So I was wondering any of you daily the EW321. Do you think they are durable enough to handle it? I don’t mean like rock climbing or ATV racing but like maybe summer hikes or just light outdoor stuff or beaches, etc. I like wearing my 321 but it feels much more fragile next to my PO75 which I feel like I could use that as a weapon and it would keep ticking. Basically is it rugged enough I could use it and make memories with it?

And which would you use for an outdoor weekend summer watch, 321 or a Snoopy? 3861 movement a lot more durable than the 321 movement?

 

I believe @Indices dailies his...

 

I wore a vintage Ed White as a daily for five years, so I’m sure the modern version can handle it.

 

There is nothing special or unique about a Cal 321 movement that says you shouldn't wear all day, every day for years on end if you wanted to. They aren't delicate and it's a watch that Omega will service for many years. Make your memories.

 

If the Speedy is good enough for an astronaut, it is good enough for your lackluster activities.

 

Yup...321 was good enough to withstand way more getting into space than I could on a daily basis. Plus it isn't hard to get parts either.

 

It’s been said many times that there’s nothing special about this movement, nor is it difficult for any competent watchmaker to service.

That said: I’ve sent three different vintage cal. 321’s to three different independent watchmakers, and it was nothing but a quagmire getting them to run correctly, and finding out what the relevant issues were that were causing the problems. In light of that, I would sooner use a cal. 861 as a daily. Just my experience…

 

Perfect daily wearer IMO. SS case, sapphire, modern iteration of the 321….and especially, not vintage. But more than all this, it’s a Speedmaster. It flies so well under the radar and it’s tough as nails!

 

There are a few things there...

Vintage - with vintage watches, they are often hacked up by less skilled or less patient watchmakers over the years. Also, there's wear that in many cases never gets repaired properly. None of this is exclusive to a 321, but since they have been around longer then an 861 they tend to have more issues just because of that. So that's part of it certainly, and I can say with confidence that servicing a 321 will often give me more issues than servicing an 861 does, just for this reason alone (not because of the design or anything special about the movement).

Parts - although someone said parts are readily available, that's not from Omega. Again when the "new" 321 was introduced, we heard that Omega execs said this would open up access to spare parts again, and that absolutely has not happened. So as a watchmaker you will be fighting for the same dwindling set of spare parts that every other watchmaker around the world is fighting for. When you do find those, they aren't going to be cheap. What you will find is a lot of used parts out there that when you buy them, might just be as worn or more worn than the part you are trying to replace.

So wearing a vintage 321 is different from the modern, because the modern you can just send it to Omega without having to worry that they are going to destroy the value. I think the modern watch should be treated like a modern watch - just wear it and send it to the factory when ti needs service.

 

Any movement that has been buggered about over 50+ years by 'shade tree' repairers will be hard to put right now, especially since many replacement parts aren't available. But a new 321 isn't going to fall into that situation. You'll need to send it to Bienne every 5-8 years for a service but repairability back to factory specs isn't in question. To me that's the biggest advantage of getting a new 321 over a well used one. Some people want vintage and that's ok, but that position often (usually?) comes with reliability issues.

 

+1. In my experience, the 861 remains the best of the bunch. The 321 is more elegant and has the historical chops, but the 861 was intended to improve upon it and it did.

 

Any speedmaster is deemed to be a daily beater

 

You can even wear it while mowing.

 

My speedmaster has the 1861, which to my understanding is very similar to the 861. Is the 1861 as robust as its predecessor to your knowledge?

 

Yes.

 

+1. Historically, my recollection is that the 861 orbited (but did not land on) the moon whereas the 1861 has been used for EVA.

 

I wear some of my 321 chronographs routinely.

Here are a few that I wear in rotation on a regular basis:



Personally, I don’t see the point of owning them if I don’t get to wear and enjoy them.

Of course, I’m an idiot and don’t know any better.

 

Sure do Erich, It is still looking as great as ever.

The watch has been proven to survive many events where human life can not during the NASA tests. For me that’s enough for my pottering around too. I won’t swim with it though, although I have swum a number of times with the 3861.

The 321 makes a lot of sense as a daily with its extreme legibility, smaller size and utilisation of sapphire and ceramic. I have worn mine quite a bit more than my 3861 and it seems to be holding up much better for those materials. I say go for it!

 

Great discussion on vintage vs modern 321. I learn something new on this forum every day.

I think most modern watches would work for a daily. They're just made so much more durable compared to vintage pieces.

 

I have worn the 321 as a daily for the last 12 months. Since I got it it hasn't stopped running. Wind it everyday, wear it every day. Occasionally a mid-day switch to something else, then back to the Ed White. I will bring the PloProf on my upcoming dive holiday, so the 321 will have a small break as well. The sapphire and the ceramic look like new. Case as well. Bracelet got some scratches though. The watch comes to life. I would wear a diver at the beach, and I take ithe 321 off when doing serious construction work. Other then that, just wear it eveyday and be proud. The case can definitely handle it, and I'm sure the movement will be just fine as well. Keep in mind it's not anti-magnetic though.