Omega Speedmaster Automatic Reduced

Omega Speedmaster Reduced 3510.50.00

Nope! This is not the moon watch. A lot of watch enthusiasts might get it confused with the legendary Omega Speedmaster Professional. This is the Speedmaster Professional's little brother. It has the identical black dial with tri-compax layout of Speedmaster Professional. The outer appearance of the watch resembled those of Speedmaster Professional but in slightly smaller case or size. That is why it is called "Reduced". 

As the name suggested, it was priced far reduced comparing to its big brother. This watch is measuring 39mm in diameter. By Speedmaster's standard, this is considered mid-size. This watch is effortless to read due to the black dial and contrasting with white batons, hands and wordings. Apart from its size, the fastest way to differentiate from the Professional; the Reduced has the wording ‘Automatic’ on its dial and features the minutes in Arabic numerals.

Like its big brother, the 3150.50 has a raised outer stainless steel bezel. The bezel is non rotational and has a black and white tachymetre scale. For me, tachymetre bezel is more a decorative, to make the watch more sporty looking and I have no ideal how to use it. According to Wikipedia, tachymetre can be used to compute a speed based on travel time or measure distance based on speed. 

The 3510.50 comes with a domed Hesalite crystal, which is an acrylic. The reduced comes in ref.1468 stainless steel bracelet that consists of polished solid links. Sorry no fancy push buttons deployment clasp on this watch, but a more orthodox fold over clasp signed with Omega logo and the word Speedmaster. 

The case back is of solid stainless steel and is press in type. It is decorated with a Speedmaster's logo engraving and a small Omega logo underneath. There is also a laser engraved serial number at the bottom. This watch is water resistant to 30M or 100 Feet only.

Beneath the caseback is an Omega Cal. 3220 automatic movement. This movement is based on ETA 2890-A2 with an add on Dubois-Dépraz 2020 chronograph module. This explains the high number of jewels (45 to 47) in Cal. 3220 movement and also why the crown and chronograph pushers are not in proper alignment. The pull and push crown is positioned slightly lower and is signed with Omega's logo. Cal. 3220 has rhodium-plated finishing and is beautifully decorated with perlage (circular graining) and Côtes de Genève (Geneva stripes) patterns. This movement has a beat rate of 28,800 bph and a reserve power of 40 hours. 

If you love the Moon watch or Speedmaster Professional but is unwilling to pay for the hefty price, the Reduced is clearly a choice for you. I personally think this is really a value for money. Moreover, Omega has discontinued this model..... This has made this watch highly collectable!

Watch's Commercial at its best!

A follow up on yesterday's posting...... Don't get me wrong... I am in no way associated with Solvil et Titus; nor do I endorse its watches. I just love its commercial especially the one for year 2011 themed "These three years". Share with you, what I think is a good watch commercial. This is more like a short love movie.... So do sit back and enjoy...... Oh, it has English subtitle too.....

Here is the fairy tale ending and the phrase "they live happily ever after..."

Titus Jetpower Super 41 Jewels

The Power of Love ~ Jetpower

She is the lovely actress from Solvil et Titus "Time is Love" commercial for 2011 themed "These Three Years". She is not the exquisite beauty type... But is somewhat dutiful to protect her, comfort her, and adore her. Maybe is those sad beautiful eyes that could tell the story; the right proportion nose or the luscious lips that I'm just dying to kiss..... Had she smiled, the world would sigh with contentment. She totally stole my heart away and melt me with her performance in the commercial............

Get carry away whenever I think of Titus or Solvil et Titus, I think of her..... Is not about the power of Love here, is about Jetpower Super. This is a rarer variant of Jetpower Super. Most common one is registered with 77 Jewels. This is a more modest 41 Jewels. This watch is from the 1960's era and is probably from the beginning of the Jewels war, where every manufacturers were trying to claim higher number of Jewels in a simple movement. 

This is a 37mm in diameter stainless steel Titus automatic watch with day and date function. It has a dome shaped acrylic crystal top and a smooth bezel. How could I forget to take a shot of the crown...... The crown is signed with Titus and is of turbine shaped. From the look, it resemble Rolex Oyster.

This watch has a black dial with gold hour markers, and gold dauphne hands. The day window is curved and  is at 12 o'clock position, straight underneath the gold Titus emblem. The date window is at the missionary 3 o'clock position and is highlighted with a gold window frame. 

On the dial it is also stated "Automatic", "41 Jewels" and "Jetpower Super".

This watch came without the bracelet.... I have managed to fit an aftermarket Rolex Oyster bracelet on it and is able to find a Titus signed folding clasp to complete the picture. 

This watch has a screw in back case. The stainless steel back case is engraved with vital information as well as the Titus logo. One of the thing that caught my attention is the wording "Non-Magnetic"..... Hmmmmm is it the same as anti-magnetic???

This watch used the Felsa F-4008 movement. This movement comes in 17, 21 or 25 functional jewels. This is actually a 25 jewels F-4008, the same one that used in Titus Royal Time. The factory added extra 16 non-functional jewels just to look good on marketing stand point. 

The F-4008 has a slow beat rate of 18,000 bph and a power reserve of 43 hours. Just couldn't get over myself her beautiful face.....

The Silver White Rado Golden Gazelle

Rado Golden Gazelle

"Hello I am Gazelle...... "

A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus Gazella. Gazelles are rather small antelopes. They are known as swift animals – some are able to run at bursts as high as 60 mph (97 km/h), or run at a sustained speed of 30 mph (48 km/h). Gazelles are mostly found in the deserts, grasslands, and savannas of Africa, but they are also found in southwest and central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. They tend to live in herds and will eat less coarse, easily digestible plants and leaves.

Back in the 1960's and 70's Rado came up with the Golden Gazelle range with different variants of casings, dials and bracelets. I bragged about another black Golden Gazelle back in Christmas last year HERE. This is a totally different design in term of outer appearance. The movement is somewhat similar. 

I am really cracking my head on how to best describe this case.... The shape is just too odd an oval shaped. This is a good solid stainless steel case that would last. This watch is equipped with a thick mineral crystal. You probably can guess how old this watch is with the fading red colour of the rotating anchor logo. The silver dial also show its time. Time is unforgiving.......

The crown is signed with the anchor logo and sat just nicely into the case. The stainless steel bracelet is composed of single piece solid links. This type of design are highly durable.

The day date function of this watch is at 6 o'clock position. The white and black disks are very striking. 

If the new Rado Diastar Original Automatic has the folding clasp like this, I am more than happy. The raised Anchor logo and RADO wordings just as heavy weighted, a statement can be in proclaiming its quality. 

The back case of a vintage Rado is as good as any other brand if not among the best...... 3 seahorses and 3 stars..... Actually, I know the Seahorses represent water resistant; what about the stars then.... Why there are some with 2 seahorses and some without even a star??????? Something for me to research into......

When simplicity collided with elegance: Tissot Le Locle Automatic

I always have a soft spot for Tissot ever since my first Tissot watch.....  For me, the name Tissot is synonym with Affordable, Reliable, Practical and Quality.... 

I basically hijacked this watch from a friend's wrist. The very same friend, I kidnapped the Sea-Gull 55th Anniversary watch from. Well, please do not pity him! He is well off enough to buy himself some more new watches. That is good for me, as I probably can snatch more watches from him. 

Here is a huge watch box with all the documents regarding this watch.......... Nothing too fancy, nothing ordinary also...... At the bottom of the box is a drawer that housed all the papers. 

For a special reason, I always love watches with Arabic numeric dial. That partially maybe due to my first watch was with Arabic numeric dial. It was before I went to school..... Sadly, I had lost track of that watch long ago.....

From any angle, this is a very classical and elegant watch. At least, that is what Tissot's designers had in mind when they launched this Le Locle line. 

"The name Le Locle seems to be a reliable ingredient of success. As well as being the name of Tissot's home and heritage, nestled in the Swiss Jura Mountains, it is the name of a hugely popular automatic watch family. The models display exquisite elegance with details such as Roman numerals and a traditional Le Locle signature which complete the picture of classical chic...." stated on Tissot's webpage.

This is a 39mm in diameter dress watch. The case is polished 316L stainless steel with PVD yellow gold coating. It has a scratch resistant sapphire glass. The dial is ivory colour with gold Arabic numeric hour markers. The feuille hour and minutes hand added nostalgia to the general appearance of the watch. This watch has a small date window at its 3 o'clock position. 

The oversized crown is signed with a big T character. The side of the case is brush polished. 

This case is nicely contoured and is very comfy to wear on the wrist. Signed with the big T, the gold plated, adjustable deployment clasp holds the brown coloured leather strap tightly onto your wrist.

The Le Locle has a well decorated stainless steel caseback. The caseback is engraved with patterns, Tissot 1853, and vital informations like water resistant to 30M, Automatic, Sapphire Crystal and so on. The caseback has exhibit windows that display portion of the movement. 

The Le Locle uses ETA 2824-2 movement, which features hacking and hand winding, along with a quick-set date. ETA 2824-2 is a 25 jewels automatic movement that oscillates at 28,800 bph. This movement is non-decorated apart from its gold plated rotor. The rotor is signed with "Tissot 1853" and "Swiss Made 25 Jewels". Worth mentioning, is that the newer 2014 Le Locle Automatic Chronometer is using the same ETA 2824-2 movement with also no decoration or polishing. Maybe that is the key that Tissot managed to make its watches affordable to all.

Pen off this post with a beautiful scenic photo of Le Locle and a paragraph I taken from Tissot's 2014 catalogue....

No matter what the watch, it will always bear the Tissot signature of "Innovators by Tradition" and they have all been created with you in mind! wrote Francois Thiebaud, President of Tissot.

Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle City