I don’t like Omega Speedmasters. I don’t like chronograph watches. I don’t have any soft spot for Omega in my heart, even if I recognize their quality. 70s design isn’t my favorite. I don’t wear watches above 42mm because of my small wrist. I only like mechanical and automatic watches. No battery for me! I do however like the Omega Speedsonic F300hz.

When we start in the hobby, we all have principles. A set of rules your mind makes up to justify reasons for liking, not liking, buying, not buying this or that watch. Reasons to try and make the insanity of collecting watches seem perfectly reasonable. You can read mine in that first paragraph just above.

One day when meeting for a week-end with watch friends, one of them had a case full of vintage watches he was willing to part with. I noticed a few nice ones but didn’t pull the trigger. I must say I didn’t even glance at the chronographs in the box: not my kind of watch. The next day I see one of the other guys from the gtg who shows me the watch he bought from the box. I was stricken. The watch was beautiful, a 1970s Omega Speedmaster Seamaster Speedsonic with crazy blue dial, beautiful patina on the tritium, lovely case with semi integrated pushers. I regretted instantly not having bought it.

Thankfully friends are friends, and when the watch was up for sale again I jumped on it. This watch make me stick a middle finger to all my « principles », the ones I was artificially standing for in my watch journey.

This watch is the largest in my collection, larger than my Pelagos and even bulkier on the wrist because of the heavy steel case. It still manages to fit right so I guess these size issues are all in the mind.

The tuning fork movement is extremely precise and when pressing that chrono pusher, the smooth motion of the center hand is mesmerizing. Putting the watch to your ear you can hear a very soft buzzing sound, much quieter than the Universal Geneve Unisonic I once owned. The electronic and tuning fork movements are the forgotten monuments of watchmaking history, and deserve to be put in the spotlight once again as great horological innovations. The Omega 300fHz movements are really enjoyable and precise movements. You can find tons of watches at a fair price with these movements.

But what really kicks you in the balls is the dial. The layout is really well balanced. There are variations of brushed, matt and glossed surfaces, all in shades going from electric blue to deep grey. The orange tritium indexes and white hands contrast perfectly with the dial, and the general aesthetics are hypnotizing. Note that the shape of the hands is characteristic and was only used by omega in watches using their 300fHz tuning fork movements.

I enjoy wearing this Omega Speedsonic F300hz so much on a leather strap that I haven’t even tried it on the metal bracelet yet. These watches are not easy to find but it’s not an impossible task with a little research. Prices hover around the 2000€ mark, so it is quite a deal! Just look at all the standard Speedmasters that cost over double and that everyone has… Don’t you want something different? Something out of the park?

Yeah, kick yourself in the balls (it’s a metaphor, don’t really try, it’s not possible without spraying your knee), fuck your principles and go try something different. You might be surprised…