Review: The New Omega Speedmaster Professional 3861

In the beginning there was darkness. Then there was the Omega Speedmaster. Seriously, the Speedmaster is a watch epic in biblical proportions, a first in so many categories including, of course, the big one: first watch worn on the moon. But that was a long time ago, and as a new era of moon exploration dawns, can the fabled Moonwatch continue to be relevant?

Dubbed “the watch every enthusiast should own”, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is the darling of the industry. So much history is packed into this tiny machine that it has remained virtually untouched since the 1960s. Where else will you find a watch in such original form, free from the modern glitz that has befallen so many others? There’s no ceramic bezel, automatic winding or gold hands and markers here—even the sapphire crystal is an option over the original Hesalite acrylic. It’s always been a bit of a bargain too, severely undercutting anything from long-time rival Rolex.

Like a booming economy before a bust, it’s the way we always thought it would be—but always, as it turns out, isn’t forever. The return of the original 1960s movement in the Rolex Daytona-rivalling, £11,950 Moonwatch Calibre 321 set a tone for the future of the Moonwatch series—and what followed soon after was this, the—well, it’s still called the Moonwatch, but it’s been drastically overhauled.

Drastically overhauled may sound like an exaggeration for a watch that looks remarkably similar to its predecessors to the point where it may well still be its predecessors, but let’s start with the big one: the price. A Speedmaster Moonwatch started, before, at about £4,200. Now it’s a thousand pounds more, and that’s just the Hesalite version. If you want to see the movement in the back, you’ll need the sapphire version, and that’s another thousand pounds again. £6,120 is not the kind of pricing we’re used to for the watch every enthusiast should own.

So, given that there’s less in box than there used to be, what exactly is Omega’s justification for this violent price hike? Well, the biggest news is the movement. No, it doesn’t get that calibre 321 like we were hoping, it’s an evolution of the 1861—which in itself is an evolution of the 861—to become the 3861.

Hold up—this all sounds very boring and nerdy. Do I care if it’s the 321 or the 3861 or whatever it is? That all depends. For purists, and perhaps the kind of people who think we should have stopped at fire, the 321 marks a level of originality that was lost with its replacement by the technically inferior and marginally less pretty 861. The column wheel was dropped for a cam and … are you still listening? If you are, I hope you have £11,950.

For everyone else, the calibre 3861 demonstrates a marked improvement in usability over its predecessor. Think of it like a Singer Porsche, if Singer were in-house. It’s more accurate with METAS chronometer certification—thanks in part to the introduction of the free sprung balance and Co-Axial escapement—is easier to wind—which, with a 50-hour power reserve, you’ll be doing every other day, so that’s a way bigger benefit than it sounds—and is anti-magnetic to 15,000 gauss as the balance spring has been swapped out for a silicon one. Its current tech in a vintage body, and on a dark, miserable Monday morning, you’ll be thanking your lucky stars you’ve got it.

Still … that’s a lot of extra money for some mild convenience. A Singer costs what it does because each car is a custom project and the numbers are incredibly limited—the 3861 is Omega’s workhorse for the Moonwatch’s future and will be made in numbers many, many times greater. Can the rest of the watch live up to the dizzying expectations set by the price?

Like I said, this watch is a complete overhaul. It may not look it, but to bring up a 911 reference for a second time, the facsimile you’re looking at right here has indeed been reengineered from the ground up. A classic is a classic, and if Porsche can get away with that reasoning, then so too can Omega.

It’s all in the details: the dial, for example, gets a step around its perimeter reminiscent of that on the original Moonwatch, and an applied logo for the sapphire edition, too. The dot on the bezel that was previously next to the “90” marker has been moved above as per its original location. The 42mm case is half a millimetre thinner and a millimetre shorter, making it wear smaller than the overall dimension would suggest, and the bracelet—once again styled more in keeping with the original—tapers more aggressively and pivots sooner, wrapping it more comfortably around smaller wrists—although the clasp remains functional but basic.

£6,120. I’m not sure how well this new Speedmaster is wearing its flash new price. But perhaps … perhaps I’ve been thinking about this all wrong. You get: a watch with a back story that makes the Daytona’s feel like pulp fiction, that is as synonymous with humanity’s greatest achievement as the Saturn V rocket and the phrase, “One small step”, that retains the incredible charm of its vintage counterpart whilst being wearable in the modern world, that offers a view through the back unmatched this side of an A. Lange & Söhne 1815 Chronograph—all for £6,120. This isn’t a rip-off, not by a long shot. The previous 1861-powered models were an absolute steal.

If you want to argue about it, you find me another watch that does as much as this one for the price. TAG Heuer? There’s some nice offerings, but nothing that can touch the epic stature of the Moonwatch. Breitling, again, some nice watches, but you’re far from the same visual and tactile experience. Rolex? Don’t make me laugh. The only thing that can come close to this Moonwatch is the old Moonwatch.

And as far as the old one goes, by comparison to the new one, well … the new one’s just better. Not in any big, obvious way, but in all the little improvements Omega’s been working on supposedly over the last four years. Those little gripes here and there have been all but vanquished, leaving nothing behind but basically the blueprint for the ultimate watch. My only complaint? You can’t get the Hesalite front with the sapphire back.

Right now it’s a win-win situation. Think the new one’s too expensive? Buy the old one. Think the old one’s too, well, old? Buy the new one. Think they should’ve never meddled with perfection? Buy the Calibre 321. It’s a trifecta of wins. No one loses. Not yet at least, because those calibre 1861 models won’t be around new forever. Oh wait, I haven’t even told you what kind of value you can get pre-owned …

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