321 Ed White vs FOIS

padders
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N njlam
I think the new/grey 321 prices are getting pretty close to MSRP.

Last December (2024), I was about the throw in the towel and buy a grey 321 for less than $1000 over MSRP. A new OB had opened in my town and I expressed interest and had one within two months.

It is a great watch and I can't believe so many near new ones are available on C24 and eBay.

As for as being comparable to the FOIS, that is like comparing a Mercedes to a VW. They may look similar and are the same size, but the 321 has a Patek level movement and the FOIS does not.
What an absolute load of bollocks 😂
 
Evitzee
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padders padders
What an absolute load of bollocks 😂
How so? If precision is the yardstick then the 3861 is the obvious choice, and some put a premium on that. For them the FOIS's look is close enough, and half the price of an EW. That's a reasonable view for them. But the 321 isn't made or marketed to that group. I don't think the finishing of the 321 movement is really better than a 3861, aesthetically yes, but better, probably not. Overall, though, the 321's package gives a better 'fit and finish' impression than a standard mass produced 3861 watch, that's fairly obvious when you handle them.. Not everybody gets the 321's reason for existence in 2025; old technology and high price. It is what it is, collecting is often not rational. Buy what makes you happy.
Edited:
 
ErichKeane
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Evitzee Evitzee
collecting is often not rational.

We are on a forum where we spend hundreds/thousands of dollars on timekeeping devices that keep time significantly worse than a $7 watch (that might even have snoopy on it!), with significantly less capabilities than watches that cost $100. The fact that this statement needs to be explained here as often as it does is foolish.

All that to say: I really liked the FOIS when I saw it. Its a lovely watch with a great dial. When I saw the Ed White, it set off my heart's Hacking feature.

IS it worth 2x as much? To me: absolutely and more. Again, to me: the FOIS isn't worth MSRP (I saw both it and the white one, and bought the white speedy with no delay, but still don't have a FOIS). The Ed White bought at MSRP left me feeling like I was stealing it on my way out the door.

IS that rational? See above.
 
M'Bob
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To be fair, watch collecting is often a combination of the rational, and irrational. After all, if you like a watch, and do a deep dive into the market value before pulling the trigger, that’s pretty rational. And checking your finances to see if you can reasonably afford it makes a lot of sense, too.

But WHAT we like is pretty intangible. In fact, if you find a piece that you just HAVE to have, and are willing to over-pay for it, that’s irrational. And, the absolute most fun…
 
Ron_W
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Ed White... FOIS..... all good 👍 . A CK 2915 ......even better 😎

M'Bob M'Bob
And, the absolute most fun…


20250602_145235.webp
 
Jemagloh
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N njlam
A 321 is IYKYK. Some just DK.
It’s a fantastic piece and agree with the first sentence.

As for the second sentence, some know but it doesn’t sing to them regardless.
Edited:
 
N
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Jemagloh Jemagloh
It’s a fantastic piece and agree with the first sentence.

As for the second sentence, some know but it doesn’t sing to them regardless.
IYKYK acknowledges you appreciate what makes something unique/special…you don’t have to want/buy it to have that appreciation.

DK suggests you think the 321 and the FOIS are comparable time pieces.
 
SpeedyPhill
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.
0:36 correction In September 1959 the first official NASA-issued wrist watches for astronauts were the bespoke 34mm LeCoultre "Mercury 7" based on the Quartermaster, but only for training.
In fact, Mercury 7 astronaut Donald "Deke" Slayton was the first to buy an Omega Speedmaster CK2998-4 chronograph. He might have worn it in space if he wasn't dismissed for medical reasons as his mission, named "Delta 7" was planned 6 months before Schirra's "Sigma 7".
Slayton was replaced by Scott Carpenter, the first NASA astronaut to wear a wrist watch (bespoke 24 hours Breitling Navitimer) in space onboard "Aurora 7" in May 1962... followed by Walter "Wally" Schirra in October 1962.
Interestingly, during the "Faith 7" mission of Gordo Cooper, May 1963, 3 Omega Speedmaster chronographs were involved in that flight as onboard the spacecraft Cooper compared his personal manual winding Speedmaster CK2998-4 with his personal Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch, while both Schirra and Slayton wore their Speedmaster CK2998-4 down at mission control at Cape Canaveral. #moonwatchuniverse
 
padders
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Are we to be blessed by a million 1960s photos too Phil? Asking for a friend.
 
cuonglm
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So I have a chance to try new fois today, and as the owner of 321 Ed White, I have to say the quality of new fois could not be compared with 321 Ed White, it’s much worse.

Although the bracelet looks identical, the build quality is so different. The edges of the endlink feel very rough and not smooth, same for the clasp. The case is harder to feel, but to my eyes, it’s not as shiny as 321 EW for polished parts.

Please easy to me, since I actually want to buy this new fois, not just because it would be my first alpha hands Speedy, but also I expected the build quality level of the EW for the bracelet. In the end, I passed it, and probably will spend this money for a 3594.50 instead.

YMMV!
 
YY77
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cuonglm cuonglm
So I have a chance to try new fois today, and as the owner of 321 Ed White, I have to say the quality of new fois could not be compared with 321 Ed White, it’s much worse.

Although the bracelet looks identical, the build quality is so different. The edges of the endlink feel very rough and not smooth, same for the clasp. The case is harder to feel, but to my eyes, it’s not as shiny as 321 EW for polished parts.

Please easy to me, since I actually want to buy this new fois, not just because it would be my first alpha hands Speedy, but also I expected the build quality level of the EW for the bracelet. In the end, I passed it, and probably will spend this money for a 3594.50 instead.

YMMV!
Very surprised the EW flatlink would differ that much from a FOIS2, I have the A11 flatlink but can't comprehend why similar bracelets wouldn't be generic.
 
cuonglm
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YY77 YY77
Very surprised the EW flatlink would differ that much from a FOIS2, I have the A11 flatlink but can't comprehend why similar bracelets wouldn't be generic.
I forgot to check the part number, but it could be that the fois that I tried today is a bad example escaped from QA.

FYI, I owned A11 50th in steel before, and the bracelet feels much better.
 
cuonglm
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YY77 YY77
Very surprised the EW flatlink would differ that much from a FOIS2, I have the A11 flatlink but can't comprehend why similar bracelets wouldn't be generic.
So here's the ref.
IMG_9490.webp IMG_9489.webp
Aside from the completely different part number, there's also number 11 and 50 below it, not sure what do they mean.
 
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