicycling around in the city. Apparently the watch
didn’t support the vibrations and after the ride
it was running ahead by 1 hour (!) a day.
I can understand that an automatic watch
shouldn’t be used while drilling holes with a drill.
However, I’d expect that a Speedmaster – the little
brother of the moon watch – should be able to withstand
an ordinary city tour on an ordinary bicycle.
Shall I spend another 500 euros
to get it repaired again 3 years only after
the previous revision? Am’I just unlucky
or is the Speedmaster Reduced a fragile watch
just good enough to go to the opera with?
Thanks for your review. I bought my first “luxury” timepiece because of your review. I am holidaying in Japan right now and saw that the price is right — returned to check on your review — then went back to the shop for this.
Thank you.
I bought a new Speedmaster Reduced in Nov 2003. I worked perfectly until March 2008 when it simply stopped. I took it to Goldsmiths for repair not feeling inclined to send it to Omega who had previously quoted me over 140 GBP to supply and fit a new leather strap. Thereafter the watch would not hold a decent ‘charge’ and despite being worn all day would stop in the middle of the night and in extreme cases when it was still on my wrist during the day. Despite 4 futher trips, Goldsmiths watchmakers were barely able to improved the situation. The watch ran OK-ish if I wore it 24/7 but then after a few months it ground to a halt. Now I fear it will have to back to Omega……..anybody had similar issues?
Hi all. After much deliberation I have decided that I want to get a second hand Speedmaster. Having tried on some new ones however I am now totally confused over all the different sizes. I don’t want the very large one which I thought was the professional but having tried on a professional in Goldsmiths it is not the largest model. Also I do not want the smallest model (reduced) which I thought was the automatic but again having tried on what they told me today was an automatic was just right. The day/dat and date also seem to be the right size. My question is when trawling email which models do I avoid (too small & too large) and are all automatisc the same sixe??? Plaese help
contact me For photos i’m selling mt speedmaster reduced gagliardim@hotmail.it
I have an Omega Speedmaster Automatic -i know nothing about watches so not sure of its era. It needs a replacement leather strap -but the watch itself is in good condition. The face is identical to the one pictured -does anyone know how much it would be worth? thanks
The speedy auto/reduced is a great watch. It is slightly smaller than the “pro” but there are a few things going for it: 1) automatic 2) hacks 3) 100th/sec accuracy, due to the high vibrations of the chronograph module vs. the SeMP 4) no size queen. I have worn mine for 6 years, no problems, had it cleaned once for $150. And, like the poster above I too broke my arm under my speedy auto, with no damage to the watch, but two surgeries to the arm.
I’m disappointed that the new speedy autos are more like the moonwatch. They are different and should be marketed/designed different.
Is it pssible to fitt a saphire back plate on a speedmaster reduced?
@Nick
100m is equivalent to 1 atmoshphere.
good for at least 10m under water.
I have an Omega Speedmaster Automatic and I would like to get a new bracelet. The width is smaller than the other Speedmasters.. Any idea where I could find a set of new bracelets for a 3539.50 ? Ideally I would be interested in a steel bracelet with longer links.
Thanks.
it is reduced coz its smaller than the pro moon watch
Thanks for the great write up…helped me make the decision to get one!
Lug size is 18mm which doesn’t leave a lot of great options if you want an authentic Omega strap/16mm deployment clasp… the nice ones are 20mm. Then again, it’s over $500 for the kit so best to look to the aftermarket. I like Morelatto from Italy, they have a nice cordura/leather strap that looks similar to the new speedy pro 😉 The only real difference between authentic vs aftermarket is that a) u know its not real (if that bothers u) b) the ends dont contour around the case
Does anyone know where I can get one of these watches from? I know they are discontinued by Omega and I would rather not buy from ebay etc. due to the risk
I happened upon this review as I was preparing my 3510 for sale and note your question. Mine is as new and worn infrequently. I still have all original boxing (inner grey and outer white) and warranty card with instruction manual. I am located in Sydney Australia if you have any interest.
Regards,
Peter
Firstly I want to give our God all the Glory, to let human being having wisdom, to made Omega Speedmaster watch, so beauty and wonderful.
Yesterday bought a use Omega Speedmaster, from Subang Jaya Wing Wah watch Shop, love it very much.
From Black Man.
I have A seamaster for 30 years and a Speedmaster for 10 years.
Bouth were needed thousand of dolars for repairs none was aqurate, from time to time a complete stop with no reason. i don’t trusr this kind of “moon watch” .
further more service prices is out of this world… the only good thing is the soul beside there is no reson to buy Omega The Seiko Kinetic is an amazing watch and qulity 1/10 the price
Peter Diehm – do you still have the watch?
I had a 1970 Speedmaster Professional for thirty years until it was stolen. Finally got around to replacing it with a used Speedy Reduced. After Omega servicing, I am thrilled with it. Looks and runs great, and is running ONLY about 0.4 s/d fast. Great accuracy for a non-chronometer. Although it is NOT as cool as the old non-moon watch Pro that I had, it is still one of the beat watches around. Hurrah for Omegas!
Can anyone tell me when this type was discontinued by Omega? And is there a way of finding out when mine was built ?