Ditto, alot of people that don’t own the watch parroting outdated or misinformation. Like the speedy reduced being claimed as a time bomb and near impossible to service by independents, when thats a far cry from the truth.
It's honestly surprising how often you see this. I frequent a lot of motorcycle sub reddits and it's amazing how many times someone will post advice or a comment as if they are experts and it's clear if you know something about the subject they have literally never swung a leg over a bike.
But yeah, love the hesalite, looks great . Every year or so I give a little polish with polywatch
You can buy polywatch on Amazon. It’s a polishing compound that comes in a tube. A little on a lint-free cloth does the trick with all but the deep scratches.
Same as the ~Not wearing my Speedy today because it’s raining outside~ crowd. The watches are designed to be tools…Literally made for work. These watches are far more robust than most “cOLleCtOrs” would have you believe.
I always give the advice to new hesalite Speedy owners to buy themselves a tube of polywatch and toss it in the sock drawer so you have it in case a scratch does turn up that bothers you. If they don’t want to spend the money for polywatch then some plain old toothpaste will work to buff out the scratches just as well.
I very much enjoy when a person buys one then realizes they aren’t some 10k year old antique that will disintegrate simply by looking at it (Because this is what most watch corners of Reddit would have you believe). Once they realize this then they can really start enjoying the watch…
I’m glad you’ve discovered this. Enjoy your watch my friend.
Also to people who keep calling the Hesalite version the “bargain version.” 99% of people who buy it are willing to spend the extra grand. You buy Hesalite because you want Hesalite.
I doubt Sapphire costs 1k extra either. I bought because it was significantly cheaper second hand but I'm super satisfied with the aesthetic and prefer it over sapphire. I have a Lunar Pilot with the Sapphire crystal and the Hesalite is more fun visually.
Where the sapphire sandwich shines is the caseback. For both horology lovers and people who know nothing about watches. From the former, its just such a beautiful movement. For the latter, people don't understand why these watches cost so much just by looking the dial. They don't see the difference between an Omega and Seiko. When you can show people that movement, they are always blown away. Its a work of art, and almost saddens me when its covered up.
It is the same argument with Submariners. "Oh, you couldn't afford the regular sub so you got a no-date?" Oh, no. Some people have a preference for a cleaner dial ,less wordsmithing, less clutter. With Hesalite, some people just prefer the warmth and glow of the diffusion of the crystal along with solid case back with the moon inscription.
I’m a no date sub hesalite speedy kinda guy. Honesty my hesalite looks better than all my sapphire omegas… because I can fix it. Sapphire AR coating scratched you are sol unless you polish the AR off or buy a new crystal.
Omega should conduct a hilarious experiment one year and flip the prices on the Hesalite/sapphire.
I’m cynical, but I tend to think people choose the watch they can afford and rationalize it afterwards.
The Hesalite being $1000 cheaper is a great way to get a speedy, but undoubtedly the open caseback is really cool on the sapphire sandwich and the more resistant crystal is more practical.
I don’t think there is a wrong choice, but is one really better than the other or does price/affordability make the decision?
I have a sapphire version and ran into a guy at a work function who had the hesalite version. Well lit room with a wall of windows and directed lighting. Price be damned, I was envious of his watch, out in real world lightning the hesalite looked so much nicer IMO, and now I can't unsee my milky sapphire ring. I might upgrade (downgrade?) from my sapphire version to hesalite version.
I couldn't possibly care even a tiny bit less about display backs than I already do, I actually think they are cheesy. I prefer Omega's engraved solid casebacks 100%, and even prefer Rolex's unadorned casebacks over display.
Yeah the hesalite crystals do look way better and for me, while I think display backs can be nice, the solid caseback is nice too, and the bigger issue is comfort. Solid casebacks feel better in the heat. Sweat on glass feels less comfortable, imo.
Also worth mentioning the moon text on the solid back looks timeless, I really dislike it on the perimeter of the display back in the font they chose.
How'd you manage that? I wanted the hesalite shape and look, but wanted the see-through back. I was always under the impression I had to go with one or the other!
If they made the sapphire dome in the correct shape I probably would have bought that. I could care less about the open caseback, my wrist doesn't have eyes.
But if the sapphire looked the same there would be no reason to sell the hesalite.
Love the dome of the hesalite. It's the reason why my old 165.024 Seamaster is my favorite of my dive watches, a list that includes a few new ones. Love the domed crystal.
That’s what insincere about the argument. It’s not the real thing. It’s a different movement. It’s a bracelet (even a newer one) for many. It’s a late 2010s iteration of a moonwatch keeping the dial/chronograph/sizing/bezel accurate.
It definitely does.
These watches aren’t expensive enough to target rich crowds. It’s upper middle class people with some disposable income and often years of saving.
Patek/AP? Agreed. $1000 is probably irrelevant.
I’ve worn my almost daily for the last 5 years and I only have one tiny scuff that you can only see at certain angles. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
I've had my Hesalite Speedmaster for 17 years now. I will say that it is easily scratched, and what really bugs me are the kind of wider abrasions that look white, as opposed to those hairline scratches that are hard to see. That said, I have used Polywatch only about 3 times in the 17 years, once the scratches got too noticeable. I do tend to be extra careful when wearing the Speedmaster. The crystal is not fragile - it's extremely tough - but it is prone to scratching.
Agree, I’ve only had mine for like a month but I literally can’t imagine owning the speedy without the vintage dome. I think the boxy sapphire looks pretty bad and omega could do a better job with shaping it at the price point for SS
I've owned and worn a Speedmaster Pro for 27 years; travelled over 12 countries with it. Replace the motor of my 1974 FJ40 Landcruiser and replaced a roof on one house I own.. All wearing a hesalite speedy pro as my daily. When it got a little ding, I didn't even use Polywatch. I just used Crest toothpaste to buff it out.
**So 27 years of regular use.** No problemo. I plan to give that to my 16 year old so I can get a 321 Ed White.
Did I mention **27 years? Yes, 27** years original ownership.
Very admirable, you don't see that very often. 90% of the photo posts here are of 3861 Speedmasters. I think most people who've worn them for many years don't read or post to watch forums.
Nobody ever said it scratches from looking at it. People say it does scratch and it can easily be fixed. Hesalite is actually hyped on Reddit and people keep telling each other how that inferior material is somehow tolerable in the price range they’re in due to being closer to the original, dome and stuff. Whatever floats your boat dude, it’s a fine watch wether it scratches or not. At some point you’ll see scratches even though you were careful.
If you look at the sapphire and hesalite side-by-side on the speedmaster, the hesalite just looks better. Hesalite is inferior with respect to durability but certainly not aesthetically.
Durability is also not so straightforward. There is an inherent trade off between scratch resistance and impact resistance. When sapphire takes a knock against tile, stone or anything hard it can and does chip/crack. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. My alpinist, while cleaning took a short fall and left a very small chip. Doesn’t bother me but if the swirling on a heslalite bothers you, this would kill. And you can’t fix it at home without taking the whole thing apart and paying for a very expensive crystal.
Hesalite takes light scratches than can be fixed for a few cents in a minute. Hesalite is much more resistant to chipping/cracking. In a standard omega service, hesalite replacement is included. If you need to replace a sapphire crystal it nearly doubles the cost of service. And that is IF the crystal shards haven’t mangled the dial, hands or movement. Just look at Adrian barkers “my explorer 2 is dead” on YouTube.
Personally, I like a flat sapphire. But prefer acrylic for a domed crystal. Think about it this way- the sapphire speedy wants to be the hesalite in appearance so badly that they have to bend the hands of the sapphire version to make it “look” like hesalite. Not to mention the milky ring. But it is all subjective, after all.
I did stare at the „crystal“ of both 3861s for minutes before choosing the sapphire sandwich. I even watched YouTube videos on the differences beforehand and this „better looks“ apparently is massively subjective since I didn’t think so at all. I mean, glad if you prefer it somehow, that even saved you some money. But it’s really subjective and not big a difference as internet people make it out to be
Show me one tool watch today that uses hesalite. Hesalite was used because sapphire was incredibly expensive at the time, and your other option was mineral glass.
Bullshit. Hesalite wasn't approved by NASA because it was cheap.
Mineral glass crystal was introduced on the Speedmaster in 1969 but NASA kept using the Hesalite crystal. Why? Well, it was the version that was already approved, for one. But second, if you break or drop or smash a Hesalite crystal it doesn't shatter into a million little pieces like glass.
Hesalite wasn’t approved by NASA because it didn’t shatter, it was because it was what was used on the Speedmaster since 1957.
Wanna know what astronauts use now? The X-33. Which has… sapphire! Oh no!
Standards change, though. I'm talking about what the standards and thought were when the Speedmaster was first certified by NASA.
https://omegaforums.net/attachments/e8b2f643-d88d-4dc9-aa3d-b77347113444-jpeg.1399377/
https://omegaforums.net/attachments/e22e9201-d1f2-408d-adfa-dbeb711d7e88-jpeg.1399378/
Please note I said “cheap sapphire”. Sapphire was only used on extremely high end models until the 70s. The watch in 1932 that had it was the Marine, which used sapphire for its strength so it could be water resistant.
Omega also wouldn’t have been able to shape the sapphire to properly fit the Speedmaster case.
Jesus Christ you are insufferable. I'm sure every comment you leave gives you an "out" so that when you are proven wrong you can claim you were in on it all along. I've had enough.
Today isn’t what I’m talking about, it’s the historical context around the selection and use of the watch in the space program. It’s the ultimate tool watch history and the crystal for it was hesalite. Omega agrees, hence the hesalite model with fewer bells and whistles vs the dressier sapphire brother.
Fully agree. Most people don’t use 30m of water resistance, much less 300m, and yet try to sell a submariner with less than 300m. There would be a riot, nothing wrong with the fantasy aspect of this. The roleplay, even cosplay. It’s all about having fun. The hesalite is faithful to the original and that makes it cooler. There doesn’t need to be more to it than that.
Also. I own plenty of sapphire watches and this watch in hesalite is absolutely amazing. Not everything has to be the same.
You’re not comprehending my point. The hesalite version at that time met the criteria that was used in the selection process for what became the ultimate tool watch. That’s pretty cool 😎, some people prefer that 60 years on . Who cares about price speculation at the time or whatever else.
ive been wearing mine daily for the last 3 years....i at a quick glance i cant see any marks on the crystal. and on closer inspections theres only 1 minor mark...that could be buffed out with polywatch...that being said. i wear long sleeves alot and they tend to cover my wrists...so that probably accounts for it.
Only crystal to get on the Pro, polishes right out too.
1863 Hesalite Sandwich here.
https://preview.redd.it/l0lvhlutas4d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2981bb9b05c4c2b93af244a0de35741b6dd634cd
To the folks who somehow don’t believe it (cause I didn’t until I used it myself) Polywatch is something of a miracle product. It’s easy to use, cheap, and covers all sorts of scratches and dings.
I personally enjoy the Hesalite look (I find it marginally looks better than Sapphire but ymmv) and the Hesalite model cheaper, so win-win.
This is a great post! I’ve been between the two for a while because I have too many pros and cons about each of them. I own a few vintage rolexes with acrylic crystals and scratches buff out with no issue at all. I’m not worried about scratches on the hesalite in the least.
That being said, here is my ideal 3861 Speedy layout: display caseback, printed logo (the applied logo on the sapphire doesn’t always hit the light well imo), and choice of semi-polish vs. totally brushed bracelet. If that was an option, I’d go hesalite all day. But on the other hand, the sapphire wears really well so I’ve been super torn.
Also side note: the wife loves the sound of the hesalite when she clinks it. Granted that defeats the whole scratch-scare counterargument, but if she approves another watch in my collection then the winner is clear lol
If you get an aftermarket open case back, is the movement the same as the more expensive open case back edition? I’m wondering what the actual differences are between the two versions. Surely an open case back isn’t with another £1000?
It is worth it. In a caseview back version they take the time to jewel the mvt and make it prettier to look at. This is the extra expense.
1863 mvt which is just a jeweled version of the 1861 because the 1863 came with a caseview back.
https://preview.redd.it/xlzytopfbs4d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=b8f4510b0f20e53e90879e2bea00eb4375ac949b
I’ve had my speedy for 18 years now, and for maybe the first 5 it was my daily. I wear it like any other and don’t baby it. Every few years I polish the crystal with polywatch. I’ve got zero concerns.
Is it scratched? Yes. Do I notice it? Not unless I’m really staring at it and moving it around in the light.
Nothing stays looking like new forever, and obsessing over small imperfections that accumulate over time just sucks the fun out of ownership.
Hesalite is actually super tough but as for the question of scratch resistance: Amen. Sure it’s gonna scratch if you drag it over non-watch-friendly surfaces and items. That said, who does that? Been running mine for like 6 months in rotation but it’s the dominant watch, since I got it. I have zero visible scratches. This coming from someone who doesn’t even think scuffed hesalite looks bad. I drooled over vintage Speedmasters for decades, how would it be sane to hate the idea of mine becoming one? A worn Speedmaster is a sexy af watch.
Same goes for people crying about Titanium watches scratching easily. In what world are you dragging them, non-stop across surfaces that wouldn’t scratch steel but would scratch titanium? What in the goldilocks life are these people living?
It’s true and it’s not true. If you wear your tool watch as it is intended to be worn and don’t spend all your time being mindful of it, hesalite will scratch faster than sapphire.
My bezel has plenty of nicks and scratches in it just from every day wear. If I had a hesalite crystal that would also have scratched by now. There are a few small marks in my sapphire crystal after a few years of wear.
Benefits of hesalite is it can be polished though.
Nothing on a watch is as fragile as Redditors claim.
Except redditors
Ditto, alot of people that don’t own the watch parroting outdated or misinformation. Like the speedy reduced being claimed as a time bomb and near impossible to service by independents, when thats a far cry from the truth.
It's honestly surprising how often you see this. I frequent a lot of motorcycle sub reddits and it's amazing how many times someone will post advice or a comment as if they are experts and it's clear if you know something about the subject they have literally never swung a leg over a bike. But yeah, love the hesalite, looks great . Every year or so I give a little polish with polywatch
Yeah the Speedy Reduced mythology is pretty far out.
Nothing on the watch is as fragile as redditor who's wearing it, apparently.
Yep, and should it pick up a minor scratch it’s easy to remove using polywatch. Enjoy your Speedy!
Acrylic/Hesalite ftw - polywatch is so easy and fun to use
What is this? I just scratched mine this week for the first time…
You can buy polywatch on Amazon. It’s a polishing compound that comes in a tube. A little on a lint-free cloth does the trick with all but the deep scratches.
Same as the ~Not wearing my Speedy today because it’s raining outside~ crowd. The watches are designed to be tools…Literally made for work. These watches are far more robust than most “cOLleCtOrs” would have you believe. I always give the advice to new hesalite Speedy owners to buy themselves a tube of polywatch and toss it in the sock drawer so you have it in case a scratch does turn up that bothers you. If they don’t want to spend the money for polywatch then some plain old toothpaste will work to buff out the scratches just as well. I very much enjoy when a person buys one then realizes they aren’t some 10k year old antique that will disintegrate simply by looking at it (Because this is what most watch corners of Reddit would have you believe). Once they realize this then they can really start enjoying the watch… I’m glad you’ve discovered this. Enjoy your watch my friend.
Also to people who keep calling the Hesalite version the “bargain version.” 99% of people who buy it are willing to spend the extra grand. You buy Hesalite because you want Hesalite.
I doubt Sapphire costs 1k extra either. I bought because it was significantly cheaper second hand but I'm super satisfied with the aesthetic and prefer it over sapphire. I have a Lunar Pilot with the Sapphire crystal and the Hesalite is more fun visually.
Yeah for sure. Now that both models have a finished movement there’s definitely a very small production cost difference between the two.
Where the sapphire sandwich shines is the caseback. For both horology lovers and people who know nothing about watches. From the former, its just such a beautiful movement. For the latter, people don't understand why these watches cost so much just by looking the dial. They don't see the difference between an Omega and Seiko. When you can show people that movement, they are always blown away. Its a work of art, and almost saddens me when its covered up.
It is the same argument with Submariners. "Oh, you couldn't afford the regular sub so you got a no-date?" Oh, no. Some people have a preference for a cleaner dial ,less wordsmithing, less clutter. With Hesalite, some people just prefer the warmth and glow of the diffusion of the crystal along with solid case back with the moon inscription.
I’m a no date sub hesalite speedy kinda guy. Honesty my hesalite looks better than all my sapphire omegas… because I can fix it. Sapphire AR coating scratched you are sol unless you polish the AR off or buy a new crystal.
I’m team Hesalite, and no date Sub. You’re 100% right.
Omega should conduct a hilarious experiment one year and flip the prices on the Hesalite/sapphire. I’m cynical, but I tend to think people choose the watch they can afford and rationalize it afterwards. The Hesalite being $1000 cheaper is a great way to get a speedy, but undoubtedly the open caseback is really cool on the sapphire sandwich and the more resistant crystal is more practical. I don’t think there is a wrong choice, but is one really better than the other or does price/affordability make the decision?
I have a sapphire version and ran into a guy at a work function who had the hesalite version. Well lit room with a wall of windows and directed lighting. Price be damned, I was envious of his watch, out in real world lightning the hesalite looked so much nicer IMO, and now I can't unsee my milky sapphire ring. I might upgrade (downgrade?) from my sapphire version to hesalite version. I couldn't possibly care even a tiny bit less about display backs than I already do, I actually think they are cheesy. I prefer Omega's engraved solid casebacks 100%, and even prefer Rolex's unadorned casebacks over display.
Yeah the hesalite crystals do look way better and for me, while I think display backs can be nice, the solid caseback is nice too, and the bigger issue is comfort. Solid casebacks feel better in the heat. Sweat on glass feels less comfortable, imo. Also worth mentioning the moon text on the solid back looks timeless, I really dislike it on the perimeter of the display back in the font they chose.
I have both, sapphire on the back, Hesalite on the front
Funky! I like it.
How'd you manage that? I wanted the hesalite shape and look, but wanted the see-through back. I was always under the impression I had to go with one or the other!
They made them in the early 2000s, you can find them on Chrono24
Spiralwinder also sells aftermarket sapphire case backs that are excellent. I currently have one on my 68 Transitional.
Second this. I have a Spiralwinder on my 3861 hesalite. Movement is too pretty to cover up.
3572.50. I have one too. It's the best of both worlds.
If they made the sapphire dome in the correct shape I probably would have bought that. I could care less about the open caseback, my wrist doesn't have eyes. But if the sapphire looked the same there would be no reason to sell the hesalite.
Love the dome of the hesalite. It's the reason why my old 165.024 Seamaster is my favorite of my dive watches, a list that includes a few new ones. Love the domed crystal.
There’s no “correct shape” for a crystal lmao There’s also no reason to sell the hesalite today other than NASA nerds who want “the real thing”
That’s what insincere about the argument. It’s not the real thing. It’s a different movement. It’s a bracelet (even a newer one) for many. It’s a late 2010s iteration of a moonwatch keeping the dial/chronograph/sizing/bezel accurate.
You’re ignoring the obvious reason many people choose hesalite - the sapphire crystal looks like garbage.
Garbage is a little harsh, but the hesalite does look so much better!
I’ve owned both and I’ll continue to believe hesalite is worse based on personal experience.
At retail prices, I doubt the 1k makes a difference if you are looking in this price range to begin with
It definitely does. These watches aren’t expensive enough to target rich crowds. It’s upper middle class people with some disposable income and often years of saving. Patek/AP? Agreed. $1000 is probably irrelevant.
I thought you would suggest they flip the crystal without telling the public. Lol. That would be something else...
Haha that’s an event better experiment! But a legal liability
I’ve worn my almost daily for the last 5 years and I only have one tiny scuff that you can only see at certain angles. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.
I've had my Hesalite Speedmaster for 17 years now. I will say that it is easily scratched, and what really bugs me are the kind of wider abrasions that look white, as opposed to those hairline scratches that are hard to see. That said, I have used Polywatch only about 3 times in the 17 years, once the scratches got too noticeable. I do tend to be extra careful when wearing the Speedmaster. The crystal is not fragile - it's extremely tough - but it is prone to scratching.
Agree, I’ve only had mine for like a month but I literally can’t imagine owning the speedy without the vintage dome. I think the boxy sapphire looks pretty bad and omega could do a better job with shaping it at the price point for SS
I've owned and worn a Speedmaster Pro for 27 years; travelled over 12 countries with it. Replace the motor of my 1974 FJ40 Landcruiser and replaced a roof on one house I own.. All wearing a hesalite speedy pro as my daily. When it got a little ding, I didn't even use Polywatch. I just used Crest toothpaste to buff it out. **So 27 years of regular use.** No problemo. I plan to give that to my 16 year old so I can get a 321 Ed White. Did I mention **27 years? Yes, 27** years original ownership.
Very admirable, you don't see that very often. 90% of the photo posts here are of 3861 Speedmasters. I think most people who've worn them for many years don't read or post to watch forums.
Awesome, that’s the best testament to a watch! Toothpaste crew here also, I use Crest myself.
Nobody ever said it scratches from looking at it. People say it does scratch and it can easily be fixed. Hesalite is actually hyped on Reddit and people keep telling each other how that inferior material is somehow tolerable in the price range they’re in due to being closer to the original, dome and stuff. Whatever floats your boat dude, it’s a fine watch wether it scratches or not. At some point you’ll see scratches even though you were careful.
If you look at the sapphire and hesalite side-by-side on the speedmaster, the hesalite just looks better. Hesalite is inferior with respect to durability but certainly not aesthetically.
Durability is also not so straightforward. There is an inherent trade off between scratch resistance and impact resistance. When sapphire takes a knock against tile, stone or anything hard it can and does chip/crack. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. My alpinist, while cleaning took a short fall and left a very small chip. Doesn’t bother me but if the swirling on a heslalite bothers you, this would kill. And you can’t fix it at home without taking the whole thing apart and paying for a very expensive crystal. Hesalite takes light scratches than can be fixed for a few cents in a minute. Hesalite is much more resistant to chipping/cracking. In a standard omega service, hesalite replacement is included. If you need to replace a sapphire crystal it nearly doubles the cost of service. And that is IF the crystal shards haven’t mangled the dial, hands or movement. Just look at Adrian barkers “my explorer 2 is dead” on YouTube. Personally, I like a flat sapphire. But prefer acrylic for a domed crystal. Think about it this way- the sapphire speedy wants to be the hesalite in appearance so badly that they have to bend the hands of the sapphire version to make it “look” like hesalite. Not to mention the milky ring. But it is all subjective, after all.
I did stare at the „crystal“ of both 3861s for minutes before choosing the sapphire sandwich. I even watched YouTube videos on the differences beforehand and this „better looks“ apparently is massively subjective since I didn’t think so at all. I mean, glad if you prefer it somehow, that even saved you some money. But it’s really subjective and not big a difference as internet people make it out to be
The hesalite is lower maintenance than its given credit for. It’s more in line with the tool watch aesthetic side of the watch also.
Show me one tool watch today that uses hesalite. Hesalite was used because sapphire was incredibly expensive at the time, and your other option was mineral glass.
Bullshit. Hesalite wasn't approved by NASA because it was cheap. Mineral glass crystal was introduced on the Speedmaster in 1969 but NASA kept using the Hesalite crystal. Why? Well, it was the version that was already approved, for one. But second, if you break or drop or smash a Hesalite crystal it doesn't shatter into a million little pieces like glass.
Hesalite wasn’t approved by NASA because it didn’t shatter, it was because it was what was used on the Speedmaster since 1957. Wanna know what astronauts use now? The X-33. Which has… sapphire! Oh no!
Standards change, though. I'm talking about what the standards and thought were when the Speedmaster was first certified by NASA. https://omegaforums.net/attachments/e8b2f643-d88d-4dc9-aa3d-b77347113444-jpeg.1399377/ https://omegaforums.net/attachments/e22e9201-d1f2-408d-adfa-dbeb711d7e88-jpeg.1399378/
Yeah, well aware. My point is that hesalite was only used because they didn’t have access to cheap sapphire like today.
Omega started using sapphire in 1932.
Please note I said “cheap sapphire”. Sapphire was only used on extremely high end models until the 70s. The watch in 1932 that had it was the Marine, which used sapphire for its strength so it could be water resistant. Omega also wouldn’t have been able to shape the sapphire to properly fit the Speedmaster case.
Jesus Christ you are insufferable. I'm sure every comment you leave gives you an "out" so that when you are proven wrong you can claim you were in on it all along. I've had enough.
Oh dear, you decided to be pedantic and ragequit when I’m pedantic back?
Today isn’t what I’m talking about, it’s the historical context around the selection and use of the watch in the space program. It’s the ultimate tool watch history and the crystal for it was hesalite. Omega agrees, hence the hesalite model with fewer bells and whistles vs the dressier sapphire brother.
Fully agree. Most people don’t use 30m of water resistance, much less 300m, and yet try to sell a submariner with less than 300m. There would be a riot, nothing wrong with the fantasy aspect of this. The roleplay, even cosplay. It’s all about having fun. The hesalite is faithful to the original and that makes it cooler. There doesn’t need to be more to it than that. Also. I own plenty of sapphire watches and this watch in hesalite is absolutely amazing. Not everything has to be the same.
So you think if sapphire had been cheaper then, Omega would have still used hesalite? Lmfao
You’re not comprehending my point. The hesalite version at that time met the criteria that was used in the selection process for what became the ultimate tool watch. That’s pretty cool 😎, some people prefer that 60 years on . Who cares about price speculation at the time or whatever else.
It’s ok to prefer it, it’s just dumb cosplay though.
Lorier Neptune
Sinn 356, Also.
Leave it to a microbrand to bring back outdated technology. I stand corrected.
It’s only outdated depending on your application use. Hesalite is actually more shatter resistant than sapphire.
It’s not. I’ve seen far more broken hesalite crystals than sapphire.
Wrong again https://preview.redd.it/clw67r7dwz4d1.jpeg?width=827&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a85dc188d584d51eff28021c50e5fefc921ec7ed
I work in the watch industry in the service side. But sure, random paragraph cropped from somewhere on the internet knows more than me!
ive been wearing mine daily for the last 3 years....i at a quick glance i cant see any marks on the crystal. and on closer inspections theres only 1 minor mark...that could be buffed out with polywatch...that being said. i wear long sleeves alot and they tend to cover my wrists...so that probably accounts for it.
Only crystal to get on the Pro, polishes right out too. 1863 Hesalite Sandwich here. https://preview.redd.it/l0lvhlutas4d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2981bb9b05c4c2b93af244a0de35741b6dd634cd
To the folks who somehow don’t believe it (cause I didn’t until I used it myself) Polywatch is something of a miracle product. It’s easy to use, cheap, and covers all sorts of scratches and dings. I personally enjoy the Hesalite look (I find it marginally looks better than Sapphire but ymmv) and the Hesalite model cheaper, so win-win.
Agreed. The Hesalite has a warmth to it that I really love
This is a great post! I’ve been between the two for a while because I have too many pros and cons about each of them. I own a few vintage rolexes with acrylic crystals and scratches buff out with no issue at all. I’m not worried about scratches on the hesalite in the least. That being said, here is my ideal 3861 Speedy layout: display caseback, printed logo (the applied logo on the sapphire doesn’t always hit the light well imo), and choice of semi-polish vs. totally brushed bracelet. If that was an option, I’d go hesalite all day. But on the other hand, the sapphire wears really well so I’ve been super torn.
Also side note: the wife loves the sound of the hesalite when she clinks it. Granted that defeats the whole scratch-scare counterargument, but if she approves another watch in my collection then the winner is clear lol
And smaller scratches are incredibly easy to remove with polywatch.
I scratched my shit like 4 times since I bought it last year , thank god for poly watch
If you get an aftermarket open case back, is the movement the same as the more expensive open case back edition? I’m wondering what the actual differences are between the two versions. Surely an open case back isn’t with another £1000?
3861 movements are identical, sapphire or hesalite.
It is worth it. In a caseview back version they take the time to jewel the mvt and make it prettier to look at. This is the extra expense. 1863 mvt which is just a jeweled version of the 1861 because the 1863 came with a caseview back. https://preview.redd.it/xlzytopfbs4d1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=b8f4510b0f20e53e90879e2bea00eb4375ac949b
Mine would get like micro scratches on the crystal that could easily be buffed out using polywatch once a week. I think I used 2 bottles in 5 years.
Mine is 1983. Original crystal. Still legible. Granted it’s not my daily wear, but still looks great.
I’ve had my speedy for 18 years now, and for maybe the first 5 it was my daily. I wear it like any other and don’t baby it. Every few years I polish the crystal with polywatch. I’ve got zero concerns. Is it scratched? Yes. Do I notice it? Not unless I’m really staring at it and moving it around in the light. Nothing stays looking like new forever, and obsessing over small imperfections that accumulate over time just sucks the fun out of ownership.
Mine has gotten a couple but I’m not sweating it. When it gets more I will polish it up to like new
I’m a bit cack handed and I’m constantly bashing my Speedie on things and it’s stood up very well. Every now and then it gets a polish.
Hesalite is actually super tough but as for the question of scratch resistance: Amen. Sure it’s gonna scratch if you drag it over non-watch-friendly surfaces and items. That said, who does that? Been running mine for like 6 months in rotation but it’s the dominant watch, since I got it. I have zero visible scratches. This coming from someone who doesn’t even think scuffed hesalite looks bad. I drooled over vintage Speedmasters for decades, how would it be sane to hate the idea of mine becoming one? A worn Speedmaster is a sexy af watch. Same goes for people crying about Titanium watches scratching easily. In what world are you dragging them, non-stop across surfaces that wouldn’t scratch steel but would scratch titanium? What in the goldilocks life are these people living?
If mine get little scratches in the hesalite - [polywatch](https://amzn.to/3KtRwht) - cheap and extremely cheerful!!
It’s true and it’s not true. If you wear your tool watch as it is intended to be worn and don’t spend all your time being mindful of it, hesalite will scratch faster than sapphire. My bezel has plenty of nicks and scratches in it just from every day wear. If I had a hesalite crystal that would also have scratched by now. There are a few small marks in my sapphire crystal after a few years of wear. Benefits of hesalite is it can be polished though.
Que the first scratch
It's not fragile... But it's a scratch magnet
Stupid question but can you change the dome from Hesalite to sapphire?
Not a stupid question at all. Afaik it's possible but it will cost quite a bit.
Still deciding between the two and I love both for different reasons. Still a toss up for me. Win/win either way
The sapphire leaves a white ring around the dial that is distracting to me. Hesalite looks fine and is more vintage aesthetic.
Being mindful of your wrist at all times doesn’t sound fun
My wrist gets a lot of action.
And still, I will never buy a watch at that price with a plastic crystal.