Omega Speedmaster, FOiS 2024, First Omega in Space, CK2998, white dial Speedmaster, Speedmaster comparison, Calibre 3861, Omega chronograph, Moonwatch review, Omega heritage, modern Speedmaster, The Calibrated Wrist, Wally Schirra Speedmaster, Speedmaster 310.30.40.50.06.001

By Brent Robillard

If you are a frequent reader of this website, then you may be familiar with my personal dilemma when it comes to to the FOiS and the white dial Speedmaster. Last month, I catalogued my thoughts on the white Speedy—a watch I expected to admire, but not necessarily love. Instead, its crisp contrast, confident presence, and modern movement made it one of those watches that quietly grew on me until, suddenly, I realized that I didn’t want to take it off.

By contrast, in that same year, Omega also launched the new First Omega in Space, which immediately stole my heart. I’ve long admired the original FOiS for its proportions and restraint, and having worn the vintage CK2998 on several occasions, I knew the spirit Omega was chasing. Now that I’ve spent quality time with the 2024 FOiS (Ref. 310.30.40.50.06.001), I can say with confidence that they’ve nailed the formula.

Both watches are quintessentially Speedmaster and bound by the same DNA. Yet each tells a very different story. One is modern muscle; the other, vintage elegance rendered with contemporary precision. And together, they make the case that you could easily own both without feeling you’ve doubled down.

Am I copping out on a difficult decision? Probably. So, sue me.

The FOiS 2024: Heritage in Motion

When Omega first revived the “First Omega in Space” in 2012, it was a love letter to astronaut Wally Schirra’s CK2998—the Speedmaster that journeyed into orbit aboard Mercury-Atlas 8 in 1962. That watch bridged the pre-Professional era and the Moonwatch that would follow, with straight lugs, alpha hands, and a smaller, more intimate 39.7mm case.

The 2024 FOiS takes that foundational design and reimagines it for a new generation. The case retains the elegant straight-lug silhouette and polished chamfers, but the finishing feels crisper—and frankly, next to the vintage CK2998, it feels far more solid. On the wrist, the proportions are near perfect: compact, wearable, and closer in spirit to the original than any modern Speedmaster has been in years.

Where the earlier FOiS featured a matte black dial, this new model introduces a grey sunburst dial with a delicate radial brushing that catches the light differently with each angle—a nod to the “blued” metallic sheen often found on aged CK2998 dials. The stepped dial profile, applied vintage Omega logo, and alpha hands all speak to the brand’s respect for its own history, while the white sub-registers retain legibility and visual harmony.

Inside, Omega has fitted the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861. This is the same hand-wound movement that powers the current Moonwatch. This brings the FOiS firmly into the 21st century with METAS certification, anti-magnetic resistance up to 15,000 gauss, and chronometric accuracy that vintage models could only dream of. The combination of nostalgic design and cutting-edge movement technology creates a compelling duality: a watch that feels as timeless as it is current.

Flip it over, and you’re greeted by a sapphire caseback engraved with Omega’s classic Hippocampus emblem. Sorry, no exhibition sapphire here. The bracelet has evolved: gone is the vintage-style leather strap of the 2012 release, replaced by a finely tapered flat-link steel bracelet that wears beautifully, catching light in a string of polished facets. And, of course, wearing fingerprints like battle scars.

Having worn the original CK2998, I can say that Omega has done something extraordinary here. Some will criticize the PVD coating on the dial and the “fauxtina” (I hate that word, btw) in the indices, but the watch captures the soul of that early Speedmaster without descending into nostalgia. It’s a faithful reinterpretation, but not a facsimile. The proportions, the warmth of the dial, the tactile rhythm of the chronograph pushers, all feel right.

The White-Dial Speedmaster: Modern Muscle

If the FOiS represents the Speedmaster’s romantic past, the white-dial Moonwatch is its bold, contemporary counterpart. At 42mm, with twisted lugs and a black ceramic bezel, it feels instantly familiar yet startlingly new.

The white lacquered dial is where it stands apart. It isn’t a simple inversion of the classic black Moonwatch. Instead, it’s luminous, open, and modern, with black sub-dials, a red Speedmaster script, and polished applied indices that lend a sense of clarity the FOiS intentionally avoids. It’s powered by the same Calibre 3861, but in a context that celebrates Omega’s future rather than its past. And, yes, you can see it in all its glory through the display caseback.

White dial Speedmaster vs the 2nd Generation First Omega in Space — White dial Speedy is modern muscle personified @calibre321

On the wrist, the white-dial Speedmaster feels like a statement of forward motion. You get the sense that it’s a chronograph designed for a world that’s long since left Earth’s orbit. It’s crisp and athletic, with a visual confidence that couldn’t have existed in 1962.

Two Halves of the Same Story

Side by side, the FOiS and the white-dial Speedmaster reveal something essential about Omega’s design philosophy: that progress and preservation are not opposites. The FOiS captures the intimacy of the early chronographs—smaller, quieter, closer to the skin. The white-dial Speedmaster, meanwhile, captures the optimism of now—bold, bright, and ready for the next chapter of human exploration.

You could own both and never feel redundant. The FOiS speaks in the soft tones of legacy and lineage; the white-dial Speedmaster, in the clear voice of modernity. Together, they remind us that storytelling is as much a part of Omega’s craft as the watches themselves—and that every Speedmaster, whether born of history or innovation, carries a piece of that narrative forward.