The Best $3,000 Watches - Too Low For LUXURY? Own an Omega Speedmaster and More For $3,000 or Less

Available today for less than $3,000, the Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33 should have been the watch that went to Mars. But almost immediately upon its 1998 release, the ultimate Omega Speedmaster was swept into the shadow of its famous predecessor, the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch. 25 years later, the Omega X-33 deserves a place in the collection of watch buyers who prize quality, features, and an unbeatable amount of value per dollar. Since 1969, any discussion of space watches has been dominated by the Omega Speedmaster Professional "Moonwatch" and the "Pre Moon" caliber 321 variants that preceded it. But with a mission to Mars on NASA's horizon in the 1990s, Omega spent five years working with astronauts and cosmonauts to create a watch ready to take on the Red Planet. The Omega Speedmaster X33 (references 3290.50, 3291.50, 318.90.42.79.01.001, 3990.50, and 3991.50) was designed with every conceivable feature that a pilot, space traveler, or space station resident could desire. Omega gave the X33 a titanium 42.25mm case, a unique quartz caliber 1666, and a combination of titanium bracelets and kevlar straps. The watch was packed with functions and complications designed specifically for professional aviators and astronauts. The Omega X-33 included a chronograph, a perpetual calendar, an 80-decibel alarm, an 8 lux backlight, analog and digital time displays, a second timezone, a countdown timer with alarm, an alarm to declare a pre-set time, an alarm for