I stopped by a local AD today to check on their timeline for getting the new Speedmaster Professional in stock (I don't have an OB anywhere close). They don't have any in yet, but I asked about the possibility of ordering a separate bracelet. My hope was to get the hesalite version on the fabric strap and then order the sapphire version of the bracelet, because I like the polished links. The guy at the AD said that Omega wouldn't let him order a sapphire bracelet for someone who doesn't own the sapphire version of the watch.

That sounds counter to what I've seen in some recent posts in other threads, so I wanted to see if anyone has had any luck trying something similar--either with the sapphire bracelet on the hesalite watch or vice versa--or if others have run into the same issue.

I wasn't sure if Omega had some kind of policy to keep people from messing with their intended design or maybe it's an AD vs OB thing or maybe it's really just due to limited supply at this point. Just curious.

Thanks.

 

Plenty of people have bought the flat link bracelet on the Apollo 11 50th watch without owning the watch. It sounds like an AD thing unless Omega has changed its policy.

 

Good note. Thanks. Hopefully, it's just a temporary supply constraint or maybe just something with that AD.

 

They are both available as normal parts. Any OB can source it for you. Most AD’s have no clue on bracelets.

 

OBs in the US are able to order any of those bracelets. Give them a call. They usually ship them to any part of the US.

 

I got the sapphire sandwich but prefer the bracelet on the hesalite and was able to order it through a nearby AD in the SF Bay Area, so you should be able to find one if you call around. Consequently, I’ll be selling my sapphire one once the hesalite version arrives so holler if you’re interested in getting one second hand

 

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like it's not any kind of official policy from Omega, but I might need to shop around, so to speak, for a nearby AD who can/will order one or just contact an OB directly and have them just ship it to me.

I should be able to pick up my watch later this week, so scrounging for a bracelet will be my spring project.

Thanks again.

 

Definitely not official Omega policy. I've purchased all kinds of parts and a bracelet from the Zurich OB.

 

I don't own a Speedy (yet) but it is in my future. So I am just curious. What do others think about the metal bracelet on the new Speedy Moon watch versus the old version? I realize (within the new versions) that there is some variation of the bracelet depending on whether the buyer goes with sapphire versus hesalite models.

But what I am asking is concerning the quality. For example, I seem to recall reading someone describing the new bracelets as being so light weight that it felt "toy" like. That description actually didn't sound good to me! But I can't imagine Omega putting a cheap bracelet on the new Speedy, especially at the higher price points!

Can anyone give any insight (comparison) of the quality of the bracelets on the new sapphire and hesalite Speedy Moon Watches versus the bracelets on the old models? I wouldn't necessarily expect the bracelets to have the thickness or weight of a diver watch by any means. But I would still expect very high quality.

 

The new bracelet is a much better fit for the Speedy than the previous one was - especially if you have smaller wrists (7" and under).

In terms of build quality, I have the current bracelet, the previous bracelet and the Omega 1171 bracelet, and if you positioned the new bracelet between the latter two "extremes" in terms of how solid it feels, it's much closer to the previous version than to the rattly 1171 - which was also considered a top notch bracelet back when it was first introduced.

 

When I checked out the bracelet in person, it was considerably lighter than the previous one. I can't speak to the quality, but I immediately noticed the difference in weight when I tried it on side by side with the 1861. Some of that difference is probably the case as well, but there is just a lot less metal on the bracelet, and therefore, less heft.

I will say that the 15mm at the buckle looked smaller than I anticipated. Whether that's good or bad is up to you, but is a huge difference compared to 20mm in the previous version. The buckle itself felt solid in the couple minutes I played with it, but I can't speak beyond that.

 

Extra weight doesn't necessarily mean it's stronger. IMHO, it's more like, how it is all put together.

 

I won't argue with that. Just that the difference in weight was immediately noticeable.

 

That's what I was thinking. How is the bracelet really put together on the new version versus the 1861? With all the work that went into putting the new movement in the latest version of the Speedy, I can't imagine that Omega would skimp on the bracelet. But it just got my attention when I read someone describing it as "toy like". I am eager to see the new version.

 

I bought the hesalite 3861 back in January and I actually asked the tech at the OB to remove the watch from its bracelet, since I was going to put it on a nato as soon as I got it home. So, not a complaint or anything close to it, just that in those few minutes with it, I felt it looked and felt a bit too diminutive (at the clasp) for my tastes.