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Speed master moonwatch - help!

J
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Stuck for ideas for my husbands 60th I started to look at watches as he already has a rolex, iwc and panerai. I started with a local jeweller who has a large stock of used watches and came across a 2018 Wally Shira 39.7mm ltd edition for £3350 ($4700). It is in perfect condition and unworn. I trust the seller as my husband bought the panerai from him. I’ve since been sucked down the Speedy rabbit hole and now can’t decide what to buy. The only steel strapped watch he has is the Rolex so I’m thinking either pre or post 2021 moonwatch professional with hesalite would be the better option - I get the impression the leather strap on the Shira model isn’t great and having had to replace his iwc croc strap I know they’re pretty expensive.
He’ll never be a speedy collector so I want to get the one that is likely to be the most admired. There’s a £2k premium on the 2021 which I can afford but as I’ve learned with other purchases it’s not all about the price.
 
S.H.
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If you need a steel bracelet option for a Speedmaster, you can add an Omega OEM bracelet later. Also, aftermarket options exist (Forstner, Uncle Seiko) and seem to be appreciated; they are much cheaper also.
 
gbesq
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Vintage Speedmaster Professionals are readily available. Collectors tend to prefer those with tritium dial plots and hands because the tritium patinates (unlike superluminova which stays white forever). Omega stopped using tritium after 1996. If you think that your husband would like a traditional hesalite Speedy Pro, you might want to consider a reference 3590.50. These were made from the late 1980s through 1996 and are not difficult to find. Good examples typically cost $4,000-$4,500 USD. Here’s mine:
38811F2C-87D9-453B-B18E-58CFF0CC2041.jpeg 66A14208-9434-454C-B1DF-899140A98A61.jpeg 4E2060C2-6893-4786-864C-74C738B96924.jpeg
 
N
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Ah, I think the model you are referring to is called the “FOIS - First Omega in Space”. It’s not limited edition, just individually numbered. So just wanted to make sure you’re not being told it’s limited by the dealer.

If you’re considering the old/new moon watch, people are getting discounts from ADs for both. Hopefully someone from the UK can chime in.
 
Donn Chambers
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As an owner of the FOIS, I also want to add that the leather strap that comes on it is of very high quality. Mine is still going strong 5 years later (although I switch it out on a regular basis). Now, it’s look might not be to everyone’s taste and it is short so may not fit large wrists, but it is a high quality strap.

There are also lots of aftermarket straps and some bracelets that will fit that case. Two that are popular are made by Uncle Seiko and Forstner. Here’s a review of those bracelets (along with some others):

https://omegaforums.net/threads/sort-of-5-speedmaster-bracelets-reviewed.121192/

As others have said, it is not a limited edition per se, but it has been discontinued and is appreciating in price on the resale market at the moment.
 
J
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Many thanks for the replies. Were i buying for myself I’d spend the time to invest in a vintage model however I don’t have the time to do so in this instance. It’s down to the 3 models I mentioned above. Of course he’ll put in the hours to research the different options after I give it to him. I just can’t decide which of the 3 will gain me the most Brownie points!
 
gbesq
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The new moon watch has a step dial which is a feature that we haven’t seen on a Speedmaster since 1971, so in that regard it’s unique. Although it’s new and unproven, I think that the general consensus is that the 3861 movement in the 2021 Speedmaster is technologically superior to the older 1861 in virtually every respect. That being said, the caliber 1861 has a long track record and a well deserved reputation for reliability.
 
J
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gbesq gbesq
The new moon watch has a step dial which is a feature that we haven’t seen on a Speedmaster since 1971, so in that regard it’s unique. Although it’s new and unproven, I think that the general consensus is that the 3861 movement in the 2021 Speedmaster is technologically superior to the older 1861 in virtually every respect. That being said, the caliber 1861 has a long track record and a well deserved reputation for reliability.

many thanks for being a speedy geek so I don’t have to!
 
Evitzee
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J jmck6868
Many thanks for the replies. Were i buying for myself I’d spend the time to invest in a vintage model however I don’t have the time to do so in this instance. It’s down to the 3 models I mentioned above. Of course he’ll put in the hours to research the different options after I give it to him. I just can’t decide which of the 3 will gain me the most Brownie points!
Why not give him an IOU in a wrapped box, sounds like he enjoys the research part of the hunt. Maximum brownie points! And he ends up with the watch he wants.
 
J
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Evitzee Evitzee
Why not give him an IOU in a wrapped box, sounds like he enjoys the research part of the hunt. Maximum brownie points! And he ends up with the watch he wants.

There’s no memory related to the item in that. He’ll say he’d rather put it toward something different then prevaricate and not buy anything. He is so hard to buy for as he has the £50k stereo, the Aston Martin v12 vantage and mclaren. Giving him cash or an iou is meaningless.
 
gbesq
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J jmck6868
There’s no memory related to the item in that. He’ll say he’d rather put it toward something different then prevaricate and not buy anything. He is so hard to buy for as he has the £50k stereo, the Aston Martin v12 vantage and mclaren. Giving him cash or an iou is meaningless.
If he doesn’t have a Speedmaster, he doesn’t have it all. Poor guy. 😀
 
Evitzee
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gbesq gbesq
If he doesn’t have a Speedmaster, he doesn’t have it all. Poor guy. 😀
He's got a McLaren and an Aston Martin, he doesn't need a stinkin' Speedmaster.

But seriously, I think the best case for the OP is to get the newest version of the Speedmaster, either with hesalite or sapphire. At least that is the most technically advanced manual Speedmaster to date. It's no McLaren, but it's not a Toyota Camry either.
Edited:
 
J
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gbesq gbesq
If he doesn’t have a Speedmaster, he doesn’t have it all. Poor guy. 😀

so true. I can’t speak for what he reads about cars or stereos however he is seriously going to get a kick out of reading about Omegas!
 
gbesq
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Upon further reflection, if he has an Aston Martin then perhaps you should be shopping for a 300m (“Bond”) Seamaster. 😎 This is a later version of the watch that debuted in Goldeneye in 1995, but it’s a classic.
C8CABA4A-65DE-46D1-8877-3E00A0F24890.jpeg
 
gbesq
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J jmck6868
Very nice but too similar to his explorer 2.
You’re comparing an Omega icon to ... gasp ... a Ro ... ugh. 😲😲😲 Worlds are colliding. Ok, get him the Speedmaster. 😁
 
drhex
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Which McLaren? 😀
I would go for the new steel 321, it is rare and has connections back to the moon while being new. Take the new 3861 Speedy otherwise, least worry and easy to get. The FoiS is a really nice watch if he prefers smaller watches (which it doesn’t sound like). Also available in gold, which I like (and is relatively rare again).
 
PRT10361
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J jmck6868
Stuck for ideas for my husbands 60th I started to look at watches as he already has a rolex, iwc and panerai. I started with a local jeweller who has a large stock of used watches and came across a 2018 Wally Shira 39.7mm ltd edition for £3350 ($4700). It is in perfect condition and unworn. I trust the seller as my husband bought the panerai from him. I’ve since been sucked down the Speedy rabbit hole and now can’t decide what to buy. The only steel strapped watch he has is the Rolex so I’m thinking either pre or post 2021 moonwatch professional with hesalite would be the better option - I get the impression the leather strap on the Shira model isn’t great and having had to replace his iwc croc strap I know they’re pretty expensive.
He’ll never be a speedy collector so I want to get the one that is likely to be the most admired. There’s a £2k premium on the 2021 which I can afford but as I’ve learned with other purchases it’s not all about the price.

I know a trusted seller who has a brand new 2021 leather strapped Speedmaster legendary moon watch for £3700.00 maybe a little less ? It’s he salute and has the 1861 movement.
 
PRT10361
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PRT10361 PRT10361
I know a trusted seller who has a brand new 2021 leather strapped Speedmaster legendary moon watch for £3700.00 maybe a little less ? It’s he salute and has the 1861 movement.

he salute is Hesalight
 
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