Today at Bobs Watches we’ve put together a nice and simple run-down of two Omega watches that we are going to compare side-by-side. The Omega Speedmaster Professional - an iconic design that has spent a lot of time in the limelight recently (since Omega celebrated the collection’s 50th-anniversary last year), and the Omega Speedmaster Reduced - a watch that was discontinued around a decade ago. We’re going to compare pricing, features, and specs between these two, similar Omega chronograph watches.
The Omega Speedmaster Professional collection originally launched in 1957. Its well-documented legacy is geared towards professional use as opposed to the more affordable Omega Speedmaster Reduced watch that was initially created as a means to bring the Speedmaster aesthetic to a wider range of consumers. While the Omega Speedmaster Professional was originally intended for automobile racing, it quickly became the official NASA-certified watch for all manned space flight, and the first watch to be worn on the surface of the moon.
The Omega Speedmaster Reduced was first launched in 1988. It was smaller in size and provided a shrunken-down version of the classic Speedmaster Professional, while still adhering to the same general design language that had made the classic full-sized Speedmaster so successful. The Speedmaster Reduced received improvements like its sapphire crystal glass lens and a redesigned dial in 2006 but was ultimately discontinued.
One main difference between the Speedmaster Professional and the Speedmaster Reduced is that the Reduced is only available on the secondhand market. Omega continues to create Speedmaster Professional watches, along with various smaller-sized Speedmaster models; however, there is not currently a Speedmaster Reduced in Omega’s modern lineup. With that in mind, most pre-owned Speedmaster Professional watches typically sell for more than Speedmaster Reduced watches on the secondary market.
When placed bezel to bezel, the two timepieces feature differences that can be appreciated in terms of dial design, sizing, and layout. Despite the Speedmaster Reduced differing from traditional Speedmaster models in that it relies on a modular chronograph movement rather than an integrated chronograph caliber (thus affecting the arrangement of the pushers and crown), it did influence the future of Speedmaster watches and played an integral role in the evolution of the collection.
Another key difference between the movements in these two Omega Speedmaster watches is that the classic Speedmaster Professional is powered by a manual-wind movement, while the Speedmaster Reduced benefits from the improved everyday convenience of a self-winding automatic caliber. Internal differences aside, the case diameters of both watches are the most obvious difference - the Speedmaster Professional measures 42mm whereas the Speedmaster Reduced measures a more discreet 39mm.
Unlike the Speedmaster Professional, on the Speedmaster Reduced, the chronograph registers overlap with some of the hour markers. Due to the smaller case size, the sub-dials are positioned closer to the edge of the dial on the Speedmaster Reduced. The running seconds and minute counter sub-dials are also switched around - the Speedmaster Professional featuring the minute totalizer at 3 o’clock - the Reduced featuring the same dial at 9 o’clock. Additionally, the Speedmaster Reduced lacks the luminous tip on the chronograph seconds hand that the Professional offers, and also features slightly different dial detailing compared to the full-size version.
Both the Speedmaster Professional and Speedmaster Reduced watch feature the same twisted lugs, the same shape and feel to the case design and a tachymeter scale on the bezel, along with a black dial and bezel. The main differences between the watches are the case size, the movement, and the dial proportions. The classic full-size Speedmaster was originally intended as a professional timing tool, while the Speedmaster Reduced was created a number of years later to offer the popular Speedmaster aesthetic to a wider audience in a more compact and convenient package.
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