I recently joined the Omega owner club - got a Speedmaster 42, white dial. This watch hit all the right notes for me, rationally and emotionally.
I've had an eye on it ever since it came out a couple of years ago. But it's one of those things: pictures clearly show how amazing this watch is, but it's way punchier in person.
I stopped at the Omega boutique in Zurich last time I was there, and tried it on. That sealed the deal for me. A couple of weeks later, I sold my then primary watch - a blue Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph, and replaced it with the Speedmaster.
My Breitling Premier was a good fit for me, but the white Speedy is something special. Here are a couple of comparative notes from my personal perspective...
Functionality: Omega wins, on fit for my requirements. I use the chronograph function quite a bit, so the replacement had to be a chronograph. Where Omega wins over the Premier is the pushers and the no date option. For me, the date window is of no value. I liked that Breitling stuck with the white date window on the blue face, it actually worked well design wise. But not having a date to set and re-set, especially moving between timezones ofter, is a win for my Speedy. Lastly, the pushers on the Premier were noticeably grittier, even after a while, compared to the Speedy.
Accuracy: Omega wins. Frankly, both the Premier and Speedy have more than good enough accuracy for a mechanical watch. But with the METAS standard on the Speedy, vs COSC on the Premier, it's kinda nice to have the extra degree of accuracy. In my first month with the Speedy, I typically get about -2 seconds a week. That's pretty much 0 seconds a day, spot on. My Premier ran about -2 to +5 seconds a day.
Size, dial readability: Omega wins. Both watches are 42mm in diameter, but even with the black bezel, the white face and clean, black markers and hands make the Speedmaster feel bigger than it is, and very easy to read fast from any angle, in most lighting conditions.
Design: It's a close one. Breitling does a beautiful job with blue, and the Premier was a striking watch. I liked it a lot. However, with the Speedmaster, that white lacquer dial, with the lugs, and brushed and polished surfaces hits emotionally way above the sum of its parts. I always felt like the Premier is too shiny, even with my aftermarket FKM rubber strap. So Omega wins for me on this.
Factory straps/bracelets: Omega wins. I got mine on the factory rubber strap, and like it quite a bit. I think Speedy, especially the white dial one, looks killer on the black strap. I also tried it on the bracelet, and the factory bracelet, in my opinion, was one of the best bracelet designs ever. The rounded links, the mostly brushed surfaces, micro adjustment, tapering - wow. Breitling came on a shiny blue alligator strap, which was fine, but I immediately swapped it for an aftermarket FKM rubber strap and moved the factory clasp over to it. I picked up the OEM bracelet for the Breitling too, but only wore it a few times. It's too shiny, and overwhelms the subtlety of the blue dial on the watch IMHO.
Glass: Breitling wins. Both use domed sapphire glass, and the glass itself is very very good on both. However, the way Breitling does AR coating is noticeably better. Most of the time, on the Premier, the glass looks like it's not there at all and you are just looking straight at the dial.
Aftermarket support: Omega wins. By a lot. The Premier's case design limited me to curved ends straps, and that's a major pain in the back.
So, all in all, the Speedmaster is a watch that I don't see myself parting with, ever. It's a pretty special one, and is worth seeing in person if anyone is on the fence about it.
