Fantastic work here. Your effort and expense to sort this out are much appreciated.
I’m not familiar with the FOIS bracelet. Do they look similar side by side in other respects?
Aside from the clasp, they look very similar to me, if not the same.
I've heard people said the 321 EW watch head and its bracelet are more scratch resistant, but I'm not sure if it's true.
Last I heard, the connecting link cannot be ordered separately from the bracelet itself per omega. That may have changed though.
That is correct. I tried to source the connecting link to adapt the Speedmaster 57 clasp on the 50th anniversary flatlink bracelet and was not able to do it. On a separate note, the 57 clasp can be installed on the 321 bracelet but you will have to remove 1 mm off the clasp inner endlink area to make it fit
Would you have a picture of the area you’re referring to? Thanks.
Sure! It’s actually a 1/2 MM modification (said 1 MM above by mistake); refer to this thread:
https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?p=13329267
The yellow part is the piece to modify (need to shave 1/2 MM for it to fit on either the female 321 bracelet connecting end or the Speedy 57 male connecting arm)
Here is the Speedy 57 clasp already installed on the Speedmaster 321 bracelet (guy file the 1/2 MM on the new speedy 57 clasp to do not modify the 321 bracelet)
Hope this helps !😀
Thanks to this crucial piece of information, I've purchased a complete FOIS 2024 bracelet (reference number is 020Z019159 in case anyone else is interested) and tried some fittings on my 321 EW, here are the results:
1. The FOIS clasp indeed won't fit the 321 bracelet, due to different width of the swing arms on the 321 bracelet. As shown in the pictures below, the gap between the swing arms of 321 bracelet is too narrow to accommodate the width of the push button in the FOIS clasp. The clasp simply won't close in this combination. It seems to me that OMEGA is trying to differentiate their product offerings by limiting certain functions to specific models.
2. The good news is the FOIS bracelet will fit 321 EW with zero issues. No need to change springbars, swap endlinks or make any other adjustments. The photos below show great endlink fit for both OEM 321 bracelet and FOIS bracelet. This is probably well expected by many and since the FOIS swing arms assembly is not sold separately, purchasing a full FOIS bracelet is the only way for 321 EW to have on-the-fly adjustability.
A follow-up, if I may: on this new FOIS bracelet, how many on-the-fly adjustment slots are there? Thanks.
Just one slot, like other Speedmaster clasps nowadays
Thanks, I know zero about modern Speedmasters, so let me see if I have this clasp issue all correct: the new Ed White has two adjustment spots on the clasp, but the new FOIS clasp that fits the Ed White noted above only has one additional adjustment slot? So, the benefit of this latter clasp is only that you don’t need a tool to move it? I just checked my modern 300 Seamaster Heritage clasp, and it has five on-the-fly slots, so one additional is a bit surprising.
Think there is only one position of adjustment
Both the original clasp and adjustable clasp have two slots, with one slot already taken just as YY77 said. The only benefit you get with the adjustable clasp is to have tool-less adjustment.
I think OMEGA does this to minimize the footprint of the clasp. Plus, if the bracelet is sized properly, one adjustment position should be just enough. Although personally I would prefer one additional slot.
Thank you all for this helpful information. Would I be correct that, on both the new Ed White clasp, and the new FOIS clasp, that the adjustment holes/slots equal 1/2 link travel in both cases?
And…another question. When you are first sizing your bracelets: do you add or remove links with the additional adjustment holes or slots at the wider, or narrower positions?
Where I live, the are just massive swings in temperature and humidity, which can significantly affect fit. So I was curious what you all do regarding that. I really do think another adjustment holes/slots would have been better…
