OMEGA Refreshes the Speedmaster 38 mm with Seven New References

Few watches carry the expectation a Speedmaster does. Every revision is scrutinised like scripture, every millimetre of bezel weighed against 68 years of unbroken lineage. Which makes OMEGA's latest move all the more compelling as it presents a refined evolution of the Speedmaster 38 mm with seven new references. Through subtle enhancements and new colour variations, the updated watches embrace a contemporary approach to design while bringing the collection even closer to the aesthetic codes of the legendary Moonwatch.

Rounded subdials replace the previous oval registers, sharpening the sporty character of the line. There is less wording on the dial for a cleaner look, and the bezels return to a thicker style carrying the essential Dot-Over-Ninety synonymous with the Moonwatch. Each reference arrives on a Moonwatch-style five-link bracelet, its central links either polished or brushed depending on the model. These sound like small changes, but they make a big difference on the wrist. That tiny dot above the 90 is a detail collectors have hunted down at auctions for years. Bringing it back is OMEGA's way of agreeing with what fans have said all along: the 38 mm always deserved the full Moonwatch treatment.

‍The Seven References

Black dial: Most closely aligned with the signature Moonwatch look: black aluminium bezel, black varnished dial with matte finish, hands and indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova. It houses the Co-Axial Calibre 3332, and the bracelet reveals three brushed rows and two rows of smaller polished links. The purist's pick — no date aperture to interrupt the symmetry.

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White dial: A blue ceramic bezel with white enamel tachymeter scale. The lacquered white dial is contrasted by hands and indexes with a blue CVD coating, the same shade appearing on the date-window numerals. Ceramic and enamel is unforgiving; the chromatic discipline here is fastidious.

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Silvery dial: A warm grey aluminium bezel and opaline silvery PVD dial with Sedna™ Gold PVD hands and baton indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova. Brown and Sedna™ Gold PVD hands appear in the subdials. Vintage in temperament, without the pantomime of manufactured patina.

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BICOLOUR

Silvery opaline dial: Stainless steel case with polished 18K Moonshine™ Gold bezel, green aluminium bezel ring and yellow gold tachymeter scale. The dial carries Moonshine™ Gold PVD hands and baton indexes with white Super-LumiNova. The bracelet's small links are 18K Moonshine™ Gold, precisely where bicolour earns its keep.

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Ivory dial: Building on the collection's signature "cappuccino" style: an ivory main dial with contrasting brown PVD subdials, a steel case mounted by a polished 18K Sedna™ Gold bezel and brown aluminium bezel ring, with small bracelet links in 18K Sedna™ Gold. A panda dial with a passport.

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DIAMOND-SET BEZELS

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Ice blue or mother-of-pearl: Two models carry 52 diamonds on the bezel, totalling 1.53 carats. One features an ice blue PVD dial, the other the purity of white mother-of-pearl. Both use rhodium-plated hands and baton indexes filled with white Super-LumiNova. Coruscating and serene respectively, and neither is decoration masquerading as a watch.

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Two Calibres

Two self-winding Co-Axial movements sit at the heart of the collection. The Calibre 3330 powers the six date references; the Calibre 3332 is used exclusively for the seventh Black Dial reference with no date.

Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, says: "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."

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The Long Shadow

The Speedmaster was launched in 1957 as a watch for racing drivers. Its tachymeter bezel, tough build and easy-to-read dial quickly proved useful far beyond the track. In 1965, NASA put it through 11 brutal tests  and it was the only watch to pass every single one, making it the first timepiece approved for all manned space missions. Three moments shaped its legacy: that NASA approval, becoming the first watch worn on the Moon during Apollo 11 and helping bring the Apollo 13 crew home safely.

Eleven tests. One survivor. With these seven new references, the Speedmaster 38 mm is no longer just the Moonwatch's little brother but a legitimate heir.

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