The New 2021 Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch (Sapphire)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "sharper edges on the sides of the case." I also don't really know what you mean by the "finesse and slight rounding of the 1861." Could you give an example of that?

Well, I looked closely at both my new Speedmaster and the Speedyorite, and I think the perceived softness in the outgoing model may have to do with the bottom of the case being polished. Geometrically, the 2021's lower edge is beveled slightly, which I suspect is meant to ensure the case doesn't cut into one's wrist when the watch is worn tightly. That said, the way the lugs flare out more like the old models probably makes the lugs look sharper, especially as the tips come down to more defined points. Personally, one of my chief dislikes about the modern Speedmasters were that the case geometries had a profile that was clearly flattened out versus their vintage counterparts. The thin brushed sides reminded me of an overpolished vintage case, but that little nitpick has been done away with now. In any case, the sharper appearance of the 2021 suggests to me a higher-quality finishing process, as I personally know that it can be very hard to preserve sharp edges when processing a metal component that has to be polished. There's probably more to it than that, but in short, I still believe that the new case feels much more comfortable than the outgoing variant, case sharpness and all. I also feel it looks much better, more faithful to the unpolished 105.012s out there.

When I have some time this weekend, I'll try to set things up so I can capture some close-up comparison shots.

On a somewhat unrelated note, I had some time to pop off the bezel for this model, and the construction of the new bezels are completely new. Omega now uses a replaceable gasket (the grey thing) rather than a direct interference fit between the bezel and case.

I don't know why this change was implemented, but I suspect it probably improves the serviceability of the watch, as the old Speedmaster case did wear if the bezels were removed frequently. Although this could be addressed by a watchmaker sizing the bezel, as Archer has suggested in another thread, this probably makes the whole process easier via the replacement of the gasket. I also noticed that the bezel was much harder to take off, probably because of the gasket, so that may be another reason this change was made.

The aluminum insert can actually be popped out of the bezel quite easily, and snapped back in place like those on vintage Rolexes. To my knowledge, they were previously glued in place, or not removable at all, so this is an interesting change.

@cvalue13 It also seems that the crystal is slightly cantilevered, which may be a factor that affects the prominence of the milky ring, a topic that you have explored with a lot of depth.

Personally I love the polished bracelet, but for those who are in two minds, or prefer the brushed look, simply reverse the bracelet. The inside links are exactly the same as the brushed bracelet and if you want it 100% brushed then just buy the brushed end pieces (much cheaper than a new bracelet). Thanks Omega for the quick change act - master stroke.

" @cvalue13 It also seems that the crystal is slightly cantilevered, which may be a factor that affects the prominence of the milky ring, a topic that you have explored with a lot of depth." I believe that Omega has used some kind of "black" coating to minimise the milky ring effect,