The Omega Speedmaster 38mm black-dial watch resembles the signature look of the Moonwatch with its black aluminum bezel and lacquered black dial
Omega
Omega’s most storied watch is the Speedmaster, the chronograph that became the first watch worn on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. It also played a crucial role in helping to save the Apollo 13 crew in 1970, when astronauts used the watch to time a critical 14-second maneuver.
Omega’s relationship with NASA began in 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore his personal Speedmaster, reference CK2998, during his Mercury-Atlas 8 flight. In 1965, following a rigorous series of tests, the Speedmaster became the official watch of NASA’s space program.
Now known as the “Moonwatch,” at least partly because of Omega’s extensive decades-long marketing campaign, it’s a bit difficult to believe that the Speedmaster was originally developed as a timepiece for auto racing and motor sports.
Apollo 11 crew member Buzz Aldrin on the Moon’s surface with the Omega Speedmaster
NASA
While the classic commercially available Moonwatch measures 42mm, Omega introduced a dedicated 38mm Speedmaster collection in 2017. Now, Omega has updated the 38mm collection with seven references featuring subtle refinements and new color variations, bringing the collection closer to the aesthetic codes of the legendary Moonwatch.
Notable updates include rounded subdials that replace the previous oval designs, fewer words on the dial and thicker bezels featuring the “Dot-Over-Ninety” configuration. This refers to the position of the dot above the 90 on the tachymeter scale rather than to its right, a tiny detail associated with Speedmaster Moonwatch models produced before approximately 1970.
The screw-down casebacks are stamped with “Speedmaster” and feature a Seahorse medallion, along with an engraving indicating water resistance of 100 meters/330 feet.
The Omega Speedmaster 38mm screw-down caseback stamped with the Seahorse medallion
Omega
Each reference is presented on a Moonwatch-style five-link bracelet. The center links are either polished or brushed, depending on the model.
Six references are powered by the Co-Axial Caliber 3330, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a date function. The seventh, a black-dial model without a date, is powered by the automatic Caliber 3332, also a column-wheel movement.
“With this latest update, we’ve taken the Moonwatch inspiration even further, helping to enrich the Speedmaster DNA while still retaining the refined and unique nature that the 38 mm range is known for,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of Omega.
Omega Speedmaster Steel Models
The black-dial model (top image) is the closest to the signature look of the Moonwatch. It features a black aluminum bezel and a black varnished dial with matt finish, with hands and indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova. The bracelet has three rows of brushed links flanked by two rows of smaller polished links.
The Omega Speedmaster 38mm white-dial model with blue ceramic bezel and tachymeter scale
Omega
The white-dial model features a blue ceramic bezel with a tachymeter scale in white enamel. The lacquered white dial is contrasted by blue CVD-coated hands and indexes, matching the shade used for the numbers on the date window.
A third steel model features a silvery dial with a warm-gray aluminum bezel and an opaline silvery PVD finish. Omega’s proprietary Sedna Gold PVD hands and baton-style indexes are filled with white Super-LumiNova. The subdials combine brown and Sedna Gold PVD hands.
The Omega Speedmaster 38mm in steel and 18k Moonshine Gold with a green aluminum bezel ring
OmegaOmega Speedmaster Bicolor Models
One bicolor model combines a stainless-steel case with Omega’s proprietary 18k Moonshine Gold bezel, a green aluminum bezel ring and a yellow-gold tachymeter scale. The silvery opaline PVD dial features Moonshine Gold PVD hands and baton-style indexes, all enhanced with white Super-LumiNova. The bracelet’s smaller links are crafted from 18k Moonshine Gold.
Building on the Speedmaster 38 mm collection’s signature “cappuccino” style, another model features an ivory-colored main dial with contrasting brown PVD-coated subdials. The stainless-steel case is topped by a polished 18k Sedna Gold bezel and brown aluminum bezel ring. The bracelet’s smaller links are crafted from 18k Sedna Gold.
Omega Speedmaster 38mm with a diamond covered bezel and an “ice blue” PVD-coated dial
OmegaOmega Speedmaster Diamond-Set Bezels
Two Omega Speedmaster models feature bezels set with 52 diamonds totaling 1.53 carats. One has an “ice blue” PVD-coated dial, while the other features a white mother-of-pearl dial. Both have rhodium-plated hands and baton-shaped indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova.