2021 Omega Speedmaster Vs Old Moon Watch - Everything I Love & Loathe

we found we had to anticipate three to four steps ahead time by looking at a wristwatch and looking down at the earth we knew what was underneath the clouds and it aided us in some ways and picking out what uh what we should be seeing all engine running [Music] liftoff [Applause] believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth no single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind or more important for the long-range exploration of space okay hi guys and welcome to a different kind of show today a comparative review between the new 2021 i almost said 2001. that would have been quite a fitting mistake actually but the 2021 speed master the new one and of course the old one i've been lenting the predecessor moonwatch here so we're going to do a comparative review there's so many inevitable questions the differences how does it make me feel as a former speedmaster fan what killed off my love for the speedmaster will i buy it again all this kind of good stuff but before we get into the technical specifications um let's just contextualize this video and re-familiarize ourselves with just why the speedmaster is so important now everyone knows the history i have covered it endlessly too but essentially for those uninitiated the new watch is inspired by the fourth generation of speedmaster having been worn most impressively on all six moon landings arguably one of man's greatest achievements the speedmaster professional remains one of only several watches qualified officially by nasa for space flight and still is the only one qualified for eva while it started life intended as a racing chronograph in 1957 the slightly refined 1966 speedmaster reference 105012 was updated with the reference 145012 these two models would be the two speedmaster references known to have been worn on the moon by apollo astronauts thus subsequently forever being known as the original moon watches when discussing space watches the unavoidable question always arises why in a digital age do you need a mechanical watch or for that matter during the apollo missions the electronic age well the answer is simple and actually perfectly demonstrated by the speedmaster's very first few moments on the moon neil armstrong before taking the historic first step left his one zero five zero one two speedmaster inside the lunar module as a backup because the electronic timer had malfunctioned there are many instances where the speedmaster was critical and used to time crucial moments in various missions let's not forget this was in an age before quartz watches and even before automatic chronographs it's very easy to see why they are held in such reverence so highly desired and collected so much so it's almost become a necessity of any budding watch collector so in january 2021 amiga officially announced the discontinuation of the 1861 movement and along with that news came the introduction of this a refresh as they put it off the moon watch the moon watch is now available in two new stainless steel versions one with a sapphire ar coated domed crystal along with a display back and a more faithful hesalite version costing around a ground less which is what we are looking at today at first glance from the front they look the same to distinguish these two new versions omega added an applied logo on the sapphire version along with polished in-between links of the bracelet whereas the hesselite has the traditional white printed logo and brushed in between links aside from the minor differences they both share the same updates compared to the previous generation here we see the old professional moon watch on the right and the new 2021 hesselight on the left the most immediate and noticeable change is that elegantly tapering bracelet and i have to say it's wonderful the five link tube and screw connected bracelet cuts down the weight dramatically completed with a sleeker beautifully milled double push button clasp with a retro style lined engraving this is a million miles away from the now clumsy less fluidly moving bracelet of the predecessor not only is this more comfortable it looks smarter and has a micro adjustment older speedy owners will be delighted to know that you can retrofit them to your pre-existing moon speedies it's also worthy to note that the end links are now flush with the case at the back of the watch further lowering the weight while we are on the subject of the case back the engraved and lacquer-filled post-moon landing text is now a little bit smaller and more detailed with updated information regarding the movement the hippocampus motif is also a little bit more finely done in a contrasting bead blasted finish this perhaps is the best example of how amiga's levels in finishing cases has also improved the polished finish and contrasting brushing is largely the same but here is where the major changes come in in terms of the case we have a rather dramatic difference that can be seen in its profile the height has been reduced from 14.5 millimeters to 13.7 and the lugs have become smaller too while the lug to lug measurement has only decreased by around a millimeter they are less chubby and the brushed surfaces have been widened almost as if they had literally brushed it down more to lessen the load and to make it slimmer these decreases in size may not be substantial individually but together they decrease the weight and makes the same 42 millimeter diameter watch where just that bit smaller the pushers are now slightly flatter with hardly any difference to ergonomics but they do jut out less and seem more streamlined with the lovable 1950s cadillac wing style curves at the edge of the case so if we look at the new dial we see what they call the stepped dial and this is a more pronounced lowered section at the periphery the matte black finely grained and lovable texture of the dial itself has remained pretty much the same the printed tracks have also been cleaned up with less hash marks this section looks far less busy now and while not as precise it is more readable to the naked eye the next big change is in the handset while the baton hands remain for the minutes and hours the chronograph seconds hand has a teardrop to the counterweight with the introduction of the calibre 861 with the reference 145022 in 1968 it was replaced with the flat counterweight pad here we see a return to the seconds hand from the first apollo moon watch era of the one zero five zero one two and the one four five zero one two i think this was a clever and logical choice that does not rock the boat and honours the glorious past lastly when talking hands interestingly the center of the small hands on the sub-dials are not white anymore but are silver and left unpainted the luminescence and its flawless orientation in low light is unchanged thankfully no need to mess around with perfection there although it does seem that the loom markers are somewhat sunken into the dial rather than simply placed on top i have to say i prefer the way the loom is framed with white printing neatly on the older spd the markers were sharper and crisper but this is a very minor issue and you only really notice it in macro photography the changes to the front of the watch conclude with a return to the so-called dot over 90 aluminium tachymeter insert with a diagonal dot on the 70 marker this is something apparently aficionados go crazy over as it references the inserts before they were changed sometime during the 70s undoubtedly however the most significant change is the movement after four years of development omega finally have a caliber that could achieve master chronometer certification and capable of meeting the rigors of their very impressive metas testing while also matching the dimensions of the previous 1861 moonwatch movement the 1861 was introduced in 1997 and was a replacement of the previous 861. the new 3861 we see in the 2021 speedy operates at the same 21 600 vibrations an hour with an additional 8 joules bringing the total to 26 but most importantly it now features amiga's legendary reduced friction causing and longer lasting coaxial escapement along with the silicon balance spring the si14 this new caliber has an improved power reserve of 50 hours over the 48 hours of the 1861 along with chronometric performance and is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15 000 gauss perfect for a modern digital world where magnetism is everywhere let alone a space station for example this also likely explains the thinner profile as the inner faraday style case found in the previous generation is now gone there is also a little bit more embellishment like further beveling striping and circular graining decoration to the movement components along with your typical pallage work we saw before for me one of the biggest advantages of this newer calibre is that we finally have hacking something that has always bugged me about the 1861. however it has to be said the winding action is a little stiffer and less enjoyable in the newer 3861 even though it does sound the same it's less pleasingly buttery smooth one quick observation is that the speedmaster and i think this is pretty unique to the speedmaster when i think about my navi timer submariners and all the big heavyweight icons how much they have evolved and changed the moonwatch is perhaps the most faithful of the big icons to the originals perhaps it's why it's so one of the reasons why it's so beloved with such an iconic design it's not about reinventing it for the 21st century that's what the x-33 is all about this is a moon watch and is intended to honor the past without offending the overly fussy purists and simultaneously remaining relevant i feel it succeeds wholeheartedly without sacrificing its core design the refinements make it more wearable than ever before especially in an age when smaller watches are becoming more desirable it's always amazing how a few millimeters here and a few millimeters there make the 42 millimeter watch where so great even on my modest six and a half inch wrist in fact this is the watch that coined the term strap monster in the very early days of the channel the subtle upgrades have also not affected its supreme versatility it still maintains that any attire compatibility from smart to super cache the quality and construction are just as good if not even better than i remember in terms of the price and value i think it's entirely justified especially considering the legacy and being one of the more accessible luxury icons certainly compared to the likes of submariners and reversos and so on so the million dollar question is what are the drawbacks what are the negatives well let's discuss it goes without saying i would have loved a higher water resistance 50 meters simply does not cut it especially considering the 200 meter water resistance of the fortis space going chronographs i feel this is a missed opportunity to fix the only real achilles heel of the moonwatch i also feel a ceramic insert would have made sense on the sapphire version if there was a way to make it look like aluminium in appearance but with the durability of ceramic those who prefer modern scratch resistant materials like sapphire glass over the traditional hesselite option would also appreciate a scratch proof bezel insert especially one that will not fade over time but at the same time there's no doubt that the traditionalists will welcome aluminium to match the vintage distortions the hesselite gives but the fact omega now gives you a choice with the sapphire option is certainly a crowd-pleasing decision now lastly perhaps this goes without saying but it would have been amazing if amiga had used the 3-2-1 movement from the earliest speedies as a base and not the 1861. it would have given us a column wheel chronograph and while it would have undoubtedly raised the price quite drastically the idea of a coaxial upgraded 321 hybrid would have been a super compelling proposition so in conclusion do i prefer it to the predecessor absolutely has it made me want to get a speed master again again without a shadow of a doubt uh i'm in trouble um i've never had a speed master fit me so well that bracelet i just love it it's ah and i have to say uh i i kind of like the uh the hess light more uh i haven't seen the sapphire one but i adore the the brushed bracelet i think it's a little bit more subtle it's slightly presidential you know does it still have that powerful law uh of course i mean it hasn't gone away it hasn't diminished in the slightest if anything it's um got even more you know i'm gonna have a very tough time time resisting buying this if you have followed my channel from the early days you would have seen my constant flipping of my many speed masters in fact my journey with the speedmaster started long before my channel with the original manual wind moon watch then i graduated to several automatic versions a few limited editions and even the first amiga space variant but then my passion for the speedmaster quite abruptly ended so what changed why did i sell all my speedmasters well with so many variants available it becomes what i call the goldilocks scenario one is too big that one is too tall this one is automatic that one wasn't this one is limited edition and has a cool red detail on the dial so on and so forth and so the cycle of flipping starts because of course you can't keep them all it's no secret i have been highly critical of amigas flooding the market with so many versions i can't really keep up and in the end i lost my interest altogether especially when my fixation with the breitling navi time has started a love affair that is still going strong and has lasted longer it too is another iconic chronograph albeit a far busier one but my cosmonaut version was in fact the first watch designed specifically for space with its 24-hour dial and made it up there worn by astronaut scott carpenter in 1962 long before the speedy went to the moon there is also my fair decor with fortis upon visiting their factory and seeing in person a watch that was actually worn by a russian cosmonaut in space an extremely rare lemanium 5100 based cosmonaut chronograph soon joined my collection this brand in particular feels more personal to me more underrated and thus a watch enthusiast's dream compared to the now rather ubiquitous speedy the last nail in the coffin came in the form of the dan henry 1962 a panda style racing chrono that blended elements of the speedy with that of a universal geneve to produce an ultra affordable alternative with a massively oversized collection and little opportunity for risk time watches that are not getting worn are sold off and while the speedy is unquestionably iconic my taste for more exciting watches like the navi or the need for something tougher like a diver or do-it-all watches like explorers datejusts or various casios for every day become priority right so i'm going to leave it there i am going to return this watch i'm going to have to love it from afar i think i'm not quite ready to to pull the trigger on it having said that if i had to buy a speed master this hess like new one with the brushed bracelet for me it's a it's a couple of strepy doors or the kippers knickers certified pure class all the rest of it i've really connected with it it's brought all the magic back but i'm gonna return it to moyer they are the official a.d for amiga and i have to say a massive thank you for being so generous and lending these in i've bought and sold from them for many many years they're one of the best watch dealers out there and i trust them completely so if i if i did buy it and i'd give them the business they deserve it let me know your thoughts queries comments minions especially what you think of these new amiga speedmasters what do you like what do you loathe what do you want to see in your speedmaster what do you think they did right got wrong all the rest of it please do share that don't forget to like this video very very important indeed and as always guys i will catch you in the next one thank you for watching ciao

Channel: The Urban Gentry

Views: 232,762

Keywords: moon watch, omega, speedmaster, apollo 11, nasa, tgv, the urban gentry, unsponsored, review, chronograph, luxury, best, 3861, hesalite, sapphire, rolex, daytona, watches, collection, old vs new, 310.30.42.50.01.001, 311.30.42.30.01.005, Speedmaster Professional, manual wind, co-axial, swiss made, comparison, iconic, style, mens style, Moyer, design, 1969, watch, collecting

Id: gxWgJcg3BVI

Length: 18min 54sec (1134 seconds)

Published: Thu May 06 2021