For personal favorites, though, I suppose I have to go with the Omega Speedmaster 321 “Ed White.” The Speedmaster was an early love of mine, and while my own 1861-based Speedy will always have a special place in my heart as the first so-called good Swiss watch I ever owned, there was always a part of me that wanted a new Moonwatch, but with a re-introduced caliber 321 which was, after all, the movement that went to the Moon. I never really thought it was going to happen. The 1861-based Speedmasters have served in manned space flight quite honorably as well, but the idea of a fresh-out-of-the-box, brand-spanking-new, wear-without-worry modern Speedy with a good-to-go caliber 321 never lost its appeal, and this year, against all odds and to my everlasting surprise and pleasure, it came out. It’s not completely a reboot of the original Ed White, of course – I would have preferred plain white lume and the option of a closed caseback, I suppose, but in neither case do I find those aspects of the design a deal-breaker. The new Ed White is as close as I’ve ever come in watchmaking to having a horological genie make a few passes in the air and making an impossible wish come true.
Editors’ Picks Our Favorite Chronographs From The 2020 New Releases
