In the world of chronographs, there are few watches with the pedigree of the Omega Speedmaster. Known around the world as the watch which went to the moon, it remains a must-have for legions of watch collectors and enthusiasts.
Now, the brand has given its smaller 38mm model a refreshed look. That sees it tie in more closely with the larger, traditional version, which sits within a 42mm case.
The redesign welcomes no less than seven references to the Speedmaster 38 family. That includes a trio of all steel models, a pair of two-tone references and a pair with diamond-set bezels. The three steel-on-steel models are likely to be the most appealing, as two of them take their design cues quite explicitly from the classic model.
The black dial variant is the most affordable in the collection, offered without a date function in keeping with the original design of the model. You’ll be able to snag that one for $6,500, with the other steel references sitting at $6,700 and $7,100 respectively.
The pricier of the two is my personal favorite here. That features a white dial with a blue ceramic bezel, not dissimilar to the design language of the iconic Silver Snoopy model.
Still, it’s not all good news. Despite the significantly more agreeable design language, there’s one point in the spec sheet which I think a lot of users are going to take issue with – the case thickness. That sits at a portly 14.75mm, and coupled with the smaller case diameter, it sounds massive. Having worn other watches with similar proportions, I can’t understand the thinking here.
I’ll reserve full judgement until I’ve had the chance to get one on the wrist, but it certainly seems that one measurement might be the bug on the windshield of an otherwise popular watch design.