That’s one smaller size for Omega, and one giant leap for Omega-kind. The brand’s iconic Speedmaster, best known for accompanying Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission, just got a very 2026 makeover. Since its launch in 1957, the Moonwatch’s diameter has remained fixed at 42 millimeters. But the newest versions have been hit by a barely functioning shrink ray, bringing the proportions down to a very wearable 38mm.
I know. You’re probably thinking: It’s just a few millimeters, what’s the big deal? That tweak to Omega’s flagship watch might read like a rounding error, but it’s a big deal on a practical level, and speaks volumes about what watch collectors are looking to buy these days.
“Speedmaster fans have wanted a smaller alternative to the 42mm Professional Moonwatch for a long time, but until now, the 38mm was nothing like the classic Speedy,” says Chris Hall, the author of the watch newsletter The Fourth Wheel and an upcoming book about Omega. “By changing details like the subdial shape and bezel style, Omega has gone some way to fixing that.”
In the watch world, millimeters are counted with the fevered intensity of teenaged boys arguing over baseball cards. Mark Cho, the co-founder of The Armoury and one of the most tasteful watch collectors on the planet, recently conducted his third edition of his Ideal Watch Size Survey. According to the 3,000 enthusiasts he polled, the ideal watch size for an everyday piece is 38 millimeters—a.k.a. the exact size of this new Speedmaster.
