There is one clock that more than any other has ceased to be “only” an instrument for measuring time and has turned into a true cultural symbol.
Omega’s Speedmaster was born in 1957 as a sports chronograph, but it entered legend in 1969, when it accompanied the Apollo 11 astronauts on the lunar surface. Since then it has been “Moonwatch” by definition: a technical object turned myth, capable of crossing generations without losing relevance, precisely because it has been able to evolve while remaining true to its identity.
New iterations of the Omega Speedmaster
In 2026 Omega opens a new chapter in this history by presenting two new Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional watches that perfectly embody this balance between memory and contemporaneity. This is not a rupture, but a careful, cultured reinterpretation designed for all enthusiasts and collectors who know the language of the Speedmaster and appreciate its nuances.
The first element that tells of this evolution is the dial. Both models adopt the traditional Moonwatch “step dial,” arranged on a double mainplate. The upper plate is glossy black, with a lacquered and varnished finish that restores a striking visual depth, and houses the counters framed by rhodium-plated profiles. The base of the counters, on the other hand, is white, also lacquered and painted, creating a play of contrasts that subverts the classic “panda” configuration. The minute track applied to the dial is white, while that on the counters is black-a detail that is not only aesthetic but functional, enhancing readability.
Completing the face of the watch are the black ceramic bezel, with white enameled tachymeter scale, and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment. Elements that speak of modernity and robustness, without betraying the historical silhouette of the Moonwatch. On the wrist, too, there is total consistency: the bracelets alternate between polished and brushed surfaces, echoing the traditional style of the collection, but incorporating Omega’s practical patented adjustment system.
The two versions share the 42 mm case, an iconic proportion for the Speedmaster, but differ in materials and character. The stainless steel model represents the most faithful interpretation of the original spirit: hour markers and hands are rhodium-plated and filled with white Super-LumiNova, ensuring flawless legibility in all conditions.
The 18K Moonshine™ gold version, however, introduces a more precious dimension without slipping into ostentation. This proprietary Omega alloy, known for its durability and color stability, is used for the case and all dial elements: hour and minute hands, counter spheres and hour markers, all in 18K Moonshine™ gold and filled with white Super-LumiNova. To complete the picture, the central chronograph sphere in Moonshine™ PVD gold adds an additional technical-aesthetic accent.
The Omega Caliber 3861
Inside the new Moonwatches is the Omega Caliber 3861 Co-Axial Master Chronometer, a hand-wound movement that is a contemporary evolution of the famous 321. It is an integrated chronograph with cam architecture (in continuity with the Speedmaster tradition) and side clutching, set at 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) and equipped with a power reserve of about 50 hours.
The 3861 adopts Omega’s patented Co-Axial escapement and a silicon (Si14) balance spring, a combination that dramatically reduces friction, improves long-term chronometric stability, and raises resistance to magnetic fields beyond 15,000 gauss. It also features a free-sprung balance wheel, stop seconds function (hacking seconds) and high-end finishing, visible through the sapphire crystal case back.
the complete watch (not just the movement) under actual conditions of use, guaranteeing precision, reliability, magnetic resistance and overall performance at the highest level of contemporary Swiss watchmaking. Such mechanical quality that Omega is able to offer a 5-year warranty.
Conclusions
These new Speedmaster Moonwatches do not set out to reinvent an icon. They do something more difficult and more mature: they respectfully interpret it, adding visual complexity, perceived quality and technical content, without affecting that DNA that makes a Speedmaster instantly recognizable decades later.
And so the circle comes full circle. The same watch that once served astronauts to measure time in space continues today to measure something more subtle: the ability of an object to remain relevant, desirable, and authentic. In 2026, the Speedmaster is an evolving myth, as naturally as time continues to flow on its dial.
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