Fresh from the Showcase here at SwissWatchExpo. And we've got a new arrival for the Speedmaster
heads out there. An "Ed White" 321 reissue from Omega. I'm sure the Speedmaster fans
have been waiting for us to get one in. Well, that day has come. So let's check it out.
So what we have here today is what is colloquially referred to as the "Ed White" Speedmaster. This is
a special edition version of the Speedmaster that I'm not really sure if people were anticipating
arriving, but it's really unique. It's a throwback to even the pre-Moon Speedmasters when NASA first
started getting involved with the Speedy. And it is a beautiful watch, a beautiful update of
something that I'm sure Speedmaster heads have at least definitely salivated over pictures of
online. There's a lot of really fascinating things about this watch, but of course,
at first glance you could tell, this is definitely a MoonWatch or should I say a Speedmaster
Professional. The basis of this watch is off of a 1965 model that I believe they actually wore
during the first space flight. Hence, the name Ed White. Named after one of the Apollo 1 astronauts.
This does have the famous step dial and as you could easily recognize, you know,
based on the movement that this is based off of, it's got the sub-dials at 3, 6 and 9. It's got the
step dial, a bit of patina on the outside here to definitely give it that classic speedy look,
but some really bright white hands that make this a super legible Professional piece. The
one really striking difference, and I will admit that my knowledge of the super vintage
Speedmasters did not go that deep, is that this is a much, much smaller case than I was anticipating.
39.7 millimeters. So even under 40. So this is based off of the 1965 case. So just the
second I held it in my hands, it was already very, very surprising to have this in the Speedmaster.
The second is the bracelet, which is based on the original, but is a super fascinating design.
And I almost didn't believe it was based off of the original at first with just how sleek,
sporty and modern this looks. Another thing, the shape of it, it does take from the 65.
Also kind of a unique finish. I don't see a lot of sport watches with a super high polished
outer link with a brushed interlink, which is also much whiter than the outers. I also wanted to
sort of hold up the 2021 model of the redesigned Speedmaster clasp to sort of give you just an idea
of just how jarringly different it was to have two Speedmasters from this generation with such
wildly different bracelets. You could see not much of a polished surface on here at all.
I know this bracelet is a bit controversial among Speedmaster heads. They're both really,
really, really unique and crazy that I haven't seen a lot of these across the Speedmaster line
before, but this is definitely a special edition type of bracelet.
And unlike a lot of other things I've seen in the sport watch chronograph line in general.
What this watch is of course called is the 321. And the reason why it has that name
is because of this incredible movement. Now this is a sapphire sandwich model. Omega did
not bring back the 321 to not showcase just how beautiful it looks on the other side,
which is gonna be something that definitely sets this apart from the actual classic 1965
that you may or may not even be able to find for sale anymore. It's a beautiful movement,
surprising amount of rose gold in there. I'm not sure how much that shares with the original,
but it is a sight to behold. Definitely a watch that I am super, super grateful for
that has this exhibition caseback. A similar clasp. I believe the double pushers weren't on
the original from 65, but of course this watch deserves a modern update in the clasp but I
think is one place where you can definitely have that done. Again at a 40 millimeter Speedmaster,
this is definitely gonna be the smaller one of the two. So if you're one of the people
who perhaps find the Professional to be a bit too large for you,
but you still love the MoonWatch and love the shape of the Speedmaster Professional,
this is definitely gotta be one that you consider. And if you've already got a MoonWatch collection,
and you're looking for that reissue to really sort of scratch that itch of the classic Pre-Moon
watch, this is the one. It's got so many things that the original has that, you know, vintage
collectors absolutely love, but with just the right amount of modern updates. Particularly the
sapphire crystal. You know, I love the durability that comes with that as well as a ceramic bezel.
I forgot to mention this bezel is made of ceramic. So it's super durable, also super bright with the
contrast between the tachymeter scale here. Just so many great things. This is why the Professional
is such a timeless watch, and we've got a ton of them here. Not just the two that I showed you,
but several limited edition ones from across several Apollo missions. And of course your run
of the mill Speedmaster racings and day-dates, and just a whole mess of Omegas for you. Speedy has
to get your hands on. So give us a call today and let's get one on your wrist at SwissWatchExpo.com.