The Quintessential Modern Steel Omega Speedmaster Watches

It has been a while, but here’s a new installment in our Speedy Tuesday article series. This week, I will take a look at what I consider the five best modern steel Speedmaster models in Omega’s current catalog. And despite the Speedmaster having been constantly in production since 1957, the current catalog is quite fresh.

If you could buy just one modern Speedmaster…

In 2021, Omega introduced its current Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. The classic hand-wound chronograph was revised and updated with new design elements and a new movement. Additionally, Omega added a long-awaited new bracelet to this model. The current one has now been in production for five years. Meanwhile, it has received a small clasp update, and Omega introduced a few more variations of the current Speedmaster Moonwatch.

In recent times, we’ve seen the addition of two bicolor versions, several Moonshine and Sedna Gold iterations, a Moonwatch with a white dial and one with a reverse-panda dial, and a few First Omega In Space models. Disregarding all the Dark Side of the Moon, Speedmaster ’57, and Speedmaster 38 variations, etc., and sticking to everything that is related to the Moonwatch, we are left with 31 references. These include steel, two-tone (steel and gold), gold, and platinum. Some models also have multiple references due to different strap and bracelet options.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional ref. 310.30.42.50.01.001

Which Omega Speedmaster should you buy?

One of the questions I receive most frequently is which Speedmaster to get first. Although I love vintage Omega Speedmasters, it often makes more sense to start with a modern one, especially if you’re new to watches. However, the most common question I receive isn’t that specific. It’s just about that one perfect Speedmaster for someone.

The answer used to be easy. You could choose either a sapphire or a Hesalite (plexiglass) crystal, and most people bought the one that was true to the watch’s heritage. Although Hesalite scratches much more easily than sapphire, those scratches were easy to buff out, or the crystal could be replaced later. Since the 2021 update to the Moonwatch models, the best-selling model has become the one with a sapphire crystal. But now, there are quite a few additional Moonwatch and closely related variations that make choosing your perfect Speedmaster a bit more difficult.

In this article, I select the five models from which I would choose if I were asked to buy just one steel Speedmaster. The final choice won’t be easy, but it’s always helpful to narrow everything down to a shortlist.

The classic Moonwatch with a Hesalite crystal

I can’t even imagine how many times I have recommended this model over time. Whether it’s the current reference 310.30.42.50.01.001 or the one Omega was making when I started collecting watches (reference 3570.50), this is always the starting point for a Moonwatch. It’s the classic Speedmaster Professional, featuring a black dial, Hesalite (acrylic) crystal, hand-wound movement, aluminum bezel insert, and all-steel case back with the iconic engraved inscription.

At €7,700, it’s also the most affordable Speedmaster Professional of the five in this bunch. In today’s world, I still can’t think of another (chronograph) watch I’d rather have at this price level. This was the case when the retail price was around €4,000, and it still is today, when everything has just become more expensive. The current Moonwatch draws its inspiration from the first Speedmaster Professional, reference 105.012, introduced in 1964. Five years later, in 1969, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin wore that very model on the Moon during the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

The modern Speedmaster has the same case design, same hands, and a very similar dial design as the original 105.012. Based on decades of experience, I can say that the 42mm asymmetrical case wears more like a 40mm one, mainly because the two extra millimeters are due to the crown guards. It wears as no larger than one of my 40mm sports Rolex models, period. The steel bezel frame has a 39.7mm diameter, and that measurement reflects how the watch fits on the wrist much better. The good thing about the current lineup of Moonwatch models is that the bracelet is also much better designed than the previous generation. Since there are no male end links, it now offers a far superior fit on a smaller wrist.

The white-dial Moonwatch

Except for some prototypes, a white-dial Speedmaster Professional didn’t enter Omega’s collection until 1997. The brand introduced the white-dial Speedmaster for the Italian market in 1997 as a limited edition of 500 pieces. Collectors soon nicknamed it the “Albino.” Then, in 2008, Omega followed it with another white-dial Speedmaster Professional, this time celebrating the Alaska Project watches that the brand had developed for NASA in 1970. This time, the dial was truly white, not off-white like the Albino’s dial.

In 2024, Omega decided it was time to bring a non-limited-edition white-dial Speedmaster Professional to the table. First seen on Daniel Craig’s wrist at a red-carpet event, it was introduced to the market a few months later as the new white-dial Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional (reference 310.30.42.50.04.001). Earning the nickname “Craig White,” this Speedmaster is available on a stainless steel bracelet, with a rubber strap, and with a perforated leather strap.

Inside ticks the 3861 movement, just like the classic Moonwatch, as mentioned above. Here, though, it is visible through the case back’s sapphire display.

The lacquered white dial is basically the only difference from the sapphire-equipped version of the classic Moonwatch. At €9,000, this white-dial version costs just €100 more than the black-dial sapphire Moonwatch model (reference 310.30.42.50.01.002).

The second-generation Speedmaster First Omega In Space

I remember the introduction of the Speedmaster First Omega in Space at Baselworld 2012. The watch was loosely based on the second-generation Speedmaster CK2998. Omega was still producing commemorative editions each year, and the FOiS marked the 50th anniversary of the first Speedmaster used in space by NASA astronaut Wally Schirra. In the years following that, Omega used it as a platform for some of the “CK2998” limited editions. However, the First Omega in Space went out of production at the end of 2020, the same year Omega introduced the other 39.7mm Speedmaster, the Calibre 321.

In October 2024, the brand reintroduced the First Omega in Space. This time, it featured the 3861 movement, a blue dial, and a new domed sapphire crystal nearly identical in shape to the famous Hesalite crystal. This Omega Speedmaster “FOiS II” is a great choice for those who find the Speedmaster Professional too large or prefer a straight-lug case to an asymmetrical one. The current First Omega in Space comes with the steel flat-link bracelet you’ll also find on the Speedmaster Calibre 321, but it’s also available on a leather strap (saving you €400). On the back of this watch, you’ll find “The First Omega In Space” engraved, as well as the date the Speedmaster earned that title (October 3rd, 1962).

If you want something different from the classic 42mm Speedmaster Professional, have a look at this blue-dial Speedmaster. I would always choose the version with the stainless steel bracelet (reference 310.30.40.50.06.001, with a retail price of €8,700), as buying one afterward will be relatively expensive. This also leaves you the freedom to pick whatever strap you want.

The Speedmaster “Reverse Panda”

I was a little surprised when Omega showed me the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional “Reverse Panda.” At first glance, it seemed the designers had drawn inspiration from the 2017 Speedmaster Speedy Tuesday. Perhaps they did, but upon closer inspection, this new Speedmaster differs in several essential ways. Whereas the Speedy Tuesday “Tribute to Alaska III” had a fully brushed case and a matte dial, the new Speedmaster “Reverse Panda” is based on the current Moonwatch and features a sapphire crystal.

The dial is varnished and lacquered black, while the sub-dials sit on a separate varnished and lacquered white plate. Inside those sub-dials are rhodium-plated frames. On the dial, you will find the applied Omega logo and rhodium-plated hands. Unlike the standard Moonwatch, the Speedmaster “Reverse Panda” has a ceramic bezel insert.

The rest of this watch is identical to the sapphire-crystal Moonwatch on a stainless steel bracelet. This also implies that it has a see-through case back, revealing Omega’s caliber 3861. The retail price for the Speedmaster “Reverse Panda” (reference 310.30.42.50.01.004) is €10,200. It’s a Speedmaster Professional with a twist, as we also imagined it with the Speedy Tuesday “Tribute to Alaska III” in 2017. Since I love that one, this one also gets its fair share of love.

The Speedmaster Calibre 321

In early 2020, Omega introduced the Speedmaster Calibre 321. The brand had already reintroduced the 321 movement in 2019 for the platinum Speedmaster Professional with onyx and meteorite dials. Omega used the original caliber 321 in the Speedmaster from 1957 until around 1968 before replacing it with the caliber 861. Lémania originally developed both movements. When Breguet acquired Lémania in 1992, it also obtained the rights to the caliber 321. Omega reached an agreement with Breguet to use this movement (again) in its watches and used tomographic technology to recreate it, as the original drawings were not available.

For this steel model, Omega drew inspiration from the Speedmaster 105.003, using the actual example that NASA astronaut Gene Cernan wore in space and on the Moon. The Speedmaster Calibre 321 is manufactured in a special workshop (or “atelier,” as Omega refers to it internally), where the brand also produces its tourbillon watches. It’s completely separate from the regular production lines for Omega’s other watches.

The Speedmaster Calibre 321 is faithful to the original Speedmaster 105.003, but it uses a sapphire crystal instead of a Hesalite one and has a ceramic bezel insert with a white enamel tachymeter scale rather than an aluminum insert. The case back’s sapphire window allows the opportunity to enjoy the famous 321 movement. While it was once a copper-colored caliber, Omega now uses Sedna (rose) Gold for its bridge plating. The clutch bridge is made of untreated German silver, just like the original 321 movement that Omega scanned. It’s all about the details.

Not a Master Chronometer

The Speedmaster Calibre 321 comes on a flat-link bracelet, as the original reference 105.003 did. And while all the previously mentioned Speedmaster models come in the smaller Omega box, this Calibre 321 comes in the large version. Not that it’s important, but it’s nice to have. This watch is not a certified Master Chronometer, so don’t expect the same accuracy as the others. Also, while you can indeed swim with the other ones (just don’t touch the pushers or crown when in the water), as the Master Chronometer testing requirements also cover water resistance, you can’t use the Speedmaster Calibre 321 in the water.

The retail price of the Speedmaster Calibre 321 (reference 311.30.40.30.01.001) is €17,100. This is significantly more than for the others listed in this overview. It’s not only the historical movement that makes the difference, nor is it the fact that it’s assembled twice (which some other brands like to do as well). You will also find that there’s more detail on the dials of these watches, for example. When I put mine on my wrist, it wears noticeably different from my other Moonwatch models or the CK2998 limited edition. It’s hard to put this feeling and experience into words, but if you can give it a try at the Omega boutique, please do.

Ranking modern steel Speedmasters

I haven’t ranked these Omega Speedmaster models in any particular order, although I certainly have my favorites. If I had to pick just one, it would be the Speedmaster Calibre 321. It’s the watch I wear more than any other in my collection. It also happens to be the most expensive one on this list, but considering how much wrist time it gets, I’ve convinced myself that it was money well spent.

If I had to pick just one, it’s hard to ignore the classic Moonwatch with a Hesalite or sapphire crystal. Either is fine, but Hesalite is true to the original, whereas sapphire offers added security (and heft). The sapphire version also has a see-through case back. For purists, the Speedmaster Calibre 321 and the Moonwatch with Hesalite are probably the safest bets. If you’re a bit more liberal, the white-dial and “Reverse Panda” models are a nice twist on the original Moonwatch. The second-generation Speedmaster First Omega in Space is a wonderful variation if you appreciate a dark blue sunray dial and, perhaps more importantly, the alpha hands.

For more information on the Omega Speedmaster collection and prices, visit the brand’s official website.