Compax or Omega Speedmaster

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Hi everyone! I've been a big fan of Universal Geneve's for a while but they've generally been out of my budget. I've recently been looking at getting an Omega Speedmaster, but I love panda dials and the UG Compax's are very appealing to me. I wondered if anyone could help with the pros and cons of getting a Compax over a Speedmaster? I'm not really sure of the price range of the Compax's so maybe they are too expensive. I know I obviously have to factor in the price of a service as well but that's my only real con so far. Also I think the Speedmasters are on the upper limit of my diameter preferences and afaik the UG's are a little smaller so that works in their favour. Thanks
 
PaulG
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The question is which Speedmaster are you comparing too? If its a later straight lug then I would say prices are similar but it will be harder to find a Compax. Service is not a big issue for either brand and the Compax is a touch smaller. If you are looking at a later case Speedmaster 321/861 you will find plenty to choose from and prices are lower however they are bigger and certainly not as desirable.
regards
Paul
www.heuerworld.com
 
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woodwkr2 woodwkr2
This is so simple: both!

I wish! Unfortunately only got the funds for one.. And even then I probably shouldn't!


PaulG PaulG
The question is which Speedmaster are you comparing too? If its a later straight lug then I would say prices are similar but it will be harder to find a Compax. Service is not a big issue for either brand and the Compax is a touch smaller. If you are looking at a later case Speedmaster 321/861 you will find plenty to choose from and prices are lower however they are bigger and certainly not as desirable.
regards
Paul
www.heuerworld.com


Yes I was looking generally at the later speedmasters, only because the earlier ones seem more expensive, but I'm pretty open to any it's just a look I love. Any suggestion on what price range is acceptable for a Compax? Thanks
 
dsio
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We talking vintage Compax here or the more modern ones?
 
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dsio dsio
We talking vintage Compax here or the more modern ones?

Vintage!


U ulackfocus
There are panda dial Speedmasters.

True... they seem to be a bit harder to get hold of though (not that the Compax would be easy!). I have just noticed panda speedys seem to be fairly reasonably priced on eBay though so that might be the one.
 
woodwkr2
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Seen as how you posted this in the Universal section of the forum which shall remain nameless, I'd suggest that you're already on the right track. 😉

If you were up for two, the strategy is simply: hunt both. Pull the trigger on whichever one surfaces first in excellent condition. Save more funds. Wash. Repeat.
 
woodwkr2
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Why don't you do some window shopping and post a couple pics of the Compax style that caught your eye. We can better advise you about the particulars then.
 
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woodwkr2 woodwkr2
Seen as how you posted this in the Universal section of the forum which shall remain nameless, I'd suggest that you're already on the right track. 😉

If you were up for two, the strategy is simply: hunt both. Pull the trigger on whichever one surfaces first in excellent condition. Save more funds. Wash. Repeat.

Why don't you do some window shopping and post a couple pics of the Compax style that caught your eye. We can better advise you about the particulars then.

Haha very true... I think the question I'm really asking is "I wan't to buy a UG Compax, are there any cons to getting one instead of a Speedmaster?"

All three of the Compax's owned by billfactor would be winners in my eyes, but probably the Nina Rindt is the most appealing.
46631-0c474ba2e50db6a41447619f8706feed.jpg


I'll keep my eye out and come back if I find one I'm thinking about buying!
 
woodwkr2
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dsio dsio
We talking vintage Compax here or the more modern ones?


Just so the terminology is clear here. The Compax's owned by BillFactor, while definitely vintage, are considered "the more modern ones" that Dsio was referring to. The difference is that in the late 60s to 70s, Universal began using Valjoux 72 movements (highly collectible and well regarded) as opposed to their own in house calibres such as the 281, 285, and 287.

This is all to be distinguished from the true, modern ones of the 1990s featuring Valjoux 7750s (decidedly less interesting from a Universal collector's perspective).

Before you pull the trigger on anything, you may wish to consider how you feel about collecting pieces with in house versus ebauche (ie outsourced) movements. It's a testy subject, but generally an in house calibre is considered more collectible as there were (and still are) very few manufacturers who had the skills and know how to design and build these watches from the ground up. On the other side of the argument are the early examples from Rolex and other well know brands who used various ebauches including the Valjoux 72--in those cases, it certainly doesn't seem to have harmed their collectibility nor value.

To give you some perspective within the UG community, the era of BillFactor's Valjoux 72 Compaxes could be fairly characterized as the post classical period of Universal. While they were still putting out very attractive pieces (especially to our contemporary eye), this was the beginning of the end for Universal. Their once cutting edge chronographs were suddenly being eclipsed in the race for an automatic chrono movement and their efforts were divided as they fought--and ultimately lost-- patent infringement issues with their "own" micro-rotor automatic designs, which were never put into a chronograph. From there, they entered a period of financial decline before finally running into the quartz crisis.
 
G
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Ah ok, thanks! I thought modern referred to the "Compax 50's" which I think were released in the 1990s... Those ones hold no interest for me.

Are there Compax's in this style from before the 60's then? All I've been able to find are Uni-Compax's, Poulerouters, Aerocompax's etc. Information can be quite hard to come across about UG though. Whilst in house is a plus in some ways am I right in thinking they would be trickier to service than the Valjoux 72 movements? And I'm not thinking about trying to make any profit in the future so collectability matters less to me. If I buy a watch, I'm going to wear it regularly not keep it locked away.

One of the things that attracts me to the Nina Rindt in particular even though it's a very tenuous link is that I am a big F1 fan and it just adds that little bit of extra appeal! Seems like they are exceedingly hard to get hold of though so it could be a long search... I was initially interested in the Tri-Compax but after owning a different moonphase for a while the effort of having to set the watch if I didn't wear it for a while outweighed the beauty in my eyes.

Thanks again for the information it's really helpful and interesting. I wish the Sala book wasn't quite so expensive or I would pick it up immediately.
 
woodwkr2
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You can learn quite a lot just browsing the threads around here. If you expand your universal collection one day you'll likely find that the sala book is a worthwhile investment.


The Nina is a fine watch, and if that caught your eye, then go find one!! There's no real difference in the service costs; parts may be slightly easier for the Valjoux 72, but not enough to factor in your pro/con decision here.
 
woodwkr2
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To answer the other part of your question, yes there are Compaxes from this same period (we're only talking a couple of years before the V72/Nina) that contained in house chronos and had the more modern looking waterproof mushroom pushers.

I'll look for an example later and post one for you.

The in house/ebauche debate isn't so much about future resale value. Some people--me included--like trying to collect a particular brand and look specifically for pieces that contain a movement that was made by the same brand or is unique in some way (a technical achievement, or evolution of
a favorite movement, for example). It's really only something that 'seasoned' collectors think about as their collections start to expand and they need to justify buying another watch, so they can add an xyz in house movement to their collection.

If racing and Nina make your heart flutter, (congratulations you're a warm blooded male), then grab a valjoux 72 Nina and don't look back.

NB: as with all desirable women, the Nina will likely require some patience. Take your time and find a nice example.
 
Gavin
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Luckily the toughest part is finding the Nina and not deciding I need want. 😜
 
woodwkr2
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luzer luzer
i am actually shopping for both right now!

A desirable woman and a Nina?
Good pairing. Get the watch first though. They come with fewer strings attached.
 
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woodwkr2 woodwkr2
If racing and Nina make your heart flutter, (congratulations you're a warm blooded male), then grab a valjoux 72 Nina and don't look back.


Thanks woodwkr, you've been beyond helpful! I'll keep hanging around here to swot up a bit and keep my eyes open. I'm a patient man when I need to be but I could see myself buying some cheaper watches in the mean time to tide myself over until I find the holy grail...

luzer luzer
i am actually shopping for both right now!

I wish you luck... but not as much luck as me! Haha
 
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