This is a new sapphire 3861 from AD. After purchase I noticed a rattle that was coming from the end links tapping against the case when my wrist rolled.

https://imgur.com/a/54YmKwI (make sure to toggle sound on the video)

I didn’t expect this on a new watch and actually paid full price as they weren’t able to work a discount. No problem I was in love and made the purchase.

I can’t imagine this is normal and if it was just a visual thing I could (maybe) get past it. But it makes a clinky clanky sound when I roll my wrist

At first I thought it was a spring bar issue but the AD thinks end links so they are ordering a set. Part of me wants to pray this fixes it. First “luxury” watch purchase.

Both the 6 and the 12 side exhibit the same issue.

Is this normal? anyone want to take a guess at the issue?

 

Sure doesn’t seem normal to me. Since the issue seems to be consistent on both sides, I wonder if the AD swapped out the bracelet at some point (like during sizing) and used spring bars of the incorrect thickness to reaffirm it.

 

Yeah i did bring up the spring bar possibility, and also looked at the same model they had in store. They seemed the same to my eye but I could be wrong. Either way they pretty much dismissed the spring bar as a possibility and there really isn’t any play in the spring bar area but rather the edges of the end link that meet the case.

 

Are you sure spring bars are correctly placed?

 

The spring bars are definitely in the holes. Here’s a few photos showing the spring bars and I tried to get a pic showing the max space in between the spring bar and the hole it fits on the end link. In this picture the full weight of the bracelet is hanging downward to pull the end link as low as possibly.

Would love to know what people think. This is bugging the hell out of me but at the same time it’s a first world problem and I definitely have bigger fish to fry.

 

All manufactured items have tolerances (+/-) which usually give acceptable results when the parts are mated together, in your case the tolerances of the location of the spring bar holes (or the case tolerances where the end links butt against) are in the opposite direction as the end link tolerances resulting in that poor mating. Hopefully a new set of end links will solve the problem, but the issue may be the spring bar holes in which case you may have to get a new watch to solve the problem. Less likely is the case tolerances where the end links butt up against are off.

The rattling and misfit would drive me crazy.

 

Even if the spring bars are present, the AD might have accidentally used the wrong set. If I remember correctly, Omega's spring bars aren't all the same diameter. The bars for straps are different from those used for bracelets, although I'm not sure if that's what is going on here.

 

At this rate I don’t know what to do. I guess I’ll wait for the AD to get the new end links and see what happens, I’ll try to forget about it in the mean time. I kinda want to ask them to order me new spring bars as well but then not sure I’m they’re going to ask me to pay for them after they felt that wasn’t the issue. If I bought from an AD can I go into an omega boutique and ask them to check if my spring bars are incorrect? Would they have them in stock? Anyone know if something like this would be covered under warranty if I’d need a whole new watch? Ugh

 

Try not to stress. It should be fairly straightforward to diagnose and fix the problem:
1. Try new end links. If that doesn't work..
2. Check spring bars and ensure it's the correct ones. Any AD or OB should be able to do it in 2 seconds. And spring bars should not be expensive to replace. If that doesn't work, then...
3. Check for manufacturing defects in the watch itself. If present, watch should be replaced under warranty.

Hopefully you won't need to get to step 3 but it should all be covered under warranty, anywhere you go. That's what international warranties are for and why you pay for a new watch. For the peace of mind.

Good luck with resolving your issues.

 

I just wanna say thank you so much, I have never owned a watch like this and am not familiar with the warranty process so this has really put my mind at ease. Thank you.

 

Quite definitely an issue with the spring bars I’d say.

Get them to give you a replacement watch. I’d wouldn’t be accepting any issues like that with a brand new watch.

When you have a replacement watch, the AD can work out what the problem is. Why should you have to stress out about it ?!

 

if it’s a spring bar issue then I don’t want to have to replace the watch for that reason. I do love everything else about it, and it runs really well, less than +1 sec/day. I think I’d be bummed somehow if I ended up with a replacement that ran faster or had some other issue my ocd finds. Let’s see what happens, I’ll update when possible.

 

The spring bars used on a Speedmaster should be 1.8mm in thickness both for bracelets and straps and that's very important.
The ones used on straps are slightly longer.

 

Resurrecting the thread here. I have the same problem with my speedy. Here’s a video of it:

Could you fix the issue? After trying many other current Omega watches at the AD, I feel like it’s just their quality standard as of now. The guy in the boutique even told me, the endlinks had to wobble in order to change the strap more easily.

 

Oh that’s bad. Sorry, I wouldn’t be happy with that.

 

Not sure if you’re looks worse than mine or not but here has been my experience:

omega boutique replaced spring bars - no change
Ad replaced end links - no change

I also viewed other 3861 speedmaster and noticed the same issue to varying degrees.

the issue (in my case) was not the spring bars as many here alluded to but either the holes for the spring bars are drilled too far from the case or the case is not shaped right aka their quality and tolerance standards are just low. Regardless I fixed it pretty simply.

I added a thin small strip of clear tape on the inside of the end links (not visible once installed), and that’s solved the problem 100%.

I may attempt to send it to omega to see what they can do to remedy the problem at some point during the 5 year warranty but for now, any movement of the end links is gone, and the rattling sound is gone. I’m satisfied.

 

Thanks for your reply. Isn’t it weird, the bracelets of modern Omega watches fit so badly? My father in law owns a vintage Seamaster 300m and there’s absolutely no play between the endlinks and the case.

 

It’s a manufacturing fault. How a 6G watch can leave the factory like that is an embarrassment for Omega IMO.

 

My Apollo 11 50th Anniversary and my Planet Ocean have metal bracelets and the endlinks do not move like that. My 44.25 mm Speedmaster Racing has a leather strap and does not move or rattle either. I spent the better part of a month trying to find a stainless bracelet for the Speedmaster Racing to no avail. The holes for this model are apparently drilled for a leather strap and are different than any of the other models. I had an OB test fit several bracelets and none of them would fit.

 

My -somewhat unpopular- opinion: Omega got a lot of things wrong with the new model. And the bracelet is one of the worst parts about it. My old humble Speedy auto from 1990 has a better bracelet than this. And given all these changes I made it a point to still buy a 1861 with the previous bracelet.
I had compared them side by side and couldn’t believe what Omega had done with the new one. Wrong proportions, rattly, flimsy, and unfinished feeling. So the problems shown here don’t surprise me at all. Ymmv.