Bracelet question for Speedmaster 38 mm 324.30.38.50.01.001

[Redundant Banker]

Advice please!

I have a preference for automatic watches, with date, of a small/medium size. I presently own a 36mm Datejust, Cartier Tank Francaise and an early 1990s Omega Speedmaster Reduced (two tone steel and yellow gold with white face) and this watch, with the “look” of the moonwatch (sort of) but with an automatic movement and a date complication has caught my eye as a fourth watch to add to my small collection.

However I cannot find a huge amount of information about this watch on this site and the internet generally, but from the pictures on the web it appears not to have any fine adjustment on the bracelet. Is this correct? Omega’s website tells me that if I order direct from them they can size it in half centimetre steps, suggesting the links are half a centimetre in size. If correct, there could be quite a jump between “too tight” and “too loose”. Have other owners found this a problem, and if so what did they do to resolve it? Do half links exist?

[AEC]

Nice watch! You're correct that its clasp is not adjustable, and the means for 5mm incremental adjustments is through the use of half-links. I recommend checking with Omega to ask if the bracelet comes with half-links included (my Aqua Terra's bracelet did), just in case you need to do any subsequent adjusting yourself after you it arrives.

Let us know how it goes

[Redundant Banker]

Thanks for your quick reply. Do you happen to know if the half links are true halves?

The basic link on the Rolex is 6.5mm and there is a larger link at 8mm; on the Cartier the basic link is 11mm and there is a “half” at 8mm. As long as you have enough of the non-standard sizes you can make almost any size and get a fine adjustment that way.

My 1990s Omega has fine adjustment on the clasp in 3mm increments – perhaps I am overly fussy but anything more than that would be too much. Otherwise, is there a different clasp (ideally Omega, but aftermarket would be OK) that has a fine adjustment that would fit?

[AEC]

Originally Posted by Redundant Banker

Thanks for your quick reply. Do you happen to know if the half links are true halves?

The basic link on the Rolex is 6.5mm and there is a larger link at 8mm; on the Cartier the basic link is 11mm and there is a “half” at 8mm. As long as you have enough of the non-standard sizes you can make almost any size and get a fine adjustment that way.

My 1990s Omega has fine adjustment on the clasp in 3mm increments – perhaps I am overly fussy but anything more than that would be too much. Otherwise, is there a different clasp (ideally Omega, but aftermarket would be OK) that has a fine adjustment that would fit?

I recommend asking Omega to confirm how many partial-length links are included as standard with the watch. My Aqua Terra came with two of these, and it's easy to get a good fit having two of them available for use. My sense is these partial-length links will be perfectly sufficient for getting a great fit.

There are clasps with micro-adjustment for other Omega models that may be adaptable to this bracelet, but it's worth noting that the Speedmaster you're interested in comes with a "hidden" clasp, so adapting a clam-shell style clasp with micro-adjustment built in may not be as straight-forward of an operation as it is for a model that comes with a clam-shell style clasp already. If there is an Omega clam-shell style clasp with micro-adjustment that is adaptable, then the good news is Omega sells them for surprisingly reasonable prices (total cost is USD ~$200 for the parts needed for conversion on a Speedmaster Pro).

[Redundant Banker]

Thanks. I did use the contact button on the Omega website to ask such questions but so far have had no reply (except an automated acknowledgement, so I do know they have received it). I will try and visit an AD in the coming weeks to see what they say. Once again thankyou for your quick and helpful replies.

[Redundant Banker]

Just a quick update, in case anyone else has the same question, I have now received a reply from Omega which reads:

I have noted your comments and must advise, the bracelet for model 324.30.38.50.01.001 does not consist of half links, therefore the sizing of the bracelet can only be ascertained by the adding or removing of the full links.

I am sorry I could not respond more favorably, should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.