Since I got my FOIS back in May I have really enjoyed its vintage proportions and feel on wrist. I have worn it nearly exclusively since getting it. The strap is durable, comfortable and handsome.
I happen to work in the health care field and help patients with wounds and get exposed to various bodily fluids every day. The idea of having leather strap and thus a hard to sanitize watch has always made me uneasy. What I love about watches on bracelets is that you can give them daily bird baths after work and feel like your watch isn't a nidus for infection anymore when you go home (yes, I know.. speedmaster.. "50m" WR.. that topic has been beaten to death already). I also just love the look and feel of a watch on a metal bracelet.
With that background information, you can understand why I was excited to learn about what bracelets I could put on the FOIS. This thread is a truly excellent starting resource for the curious FOIS owner considering putting her on metal:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/fois-on-bracelet.96000/
Because the FOIS has a 19mm lug width (most Omegas are 20mm), Omega bracelets you have lying around such as mesh will not fit and your options are more limited. Omega also does not officially make a bracelet for this watch so you have to get a little bit creative. I think it is fair to say that the majority of FOIS braceleteers end up with the 1125 bracelet with either 560 or 617 endlinks, as it is a solid overall solution with good vintage looks and feel.
Having just gone through lots of research and the buying experience, I thought I would put together a writeup with some things I think are valuable to know if you are in the same boat I was in and are considering this awesome bracelet acquisition.
Where can I buy it?
Online or the Omega boutique. I opted to go to the Omega boutique and get a brand new bracelet from them.
What is the cost?
$450 + tax from the Omega boutique for the bracelet and endlinks (I do not think you can get them separate). Springbars are free if you opt for the 617 endlinks and need the 2206 springbars. This cost is very reasonable in my opinion. Online, prices for used/new bracelets were similar if not more than Omega's price. When you consider the awesome customer service you get at the boutique and the fact that the price is similar if not better than anywhere else, in my mind it is a no brainer to go through Omega if a boutique is close to you.
Buying tips
I went to my local Omega boutique (King of Prussia) and inquired about purchasing the bracelet. I was met at first with an apology that the FOIS only comes on a strap and told that a bracelet will not work. I knew that technically this was true, but armed with the link I posted above, I showed all of the bracelet options to the staff and they were happy to assist me in ordering the 1125.
My absolute biggest tip for you is that in Omega's system, the bracelet (1125) and end links (560 or 617) are
not ordered separately, but together. When they went into the system, it took quite a lot of trial and error to get the bracelet to pop up. It turns out that the bracelet and endlinks are ordered as one. What needs to be typed into the computer is
020ST1125617. If you're after the 560 endlinks, it will be
020ST1125560.
Even though this bracelet is not really for the FOIS, they were happy to help me put it on my watch and adjust the clasp/links to fit my wrist, which was so nice of them. I was really pleased with their service.
How long did it take to arrive at the store?
2-3 weeks
560 vs 617 endlinks?
560 pros: you can use the same springbar that comes with the strap
560 cons: the endlink does not come all the way out to the lugs and the fit is not quite as good as the 617
617 pros: it looks like it was made for the FOIS, the endlink comes all the way out to the lug
617 cons: you have to use different spring bars (reference
2206, they are thinner than the spring bars that come on the strap). To me this is a non-issue: my Omega boutique gave them to me for free and it's really not a big deal at all.
Does the bracelet work with a small wrist?
YES! This is one thing that I was pretty worried about. I have a Submariner 14060M and a permanent link needed to be removed to make the watch even wearable for my 5.5 inch wrist. The clasp has tons of microadjustment holes and there are several pins and links that can be removed on each side of the bracelet:
As you can see, I even have one more microadjustment on the clasp to work with. This is one thing Omega consistently does right - their watches are designed to fit tiny and huge wrists!
What watch did the 1125 bracelet originally come on?
I do not know! Someone in the comments please tell me and I will update it here. My guess is a 1970's speedmaster, but I really do not know!
Bracelet review
I really love the look and feel of this bracelet. It makes a similar amount of noise as a 1990s oyster bracelet - not too much, but more than a modern bracelet for sure. The 617 endlinks in my opinion are a must, they just look to be a better fit than the 560s and the springbar deal is a non-issue. The clasp is very reliable so far and has not come undone. It requires a lot of force to open and is a little tricky to close sometimes but I find that charming. I have read that the bracelet can pull hairs but have yet to have this happen.
I have also read that someone with the 1125 on his FOIS had the clasp fail and the watch fall when the owner was getting up off the ground with his hands. He was moving his wrist dorsally toward the top of his wrist, putting pressure on the clasp which caused a part of it to fail. With the way I have the bracelet sized I do not see this being an issue but I will be more cautious of this and thought it worth mentioning. If you choose to wear the bracelet loose and have it distal to your ulnar styloid process (that bump), maybe be weary. In this story the Omega boutique did cover the cost of a new bracelet, even though the 1125 does not officially belong on the FOIS, a nice gesture for sure.
I love the big omega logo on the clasp and the sheen of the metal. The bracelet has a nice "droop" to it that adds to its vintage charm. It is comfortable and I can now give it gentle bird baths after a long day at the hospital. I am completely satisfied with this addition and found it to be well worth the cost and effort. Enjoy some pictures!
