Moonwatch with Tritium and Sapphire sandwich?

Clocka · Jul 25, 2022

Hi everyone,

New member and aspiring collector here. Apologies in advance for any newbie questions but rest assured I've tried searching before asking 😀

I'm on a quest to find my first (and hopefully only) Moonwatch. I've done some research and am looking for the following:

Tritium hour markers and dials
Bracelet: Ref 1498, 1499, 1998 or maybe Ref 1479.
Clear caseback: Preferably Sapphire sandwich, but ok with hesalite/sapphire
NOTE: Clear caseback is not an absolute must but I might as well go for all the features I like if possible.
With original box and papers

In regards to the bracelet: Prefer a more substantial presence and look, leaning towards 1498, 1499 or 1998. But I'm unsure about ref 1479 and if it's too "flimsy". Do any of you know if it's similar to the new 2021 bracelets in feel?
I tried the 2021 bracelets and I just find them too slight/thin. Am used to the hefty bracelet on my Seamaster.

In regards to clear caseback: Do you know if a sapphire sandwich that also has Tritium even exists at all?
As far as I've been able to research only hesalite/sapphire exist when it also has to have tritium dial.

My searching has landed me on below three refs (all hesalite/sapphire w. tritium):
Ref 3592.50 - (1988-1997, all tritium)
Ref 3572.50.00 (tritium 1996-1997)
Ref 345.0808 (1985-1988, all tritium)

The first two seem somewhat scarce and unnecessarily pricey in Europe (I'm in Denmark).
And the last one naturally is scarce in general considering the age, and especially finding one in great condition.

Anyone aware of other refs that'd satisfy my criteria?

Bonus question: Would bracelet ref 1998 even fit any of the above watch refs?

/Claus

kgb · Jul 25, 2022

I believe your list is correct, and that tritium with sapphire sandwich does not exist.

Like you, I wanted tritium and display caseback. I actually prefer Hesalite over sapphire (for reduced reflection, no 'halo', and the molded Omega symbol; yes it is not as durable but that hasn't proven to be a problem for me.) You will find that the tritium Hesalite sandwich watches on your list may have Rhodium, or gold, (and even rarely copper) movement finishes. I got the gold 863 on my 3572.50 and love it. good luck.

Clocka · Jul 27, 2022

kgb
I believe your list is correct, and that tritium with sapphire sandwich does not exist.

Like you, I wanted tritium and display caseback. I actually prefer Hesalite over sapphire (for reduced reflection, no 'halo', and the molded Omega symbol; yes it is not as durable but that hasn't proven to be a problem for me.) You will find that the tritium Hesalite sandwich watches on your list may have Rhodium, or gold, (and even rarely copper) movement finishes. I got the gold 863 on my 3572.50 and love it. good luck.

Thanks a lot for the confirmation and information kgb. And the wonderful pictures. Boy have the tritium on those markers and dials aged nicely. What a beauty 👍

In regards to the hesalite then yes, the more I read, see IRL and talk to people the less of an issue it seems to be. I'm not particularly hard on my watches, but would be nice with the peace of mind that sapphire provides. But then again with hesalite most excess scratches can be polished away. And the more I look at the sapphire on the Moonwatch the less I like the flatness and milky sheen.

As far as the movement color then I'm not picky. Just love to be able to see it.

I see you have yours on a strap, but which bracelet do you have if any? And how does that wear?
My worry with the bracelet ref 1479 that seems so cherished by many, is that IMO it seems to "drop off" quickly from the lugs and doesn't seem to flow/integrate optimally out of the lugs (if that makes any sense).

Now, to source one of these refs at a reasonable price here in Europe that seems a different matter entirely. Not in a rush, other than when you have the money and have honed in on what you want then naturally I want it on my wrist 😁
I may end up having to plan a vacation to the US or Japan to also pick up one of these refs.

kgb · Jul 27, 2022

Clocka
I see you have yours on a strap, but which bracelet do you have if any? And how does that wear?

Hi Clocka. Admittedly I primarily wear straps and I'm not knowledgeable about the world of Omega bracelets. Here are some shots of the Uncle Seiko 1171 bracelet I bought which looks great on the Speedy and is comfortable (and much cheaper than Omega's.) I then fitted it with an Omega clasp from ebay.

https://www.uncleseiko.com/products/us1171-omega-speedmaster-bracelet-19mm-and-20mm

outta_gas · Jul 28, 2022

New member and new 3592.50 owner here. I wanted basically the same things as you, although I really wanted the Hesalite Sandwich, and settled on the 3592.50. Just FYI, there is one FS in the Marketplace that looks interesting. Not sure if linking to it is allowed, but a quick search for "Omega Speedmaster 3592.50" will turn it up. I would ask about the Bezel because I think they are supposed to have serifs on the 7 (see post post above and https://omegaforums.net/threads/the...ter-apollo-xi-3592-50-numbered-edition.85991/). I am not an expert though, so don't take my word on it and do the research if you go this direction. Happy hunting!

Clocka · Jul 28, 2022

kgb
Hi Clocka. Admittedly I primarily wear straps and I'm not knowledgeable about the world of Omega bracelets. Here are some shots of the Uncle Seiko 1171 bracelet I bought which looks great on the Speedy and is comfortable (and much cheaper than Omega's.) I then fitted it with an Omega clasp from ebay.

https://www.uncleseiko.com/products/us1171-omega-speedmaster-bracelet-19mm-and-20mm

Thanks. That's a nice bracelet indeed. Love how the end-links have the same length as the lugs and don't drop of before the end of the lugs (unlike the original ref 1479). And combined with the micro-adjustments on the clasp as well.

gbesq · Jul 28, 2022

The 3592.50 is probably your best bet. And the 1479 bracelet with 812 end links is excellent. Very sturdy build quality and a vintage appearance. Defiinitely one of the better and more comfortable Speedmaster bracelets.

Clocka · Jul 28, 2022

gbesq
The 3592.50 is probably your best bet. And the 1479 bracelet with 812 end links is excellent. Very sturdy build quality and a vintage appearance. Defiinitely one of the better and more comfortable Speedmaster bracelets.

Thanks for the real-life experience gbesq. I haven't tried on a 1479 yet, and always difficult when you only have pictures and videos to go by.

Clocka · Jul 28, 2022

outta_gas
New member and new 3592.50 owner here. I wanted basically the same things as you, although I really wanted the Hesalite Sandwich, and settled on the 3592.50. Just FYI, there is one FS in the Marketplace that looks interesting. Not sure if linking to it is allowed, but a quick search for "Omega Speedmaster 3592.50" will turn it up. I would ask about the Bezel because I think they are supposed to have serifs on the 7 (see post post above and https://omegaforums.net/threads/the...ter-apollo-xi-3592-50-numbered-edition.85991/). I am not an expert though, so don't take my word on it and do the research if you go this direction. Happy hunting!

Thanks a lot for the tip and threads. I found the listing. Only, and sadly frequent, challenge is that the seller is in the US. So I'd get a lot of import taxes added on top.

It's probably me, but what's meant by "Serifs on the 7"?
I mean I know what a serif character is, as in over certain letters in some languages. But not on numbers.

Not quite related but in my searching I previously found this page from Chuck Maddox which is very informative as to the different Speedy variations:
http://chronomaddox.com/speedy_dial_details.html

kgb · Jul 28, 2022

Sharp eye, @outta_gas . I had never noticed the sans-serif 7 before. But in fact it is a legit bezel for 3592.50 per Moonwatch Only:

outta_gas · Jul 28, 2022

Clocka
Thanks a lot for the tip and threads. I found the listing. Only, and sadly frequent, challenge is that the seller is in the US. So I'd get a lot of import taxes added on top.

It's probably me, but what's meant by "Serifs on the 7"?
I mean I know what a serif character is, as in over certain letters in some languages. But not on numbers.

Not quite related but in my searching I previously found this page from Chuck Maddox which is very informative as to the different Speedy variations:
http://chronomaddox.com/speedy_dial_details.html

I see- I am in the US, so this would be good for me. I also have discovered that the tariffs here aren't really that bad if the watch is not a precious metal.

As for the sevens, I am referring to a little hook on the horizontal part. Take a look at the bezel in the top pic in this post: https://omegaforums.net/threads/the...ter-apollo-xi-3592-50-numbered-edition.85991/, specifically the 7 in 70 and 75. Also, when you examine these bezels, be sure to look at the positioning of the dots. For instance, for the bezel (first pic in linked post), it has the dot beside the 0 in 70. The Moonwatch Only reference they provide says that the dot should be beside 70, but sometimes you may see it below. Again, I am no expert, so it is possible (maybe likely) that different production times have different bezels, so it's important to take a look at these types of details.

If you go with a vintage piece, this ref is an awesome one in my opinion. Good luck!

outta_gas · Jul 28, 2022

kgb
Sharp eye, @outta_gas . I had never noticed the sans-serif 7 before. But in fact it is a legit bezel for 3592.50 per Moonwatch Only:

Looks like we were both posting at the same time. In my post below (well moments after yours): "I am no expert, so it is possible (maybe likely) that different production times have different bezels, so it's important to take a look at these types of details." Looks to be this! Thanks for finding that. Good to know. I think I have the B2 bezel on my slightly older ref, 1988 from the serial.

kgb · Jul 28, 2022

outta_gas
Looks like we were both posting at the same time.

Haha, yes. I agree that one for sale is a pretty nice watch and decent price. Serial number makes it 1992 production which also justifies the sans serif 7 bezel.

kgb · Jul 28, 2022

Let's see a picture of yours, @outta_gas . We need to convince @Clocka that Hesalite&tritium&display caseback is the way to go!

outta_gas · Jul 28, 2022

kgb
Let's see a picture of yours, @outta_gas . We need to convince @Clocka that Hesalite&tritium&display caseback is the way to go!

Here you go. It’s my daily wear these days, so it’s on my wrist now.

Foo2rama · Jul 28, 2022

Display casebacks are easy to source as well.

kgb · Jul 28, 2022

Wow that's a beaut @outta_gas! I wish mine had the droop S and r in Speedmaster like yours.

Clocka · Jul 28, 2022

outta_gas
I see- I am in the US, so this would be good for me. I also have discovered that the tariffs here aren't really that bad if the watch is not a precious metal.

As for the sevens, I am referring to a little hook on the horizontal part. Take a look at the bezel in the top pic in this post: https://omegaforums.net/threads/the...ter-apollo-xi-3592-50-numbered-edition.85991/, specifically the 7 in 70 and 75. Also, when you examine these bezels, be sure to look at the positioning of the dots. For instance, for the bezel (first pic in linked post), it has the dot beside the 0 in 70. The Moonwatch Only reference they provide says that the dot should be beside 70, but sometimes you may see it below. Again, I am no expert, so it is possible (maybe likely) that different production times have different bezels, so it's important to take a look at these types of details.

If you go with a vintage piece, this ref is an awesome one in my opinion. Good luck!

Thanks. Feel a bit silly. I used text editors and used enough font types I should've known what to look for 🤨

So based on your and kgb's posts it seems 3592.50 exists in genuine versions both with and without serif on the bezel 7's.
Seems i need to make Moonwatch Only book my fellow companion when I find potential purchases.

Clocka · Jul 28, 2022

kgb
Let's see a picture of yours, @outta_gas . We need to convince @Clocka that Hesalite&tritium&display caseback is the way to go!

Think I'm already there kgb. Considering there's no sapphire sandwich w. tritium, one of the hesalite/sapphire refs I mentioned in my OP seem the candidates. Probably Ref 3592.50.

Main thing I'm still unsure of until I try them, is the bracelet (1479 or 1498). I need to try 1479 somewhere as I'd prefer that as the most original IMO, providing I like it IRL.

But will have to put my quest on hold for a bit of vacation trip next week.

outta_gas · Jul 28, 2022

Clocka
Think I'm already there kgb. Considering there's no sapphire sandwich w. tritium, one of the hesalite/sapphire refs I mentioned in my OP seem the candidates. Probably Ref 3592.50.

Main thing I'm still unsure of until I try them, is the bracelet (1479 or 1498). I need to try 1479 somewhere as I'd prefer that as the most original IMO, providing I like it IRL.

But will have to put my quest on hold for a bit of vacation trip next week.

I didn't really have the option of trying on a vintage watch, but after trying on new Speedmasters at an Omega AD, I nearly decided that I no longer wanted a Speedmaster because of the way they felt with the new bracelets and the size (my collection is mostly restored vintage Citizen watches from the 70s and these are smaller than today's standards). What I didn't know until I started looking into it more seriously was that there are many good aftermarket bracelets that you can get. The bracelet on mine is a gen 1450, but I really lucked out in finding a watch that was on one. If you want fully vintage, this won't work for you, but if not, check out Uncle Seiko. Be interested to see what you arrive upon.

Moonwatch with Tritium and Sapphire sandwich?

Clocka

kgb

Clocka

kgb

outta_gas

Clocka

gbesq

Clocka

Clocka

kgb

outta_gas

outta_gas

kgb

kgb

outta_gas

Foo2rama

kgb

Clocka

Clocka

outta_gas

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