On the first Tuesday of 2021, Omega unveiled a slew of new Speedmaster Moonwatch references. Among which were the surprising proprietary Sedna (rose) gold and Canopus (white) gold models. But to its core, Omega kept things straightforward with the stainless steel Moonwatch. In the steel guise were four references with either Hesalite or sapphire crystal […]

Visit Why I Bought The New Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Sapphire Sandwich to read the full article.

 

You sold the FOIS to fund it?! Curious what others think of that move.
Lovely watch though. Also on my wish-list, just couldn't sell my FOIS.

 

Unless you have an Ed White, (either new or old) or another straight lug variation such as Trilogy I can't see the sense in selling the FOIS personally since the straight lug is to me the nicer case form factor. I do take the point that the polished hands aren't for everyone though. The real answer is to keep both but of course that isn't always a practical solution!

One thing that raised my eyebrows though is that I really don't see the logic in the statement that it is easier to swap the sapphire crystal for a Hesalite one than to swap a solid back for a display back. The latter operation is simply a case of unscrewing one and screwing on another ( and perhaps adding in a spacer or locating ring) whereas swapping crystal materials on these has always been tricky and not guaranteed to retain water resistance or for that matter the crystal. I would much prefer the back option to messing with crystals.

 

As a FOIS owner myself, I loved the description of it as “the thinking-fan's Speedmaster”! I saw the sapphire sandwich in the metal on Friday at an OB and is a gorgeous watch, for sure. And for those who appreciate the FOIS I think it is a logical choice.

 

I can understand that the Speedy Pro's white hands may be easier to see in low light but I find it hard to believe that the OP had difficulty seeing the hands of his FOIS under a street lamp. I'm sitting in my dimly lit bedroom right now with FOIS on and I've got no problems telling the time. Maybe he was really inebriated and couldn't focus his eyes!

 

I have just bought the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Sapphire Sandwich..... but a FOIS is still on my 'need to buy' list -
FOIS, 105 , 145.012, 861/1861 …. 3861 …. to get the full flight path.... and the NASA Moonshine.... and the Snoopy ….damn I need to cancel retirement :0(…

 

Interesting move. From my personal point of view, FOIS is numbered edition with approx. 16.000 watches made. I’m not sure how many new Sapphire Moonwatches will be made but my guess is 100s thousands in next maybe 15-20 years? But that’s only my point of view, luckily we all are different. Therefore congrats and wear it in good health!

 

Everybody's eyes are different due to age, variations in acuity, disease or other issues, so one person may see the hands perfectly under most conditions and someone else will have problems under the same conditions. Like most things, it depends on the individual. But I think using the issue of legibility by the writer of the article as a key reason for getting rid of the FOIS is a bit of stretch, as the problem could be fixed with a change of hands.

 

Yes, or simply wrist-rolling. I never had an issue with the legibility on my FOIS, because rotating my wrist 15-30 degrees changes the angle of light reflection on those highly-polished hands.

 

Recent FOIS value increase makes the 3861 exchange relatively cheap, and tempting.
Novelties are appealing, but after a while, you may find yourself looking to recover the FOIS, just that this time it may be as expensive as a 3861.

 

Along with unveiling the new generation Speedmaster, there was a bit of housekeeping on Omega’s website. Previously many Speedmasters that did not bear any resemblance to the watches worn on the Moon were labeled as “Moonwatch.” This misaligned categorization was always confusing as the Speedmaster did not start as a space-faring timepiece.

 

Agree. I think the OP was just trying to find another reason to justify his new purchase.

 

Agree. I think the OP should have held on to his FOIS and saved up to get the new Speedy Pro later. As you say, the FOIS is discontinued and could be more expensive to get in future. The Pro will be around for ages and he might even get a discount. The two watches can also serve different functions, the Pro can be used as a daily wearer whilst the FOIS is for dressier occasions.

 

I asked my wife what’s the first thing she noticed from my Sapphire 3861 and she said the ring around the dial. I asked why and she said that’s what makes the watch stand out and characteristic because it means the crystal is domed, not like any of my other watches. She wasn’t too impressed with all the moon landing stories, and actually told me she’d been very upset if I paid that much money and got a plastic crystal and no display back. That was a pleasant surprise, a completely different point of view I've never heard from any of the watch communities and YouTube’s out there...

 

Yep. That's what I do, just as with some other watches, like the IWC Pilot and a GS, and like those others watches, in some lighting conditions the polished hands are remarkably distinct. It just isn't as big problem for me as it clearly is for some.

I like plenty about the new releases, but each is different enough from the FOIS to make be think it might work better as a stablemate than as a like-for-like replacement.

I don't see myself having the means or patience to wait years to splash out on an EW321, and the FOIS has some of that character and enough of its own to be very happy with mine.

But an engaging read nonetheless. Thanks for the write-up.

 

Pretty sure OP has a NEW321, in which case the collective gasp about trading the FOIS might grow less audible?

 

Where'd he post this?

 

The article is not written by RJ.

 

That is a (NOT) nuance that I missed; to be fair, the 'script' posting as RJ with skimmed language of "why I" etc. did throw me off scent!

I suppose we're left having to swallow the author's own explanation:

"Selling the First Omega in Space was a tough pill to swallow. But in all honesty, if I still had both, the FOiS would spend a good proportion of its time in the box. "