Is it still hard to get the 321 Ed White?

N njlam

I am getting tired of waiting on the Boutique given how many 2021-24 BNIB are currently available on eBay and Chrono...premiums seem to be in the $1K to $4K range.

If I hadn't bought so many watches in 2024, I would pull the trigger now....I am sure in a weak moment, I will have one in 2025...

Evitzee

I paid a $2,200 premium for a BNIB 321 from a seller here on OF in March 2022 and have greatly enjoyed it since then. But many people refuse to pay the market price for anything and cling to the "no more than MSRP, ever' viewpoint. Their choice, but sometimes you have to follow the Nike trademark, 'Just Do It'

Sft33

I have the 321 Ed White and the new FOIS. Do yourself a favor and get the FOIS. It’s awesome and you will forget about the Ed White. Don’t get me wrong, the 321 is a special watch - but the FOIS ticks most of the boxes for half the price.

Sft33

I have the 321 Ed White and the new FOIS. Do yourself a favor and get the FOIS. It’s awesome and you will forget about the Ed White. Don’t get me wrong, the 321 is a special watch - but the FOIS ticks most of the boxes for half the price.

N njlam

Good advice from both of you.

I will try to find a BNIB 321 on ebay or C24 in the next year, limiting the premium to about $2K.

I already have the 3861 Sapphire so I am not in a rush (and the FOIS doesn't get me the 321 movement which is the reason I want the EW).

The size of the FOIS is appealing, however I am stuck on the uneven amounts of lume on the hour and minute hands.

It is just frustrating to see so many new EWs available on line, yet Omega Boutiques seem to require a large purchase history to qualify to spend $15K...

G'c

Same here - have both. I'd have to say for me personally I am a bit more surprised that I find them both quite different watches, despite my earlier impression (and even slight frustration) that on paper they both should be similar.

Agree with you though that if it is mostly to do with pricing and "similar" looks, some people can make do with the FOIS 2024 (Although now holding both I understand why the Ed White still belongs to the collection). In fact, some may actually prefer the FOIS 2024, depending on personal preference, regardless of the price difference.


I think for EW it's much less frustrating than other references from other companies. It's not really a "hyped-up" watch nowadays.

I actually don't think Omega boutiques (depending on how it's being operated per jurisdiction) generally require large purchase history now to be actually on the list (their waiting list are real, per my own experience in getting the EW in Hong Kong). I strongly urge you to try contacting your boutique again (or another boutique).

Sft33

At least in the US - you are going to have a hard time getting an Ed White without a purchase history at an OB. Maybe you get lucky - but it’s highly unlikely.

Sft33

At least in the US - you are going to have a hard time getting an Ed White without a purchase history at an OB. Maybe you get lucky - but it’s highly unlikely.

N njlam

I am coming to that realization.

An OB just opened up in my town, so I hoped as they are new, there couldn't be too many people who had significant purchase history,

However recently I was told the 321 is only made available to those who have bought other watches from this boutique and it didn't matter that I had purchased a 3861 from the AD (who this boutique replaced) just last year.

Given how many 2021-2024 321 EWs that seem to be on-line these days, I think I will just pay the $1.5K to $2.5K premium to buy grey.

My problem with Omega is, aside from the Speedmaster, they do not make any other watches I think are worth owning.

Trying to behave like Roiex is not a good look for Omega...

N njlam

OP here. I finally got one!

An OB opened in my town in September and I was one of the first to express my interest in the 321.

While there was the same, "you have to have bought other watches before" policy, I think as a new store, this was more of a guideline than a rule.

I am grateful to the salesperson and her manager for making this happen as I had almost lost hope and planned to go grey in 2025.

While I will probably keep my 3861 (which I bought from an AD who couldn't get the 321), the 321 is a pretty special watch both on the wrist and in the collection.