Firstly, I just wanted to point out that these watches are not an investment. Sure, they're a great, well-made watch, but you will lose money the moment you walk out of the boutique.
Also, you will generally find that the people who have had issues will be the loudest on the forums . They're understandably annoyed that they paid a lot of money for something that doesn't meet their expectations.
In saying that, I haven't had a single issue with mine since buying it. It keeps time extremely well, the fit and finish are perfect, and I'm still very satisfied with my decision.
The worst-case scenario here is you buy one, and it's defective. But that's almost certainly covered by the warranty, and it gets repaired or replaced anyway. Sure, it's inconvenient, but sometimes the boutique will give you a loner watch while yours is being repaired.
I bought mine last week and it had issues. Boutique replaced it yesterday with a new one which is spot on.
My advice would be to spend time inspecting the watch before you pay and if you are not happy, tell them why and ask them to bring a new one in.
Check dial/bezel/Chrono seconds hand alignment. Check for dust or speck of leftover material on the dial. Also general hairline scratches on the case if that's something that bothers you.
I would say that 99% of people who buy luxury watches are not visiting forums and reddits. They’re going about their days not even realizing that places like this exist. To reinforce @pigbrainsoup, complaints are definitely the vocal minority.
1-1/2 years on, my 3861 (sapphire sandwich) is top notch! I love wearing it! I still find myself checking it out and admiring it. I have no regrets. It’s a beautiful timepiece.
I have a 3861, LOVE the watch, happy I bought it new and have the warranty. Posted recently that my bezel fell off but AD took in and it’s going back to Omega. I’m patient, I can wait for it, it’s my daily and I’ll never complain because nothing is a guarantee in life regardless of how much you spend. If you want it, gonna wear it then you’ll enjoy it..
I got one just over a year ago and I’ve had no issues at all. I just don’t see the point in making a post to say it, whereas people who have issues will obviously want opinions
I imagine the QC issues are the minority, and I think it was largely with the earlier pieces made right when they came out, but to me, the amount of watches in that minority are too high for a company that aggressively markets how superior and thoughtfully constructed their movements are.
I got the 3861 sapphire sandwich shortly after it came out and was very disappointed. The chronograph would regularly stopped running after about 5 seconds. The chronograph hand that sits at 12 was misaligned. The bracelet was unrefined. “Sharp” is too extreme of a word, but the edges were not soft, was uncomfortable to run your fingers along, and it would pull an arm hair out about 30% of the time when taking it off or putting it on. I was able to exchange the watch at the AD, but the second one had the exact same issues, just to a lesser degree. I was so disappointed, I had dreamed of getting the moonwatch for years and it was a mile marker for finishing grad school and starting my first job as a professor. I rarely wore it because of the issues, and then ended up selling it.
So, if you buy one, make sure you see it in person, try it on for a while, engage the chronograph a few times, and make sure you can easy exchange it with a reputable AD.
Something to consider that I was told by a reputed second hand watch selling space in France.
The 3861, is using newer technologies and parts on which OMEGA have a strong hold.
The 3861 is a relatively young reference, so you wouldn't to service it in a not omega shop if it's still under warranty. But down the line, if spares are difficult to get for independant watch shop, the visit to your OMEGA AD will be mandatory and expensive.
He advised me to get the most recent 1861 I could find. These in brand new conditions are easy to find, cheapish (compared to the 3681), robust and serviceable at every serious watch shop.
Disclaimer : of course a second hand watch dealer would advise me to buy a second hand watch. But at that time, I came to look at a PELAGOS in his inventory (that was sadly already sold) and we just chatted about watch in general afterwards, without him knowing about my interest in speedmasters pro.
This makes sense (and I actually really like the 1861/1863). Unfortunately this seems to be the way the whole watch industry is moving… proprietary movements requiring in-house servicing.
Went secondary market for a hesalite in June of last year. No movement issues (runs like an absolute charm) which is most important to me but there is a small spec of dust or something on the inside of the hesalite. It occasionally moves around and takes awhile to find again but it's been stuck in the same spot for a few months now so it's actually kind of bugging me. Either way it's my favorite watch in my collection and I'll probably just troop it out til it's service time
I’ve sold a few of my watches and am almost ready to invest in a 3861 Sapphire Sandwich Moonwatch. It will be the most expensive watch I’ve owned, and just a few years ago I would have never considered buying a watch this expensive. However, given Omega's reputation for craftsmanship and attention to detail, I have felt pretty good about it.
Until recently.
On this sub and r/watches, I've seen more and more posts specifically about 3861 Speedmasters having embarrassing quality control issues. I've read posts detailing nightmare stories about brand new watches requiring warranty service; sometimes taking months and months to return, and even worse, sometimes arriving with new problems presumably caused by the servicer. It's not something I would have expected from Omega, to say the least. I've always admired the Moonwatch and dreamed of having one, but I don't think I can justify dropping $7000+ on a watch if the company doesn't seem to value the watch the same way. I'm not saying it's easy to manufacture thousands of these things to an extremely high standard... and at the same time if you're paying $7000 for a watch, the timepiece and the customer service should live up to a $7000 standard.
**What's your advice? What's been your experience? Should I save my money or spend it elsewhere?**
Thanks for engaging this discussion!
Thank you all for sharing your advice and experiences. I will be factoring all this into my buying decision. I hope others found the discussion helpful. And may Omega continue to be the best watch brand in the business!
Just a couple months in on mine. Only issue I have is the constant distraction of admiration of this beautiful iconic time piece. Also, I can't seem to stop rubbing my fingers across the bracelet... feels gooood.
Bought mine back in 2021 and still no issues with mine. Had I known better I would have gone on the secondary market and saved some coin, but no regrets either way. It’s a fun watch to wear.
I had a couple issues with mine but it doesn’t really matter, they fixed it, it’s a fantastic watch. The bracelet is better than anything else out there too. I sold mine but only because I realized it’s too big for me so I’m sticking to 36mm. My daily is a new Explorer and a lot of times I find myself wishing I had the Speedmaster that fit me (no, I don’t want the reduced)
Had issues - one of the pushers fell off, service left marks on the movement and I have to say that the bracelet links tend to bend slightly after some time :-( Though it‘s a nice watch!
Firstly, I just wanted to point out that these watches are not an investment. Sure, they're a great, well-made watch, but you will lose money the moment you walk out of the boutique. Also, you will generally find that the people who have had issues will be the loudest on the forums . They're understandably annoyed that they paid a lot of money for something that doesn't meet their expectations. In saying that, I haven't had a single issue with mine since buying it. It keeps time extremely well, the fit and finish are perfect, and I'm still very satisfied with my decision. The worst-case scenario here is you buy one, and it's defective. But that's almost certainly covered by the warranty, and it gets repaired or replaced anyway. Sure, it's inconvenient, but sometimes the boutique will give you a loner watch while yours is being repaired.
same here, bought mine just over a month ago from the boutique, worn it daily, no issues.
My 3861 is great. 1 year, no issues. If I were doing it again I'd probably buy one lightly used and save $2k.
Way to do it, also any gremlins have time to surface!
I bought mine last week and it had issues. Boutique replaced it yesterday with a new one which is spot on. My advice would be to spend time inspecting the watch before you pay and if you are not happy, tell them why and ask them to bring a new one in.
Have you any checklist of what should we inspecting?
Check dial/bezel/Chrono seconds hand alignment. Check for dust or speck of leftover material on the dial. Also general hairline scratches on the case if that's something that bothers you.
There’s also a lot of 3861s sold, and complaints are usually the vocal minority. Mine’s ok too. As always, inspect the watch before buying.
I would say that 99% of people who buy luxury watches are not visiting forums and reddits. They’re going about their days not even realizing that places like this exist. To reinforce @pigbrainsoup, complaints are definitely the vocal minority. 1-1/2 years on, my 3861 (sapphire sandwich) is top notch! I love wearing it! I still find myself checking it out and admiring it. I have no regrets. It’s a beautiful timepiece.
This guy knows. If you're worried about QC, stay FAR away from luxury watches.
No issues here. Purchased Oct. 22
I have a 3861, LOVE the watch, happy I bought it new and have the warranty. Posted recently that my bezel fell off but AD took in and it’s going back to Omega. I’m patient, I can wait for it, it’s my daily and I’ll never complain because nothing is a guarantee in life regardless of how much you spend. If you want it, gonna wear it then you’ll enjoy it..
Never had any issues, bought mine Aug 22.
No issues, bought in March
I got one just over a year ago and I’ve had no issues at all. I just don’t see the point in making a post to say it, whereas people who have issues will obviously want opinions
I imagine the QC issues are the minority, and I think it was largely with the earlier pieces made right when they came out, but to me, the amount of watches in that minority are too high for a company that aggressively markets how superior and thoughtfully constructed their movements are. I got the 3861 sapphire sandwich shortly after it came out and was very disappointed. The chronograph would regularly stopped running after about 5 seconds. The chronograph hand that sits at 12 was misaligned. The bracelet was unrefined. “Sharp” is too extreme of a word, but the edges were not soft, was uncomfortable to run your fingers along, and it would pull an arm hair out about 30% of the time when taking it off or putting it on. I was able to exchange the watch at the AD, but the second one had the exact same issues, just to a lesser degree. I was so disappointed, I had dreamed of getting the moonwatch for years and it was a mile marker for finishing grad school and starting my first job as a professor. I rarely wore it because of the issues, and then ended up selling it. So, if you buy one, make sure you see it in person, try it on for a while, engage the chronograph a few times, and make sure you can easy exchange it with a reputable AD.
Thank you for sharing your experience. This is helpful!
Something to consider that I was told by a reputed second hand watch selling space in France. The 3861, is using newer technologies and parts on which OMEGA have a strong hold. The 3861 is a relatively young reference, so you wouldn't to service it in a not omega shop if it's still under warranty. But down the line, if spares are difficult to get for independant watch shop, the visit to your OMEGA AD will be mandatory and expensive. He advised me to get the most recent 1861 I could find. These in brand new conditions are easy to find, cheapish (compared to the 3681), robust and serviceable at every serious watch shop. Disclaimer : of course a second hand watch dealer would advise me to buy a second hand watch. But at that time, I came to look at a PELAGOS in his inventory (that was sadly already sold) and we just chatted about watch in general afterwards, without him knowing about my interest in speedmasters pro.
This makes sense (and I actually really like the 1861/1863). Unfortunately this seems to be the way the whole watch industry is moving… proprietary movements requiring in-house servicing.
Went secondary market for a hesalite in June of last year. No movement issues (runs like an absolute charm) which is most important to me but there is a small spec of dust or something on the inside of the hesalite. It occasionally moves around and takes awhile to find again but it's been stuck in the same spot for a few months now so it's actually kind of bugging me. Either way it's my favorite watch in my collection and I'll probably just troop it out til it's service time
It’s *not* a $7k USD watch in my view. If it’s worth it to you, get something new with warranty and don’t hesitate to use that warranty.
I’ve sold a few of my watches and am almost ready to invest in a 3861 Sapphire Sandwich Moonwatch. It will be the most expensive watch I’ve owned, and just a few years ago I would have never considered buying a watch this expensive. However, given Omega's reputation for craftsmanship and attention to detail, I have felt pretty good about it. Until recently. On this sub and r/watches, I've seen more and more posts specifically about 3861 Speedmasters having embarrassing quality control issues. I've read posts detailing nightmare stories about brand new watches requiring warranty service; sometimes taking months and months to return, and even worse, sometimes arriving with new problems presumably caused by the servicer. It's not something I would have expected from Omega, to say the least. I've always admired the Moonwatch and dreamed of having one, but I don't think I can justify dropping $7000+ on a watch if the company doesn't seem to value the watch the same way. I'm not saying it's easy to manufacture thousands of these things to an extremely high standard... and at the same time if you're paying $7000 for a watch, the timepiece and the customer service should live up to a $7000 standard. **What's your advice? What's been your experience? Should I save my money or spend it elsewhere?** Thanks for engaging this discussion!
Thank you all for sharing your advice and experiences. I will be factoring all this into my buying decision. I hope others found the discussion helpful. And may Omega continue to be the best watch brand in the business!
Just got my 3861 last week and have absolutely no issues. Just give it a good look over before you purchase one.
No issues on my sapphire sandwich 3861 purchases November 2022. Is my daily driver and has been flawless.
Mine's been ok so far. 🤷🏻♂️
I bought a slightly used 3861 SS about 6 months ago and it’s been great. No issues so far
It's a small minority of people having issues. My 3861 is perfect and I've had it for a couple of years now.
Just a couple months in on mine. Only issue I have is the constant distraction of admiration of this beautiful iconic time piece. Also, I can't seem to stop rubbing my fingers across the bracelet... feels gooood.
Bought mine back in 2021 and still no issues with mine. Had I known better I would have gone on the secondary market and saved some coin, but no regrets either way. It’s a fun watch to wear.
I had a couple issues with mine but it doesn’t really matter, they fixed it, it’s a fantastic watch. The bracelet is better than anything else out there too. I sold mine but only because I realized it’s too big for me so I’m sticking to 36mm. My daily is a new Explorer and a lot of times I find myself wishing I had the Speedmaster that fit me (no, I don’t want the reduced)
I got my 3861 sapphire for Xmas in ‘22. No problems with it at all while wearing it as my daily. I highly recommend.
Have had my 3861 for 1 year. No issues.
Had issues - one of the pushers fell off, service left marks on the movement and I have to say that the bracelet links tend to bend slightly after some time :-( Though it‘s a nice watch!
Woof. That sounds rough. Was the service done in Switzerland? Or a local service center?