As we were watching the television show Castle the other day, I began to wonder what watch, exactly, the character of Detective Beckett was actually wearing. So, away I went to the Batcomputer (aka: Google), and a few minutes later, it appears I have my answer – an Omega Speedmaster, ref 3875031.
Now that we’ve solved this little mystery (albeit, without the humor of Castle), let’s have a closer look at this intriguing watch. As evidenced by the picture over there to the right, you get the following functionality:
- Chronograpgh
- Tachymeter
- Small seconds
- Domed sapphire crystal with AR coating
Not as evident is the sapphire caseback, water resistance rating (50m), or the case size (42mm). Beating away within that steel case you have the Omega 1863 manual-wind movement that proffers a 40-hour power reserve.
So, why do we care about the movement? Unbeknownst to me (at least until I researched this post), it became world famous when it was used on the moon (Apollo 11). So, this movement has definitely gone through conditions we’re not going to be seeing in our day-to-day lives, so it should stand up to daily life. Additionally, it’s a great piece of history and trivia that you can carry along on your wrist.
Of course, that sort of individual history coming from a well-established maker such as Omega won’t come cheap (this particular model runs around the $4000 mark). So, why would you be interested in purchasing a higher-end watch such as this?
No, not because it’s made an appearance on a current TV show. Because Omega has been turning out timeless classics that are mechanical wonders, and truly useful timepieces. Are you likely to use the tachymeter dial to calculate your speed? Not likely – but this watch is easy to read, and has easy-to-use functionality in both the chrono and tachymeter. The styling is spot on, and the watch is not likely to “fall out of style.” In other words, if you take care of this watch, it’s easily one that you can pass down to future generations. Any hey – if you ever get called up to head into space, you’ll be ready to calculate your ascent speed!
