I won't go into all the details around this watch's history, as you can find that info littered all over the web, but I will give you my take on this watch. Long story short, it's a beautiful and amazing watch, but one that will require some patience and hand-holding. Let me explain why.

The Speedmaster Professional is an older watch. It's rock-solid in construction and reliability (hell, it was used to guide Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon, surely it can guide me) but it isn't necessarily a modern watch. By that, I mean it isn't the king of accuracy (could be off by upwards of +/- 10 seconds a day), doesn't have a scratch-proof face, and requires you to manually wind it every other day to keep it running.

And so the question arises- why in the world would you want a watch like that when there are perfectly accurate, low maintenance, highly durable watches out there for no where near the $4k this timepiece demands? I'll tell you why. Because it's beautiful, it has a rich history, it gives you tangible ritualistic satisfaction every time you wind it, will last generations, and is among the most iconic timepieces of all time. This is a watch you can proudly gift to your son on his 18th birthday.