By Brent Robillard
Seven new references bring the compact automatic Speedmaster closer to the Moonwatch
There are seven new OMEGA Speedmaster 38mm references being released today. Before the launch, only two travelling carnet models made their way into Canada. One of them—the new silvery opaline dial in steel and 18K Moonshine™ Gold—spent the past week on my wrist and in front of my camera.
I can tell you, this watch has been sized, handled, photographed, and worn extensively during that time. I’m just going to come out and say it. I like this watch. Please, read on.
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Seven new OMEGA Speedmaster 38mm models
OMEGA has revised the collection rather than changing its basic architecture. The new watches retain the compact 38mm case and automatic chronograph format, but their appearance now sits much closer to the Speedmaster Professional.
The oval subdials of the previous models have been replaced by round counters. Dial text has been reduced. The bezels are broader and once again carry the Dot-Over-Ninety associated with vintage Speedmasters and the current Moonwatch. Each watch arrives on a tapering five-link bracelet in the style enthusiasts often call the “Nixon” bracelet, after the bracelet fitted to the gold Speedmaster offered to US President Richard Nixon in 1969.
There are three steel models, two bicolour references, and two diamond-set versions. The black steel watch is closest to the familiar Moonwatch formula and is the only no-date model. It is powered by the new automatic Co-Axial Calibre 3332. The other six have a date at six o’clock and use the Calibre 3330.
The remaining steel references pair a white dial with a blue ceramic bezel, or a silvery dial with a warm grey aluminium bezel. The bicolour choices include the Moonshine Gold model reviewed here and an ivory “cappuccino” version with Sedna™ Gold and brown accents. The final two watches carry bezels set with 52 diamonds totalling 1.53 carats, with a choice of ice-blue PVD or white mother-of-pearl dials.
It is a broad collection, yet it feels more coherent than the one it replaces. These watches look athletic again. Even the more decorative references retain a recognizable connection to the Speedmaster’s racing and space-going lineage.
The seven new references at a glance
| Construction | Dial and bezel | Date | Calibre |
| Steel | Black lacquered dial; black aluminium DON bezel | No | 3332 |
| Steel | White lacquered dial; blue ceramic DON bezel | Yes | 3330 |
| Steel | Silvery opaline PVD dial; warm grey aluminium DON bezel | Yes | 3330 |
| Steel/Moonshine™ Gold | Silvery opaline PVD dial; dark green aluminium DON bezel | Yes | 3330 |
| Steel/Sedna™ Gold | Ivory dial with brown subdials; brown aluminium DON bezel | Yes | 3330 |
| Diamond-set | Ice-blue PVD dial; 52-diamond bezel (1.53 ct) | Yes | 3330 |
| Diamond-set | White mother-of-pearl dial; 52-diamond bezel (1.53 ct) | Yes | 3330 |
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The complicated history of the Speedmaster Reduced
For the record, OMEGA has not called these watches “Reduced.” The nickname belongs to an earlier Speedmaster Automatic that developed an identity, and a set of arguments, all its own. But that legacy has some bearing here.
Introduced in 1988, the original Speedmaster Reduced placed familiar Speedmaster design cues into a case measuring roughly 39mm. It also replaced the Moonwatch’s hand-wound movement with an automatic calibre. Early examples used OMEGA Calibre 1140, built from an ETA automatic base with a Dubois-Dépraz chronograph module fitted on the dial side. Later calibres followed the same basic modular approach, culminating in Calibre 3220.
The formula offered two obvious advantages. The watch fit smaller wrists, and it did not need to be wound each morning. Those features earned it a loyal following. They also helped create the perception that it was a convenient substitute for the “real” Speedmaster.
Purists pushed back. The modular construction placed the chronograph pushers slightly above the crown, interrupting the clean alignment found on the Professional. The subdial order differed from the Moonwatch. Independent servicing could be expensive or inconvenient, and some watchmakers preferred to replace the chronograph module rather than dismantle it. Above all, the Reduced had no claim to the lunar history that drew so many buyers to the Professional.
None of that made it a poor watch. It made it a different Speedmaster, one that was too often judged against a story it had never lived. By 2009–10, the Reduced had disappeared from the catalogue. Its reputation has improved considerably since then, helped by the return to smaller watches and by collectors discovering the many colourful references produced during its long run.
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From Reduced to Refined: the Speedmaster 38mm
OMEGA returned to the compact automatic idea in 2017 with the Speedmaster 38mm. The new collection addressed several complaints attached to the Reduced. Calibre 3330 was a more sophisticated integrated automatic chronograph with a column wheel, Co-Axial escapement, silicon balance spring, and chronometer certification. Water resistance increased to a useful 100 metres.
The design, however, moved away from the Moonwatch. Horizontal oval subdials echoed the shape of the OMEGA logo, while a vertical oval date window sat at six o’clock. Bicolour cases, cappuccino dials, polished details, and diamond-set bezels gave the collection a more decorative character. OMEGA presented the watches as unisex, although much of the merchandising and many of the configurations spoke primarily to women.
There was nothing inherently wrong with that direction. The Speedmaster catalogue is large enough to accommodate a more jewellery-oriented branch. Still, the rounded case and familiar name created an expectation that the dial did not entirely fulfil. From a distance, the old 38mm could look like a Speedmaster that had wandered into the De Ville department.
The new collection corrects that imbalance. Its circular counters, broader tachymeter bezel, leaner dial text, and Moonwatch-style bracelet restore some visual tension. The case remains a mix o brush and polish and the gold models are hardly shy, but the underlying watch looks more purposeful and balanced.
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Milano Cortina showed the way
The clearest preview arrived in October 2025 with the Speedmaster 38mm Milano Cortina 2026. Released 100 days ahead of the Olympic Winter Games, that watch combined a 38mm steel case with a blue ceramic DON bezel, round subdials, and a five-link bracelet. Its frosted white-and-blue dial evoked snow and groomed ski runs, while the date window used the event’s “26” typography.
At the time, it looked like a handsome commemorative model. In hindsight, it was the template.
Place the new white-dial, blue-bezel reference across a room from the Milano Cortina and the family resemblance is immediate. The new collection carries over the case proportions, round counters, stronger bezel, and bracelet architecture, then expands the idea across black, white, silver, gold, blue, brown, and mother-of-pearl.
The Milano Cortina gave OMEGA a chance to test a compact Speedmaster that felt sporty without impersonating the Moonwatch. Tuesday’s seven-watch release turns that successful one-off into a full collection.
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Hands-on with the silvery opaline Moonshine Gold model
The reference I received may be the most elegant of the seven. Its stainless steel case is topped by a polished 18K Moonshine Gold bezel with a dark green aluminium insert and yellow-gold tachymeter scale. The dial is finished in silvery opaline PVD, while the hands and baton indexes receive matching Moonshine Gold PVD treatment and white Super-LumiNova.
OMEGA also uses solid 18K Moonshine Gold for the bracelet’s two narrow intermediate rows. Against the broader steel links, the gold reads as an accent rather than a solid stripe. It gives the bracelet a finer, more intricate appearance and helps connect the watch to the warm dial hardware.
The green bezel deserves a closer look. OMEGA describes it accurately, but the colour is much darker in person than the usual product language suggests. Under direct light, a deep green tone becomes visible. Indoors or at an angle, it can pass for black. That ambiguity works in the watch’s favour. A brighter green might have pushed the combination toward novelty; this one gives the watch depth without overwhelming the opaline dial.
The dial is the star. Its surface changes from cool silver to a warmer champagne tone as the light moves across it. The gold hands and indexes remain legible, and the white luminous material prevents the palette from becoming too monochromatic. Round subdials also give the display a firmer visual centre than the outgoing ovals.
On my 6¾-inch wrist, the 38mm diameter feels natural. The short case footprint stays centred, while the new bracelet drops cleanly from the lugs and drapes around the wrist. It does not feel like a shrunken 42mm watch. The proportions have been resolved around this size.
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Specifications: OMEGA Speedmaster 38mm Silvery Opaline Dial
| Specification | Details |
| Case | Stainless steel with polished 18K Moonshine™ Gold bezel |
| Diameter | 38mm |
| Thickness | 14.75mm |
| Bezel | Dark green aluminium ring with yellow-gold DON tachymeter scale |
| Crystal | Box-shaped sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Silvery opaline PVD |
| Hands and indexes | Moonshine™ Gold PVD with white Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | OMEGA Co-Axial Calibre 3330, automatic column-wheel chronograph, chronometer certified |
| Power reserve | 52 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph, and tachymeter |
| Water resistance | 100 metres |
| Bracelet | Five-link steel bracelet with two narrow links in solid 18K Moonshine™ Gold |
| Canadian price | $15,300 CAD |
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About that 14.75mm thickness
No one will mistake the new Speedmaster 38mm for a slim chronograph. At 14.75mm, it is thicker than the current 42mm Moonwatch Professional, despite its smaller diameter. That ratio will provide easy ammunition for critics, particularly those judging from a specification table or side-profile photograph.
OMEGA should expect the criticism. Buyers should still try the watch on. I am not making excuses for OMEGA here. While I am not a watchmaker, there is nothing about the Calibre 3300 or the bump in water resistance that necessitates this height. OMEGA has shown with the latest iteration of the Planet Ocean that it can slim down a watch with a Co-Axial movement. What I am saying, is that this watch wears well.
Much of the height sits above and below the central case band. The box-shaped sapphire crystal rises over the bezel, while the rounded caseback settles into the wrist. The mid-case therefore appears slimmer when viewed from the wearing angle than the full measurement implies. It is not a trick and it does not erase 14.75mm, but it changes how that height is distributed.
On wrist, the watch sits securely and avoids the top-heavy sensation I expected. The compact diameter and short lug span keep its mass contained. A cuff will still encounter it, although I had no difficulty imagining this particular model with a blazer or worn out for dinner.
The thickness also accompanies useful daily specifications. The automatic chronograph offers 100 metres of water resistance—double the rating of the traditional Moonwatch Professional—and the Calibre 3330 provides a 52-hour power reserve. The movement uses a column-wheel chronograph, Co-Axial escapement, and silicon balance spring. This is a compact luxury chronograph designed for regular wear, including the moments when its owner would rather leave a hand-wound, 50-metre Moonwatch at home.
Would I prefer it a millimetre or two thinner? Of course. Yet dismissing the watch on thickness alone ignores how cases interact with the wrist. The number is real; the anticipated discomfort was not.
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Who is the new Speedmaster 38mm for?
This collection will not replace the Moonwatch. For many enthusiasts, the attraction of the Speedmaster Professional is inseparable from NASA qualification, Apollo, hand winding, and the continuity of a design carried through six decades. If that history is the primary reason you want a Speedmaster, the 38mm will not sing the same song.
It serves a different group. Buyers with smaller wrists can now choose a compact automatic Speedmaster without accepting oval subdials or a design that leans heavily toward jewellery. The black no-date model should appeal to those seeking the closest visual link to the Professional. The white-and-blue reference offers much of the Milano Cortina look without the Olympic branding. The diamond and bicolour watches preserve the more glamorous side of the previous collection.
The Moonshine Gold model makes particular sense as a second Speedmaster. It is recognizably part of the family, yet the opaline dial, near-black green bezel, polished gold, and detailed bracelet give it a dressier presence. An owner who already has a steel Moonwatch would not be buying the same watch twice.
There is also a less complicated answer. Some people like the Speedmaster design and do not want a 42mm watch. They may prefer automatic winding, a date, and 100 metres of water resistance. History does not need to be the deciding factor in every watch purchase.
Final thoughts
The Speedmaster Reduced spent years being treated as a lesser Moonwatch, then found an audience willing to appreciate it on its own terms. The first Speedmaster 38mm escaped that comparison by moving toward ovals, diamonds, and softer forms, although it also drifted away from the athletic character of the name on its dial.
These seven watches find a more convincing middle ground. They borrow enough from the Moonwatch to look familiar, retain the convenience of an automatic chronograph, and leave room for colour, gold, and a little flash. The design is more sporting than the existing collection, and the Moonshine Gold reference is a stunner in person.
Some reactions will stop at 14.75mm. That would be unfortunate. After wearing and photographing one of the only two carnet models currently in Canada, I came away thinking less about its thickness than its fit, dial, and range. I do not know whether collectors will revive the Reduced nickname. I do know that this 38mm format finally looks ready to carry more of the Speedmaster name.
Pricing & availability
The Moonshine Gold Speedmaster 38mm with silver opaline dial retails for $15,300 CAD. Pricing for the other models begins at $8,600 CAD for the black dial and rises to $17,100 CAD for the MOP. Please visit the brand website for more details.
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About the author
Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.
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