By Brent Robillard
To the moon and beyond
When most of us think of the Omega Speedmaster, we think of the Moon. And fair enough. It’s a pretty tough act to follow. Few watches can claim such an extraordinary place in history, and fewer still have managed to build an identity so closely tied to a single achievement.
But not every Speedmaster needs to go to the Moon to make history.
During my recent visit to Kaplans Auktioner in Stockholm, I had the opportunity to spend some time with an Omega Speedmaster Super Racing, reference 329.30.44.51.01.003. This particular example, accompanied by its original box and papers dated July 2024, caught my attention for a couple of reasons. First, I rather like the black-and-yellow colour scheme. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it represents one of the most significant developments in mechanical timekeeping to emerge from Omega in recent years.
You see, while the original Speedmaster Professional made history by surviving some of the most demanding conditions imaginable, the Super Racing is chasing something entirely different.
Two seconds.
And that might be every bit as impressive.
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A Different Kind of Speedmaster
Introduced in January 2023, the Speedmaster Super Racing was the first Omega watch to incorporate the brand’s Spirate™ System, a new approach to regulating mechanical movements that allows Omega to achieve a certified average daily precision of 0 to +2 seconds.
Think about that for a moment. We’re talking about a self-winding mechanical chronograph, with hundreds of interacting components, capable of maintaining an average daily rate within a two-second window. And it does so while offering resistance to magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss.
That’s a remarkable achievement.
To appreciate why, it’s worth understanding a little about how mechanical watches keep time. At the heart of the movement is the balance wheel and hairspring, which oscillate at a carefully controlled frequency. Even small variations in that frequency can affect a watch’s accuracy. Traditionally, watchmakers have regulated movements by adjusting the effective length of the hairspring or altering the inertia of the balance wheel.
Omega’s Spirate System introduces another means of adjustment.
Using a specially developed silicon Si14 hairspring and an eccentric adjustment mechanism positioned on the balance bridge, watchmakers can make exceptionally fine changes to the stiffness of the hairspring’s attachment point. These adjustments allow the movement’s rate to be regulated with extraordinary precision.
Of course, that 0/+2-second figure represents a certified average daily rate rather than a promise that the watch will never gain or lose more than two seconds on any given day. Nonetheless, it establishes a remarkably narrow performance target for a mechanical chronograph.
And while the technology is fascinating, what interests me most is what it represents. Omega hasn’t simply made another variation of its most famous chronograph. It has used the Speedmaster as a platform to push mechanical watchmaking forward.
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A Little History, and a Lot of Magnetism
The Super Racing’s story actually begins a decade earlier.
In 2013, Omega introduced the Seamaster Aqua Terra >15,000 Gauss, a watch that represented an important departure from traditional anti-magnetic construction. Rather than protecting the movement with a soft-iron inner case, Omega developed a movement incorporating non-ferromagnetic components capable of resisting exceptionally strong magnetic fields.
It was a significant achievement, one that helped establish the foundations for Omega’s subsequent Master Chronometer movements.
Ten years later, the Speedmaster Super Racing arrived as a tribute to that technological milestone.
And the connection goes well beyond the movement.
The black-and-yellow colour scheme recalls the original Aqua Terra, particularly the distinctive striped seconds hand. On the Super Racing, that design reappears on the small-seconds register at nine o’clock, while a yellow-to-black gradient gives the central chronograph seconds hand its own personality.
The honeycomb-patterned dial has another interesting story to tell. It references an experimental Omega timepiece, now associated with the Omega Museum, that survived exposure to magnetic fields of an astonishing 160,000 gauss.
For perspective, that’s more than ten times the magnetic resistance specified for the Super Racing itself.
The dial is therefore more than an exercise in visual design. It’s a subtle acknowledgement of the research that made this watch possible.
There’s even a rather charming Easter egg hiding in the date window at six o’clock. On the tenth day of every month, the numeral 10 appears in a specially designed typeface inspired by the Speedmaster logo, commemorating the tenth anniversary of the original anti-magnetic Aqua Terra.
I love details like this. They’re not particularly important to the operation of the watch, but they reward the curious collector who takes the time to look a little closer.
Black, Yellow and Rather Unapologetic
Of course, none of this would matter quite as much to me if I didn’t actually like the watch.
Fortunately, I do. Quite a lot, as it happens.
The Super Racing is not a particularly restrained design. Its 44.25mm stainless steel case, black honeycomb dial and bold yellow accents make certain that it won’t be mistaken for a conventional Moonwatch.
And that’s part of its appeal.
The black ceramic bezel features a tachymeter scale executed in yellow Grand Feu enamel, a detail that brings a surprisingly traditional decorative technique to an otherwise thoroughly modern chronograph.
The dial itself is busy, but deliberately so. The racing-style minute track frames the honeycomb pattern, while the applied, faceted arrowhead hour markers add depth and structure. Yellow luminous material, carefully placed accents and the striped small-seconds hand all contribute to a design that feels cohesive rather than chaotic.
There’s a great deal happening here, but I don’t find any of it distracting.
In fact, I think Omega has done an excellent job of giving the Super Racing its own identity while retaining enough familiar Speedmaster design language to make its heritage immediately apparent.
It looks like a Speedmaster. Just one that has spent considerably more time at the racetrack than on the launchpad.
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Two Millimetres Too Many? Apparently Not.
Now, I’ll admit that the dimensions gave me some pause. At 44.25mm across, 14.9mm thick and 50mm from lug to lug, the Super Racing is a substantial watch. Compared with the familiar 42mm Moonwatch Professional, we’re talking about a little more than two additional millimetres in case diameter.
And on my 6¾-inch wrist, that’s not an insignificant difference.
Ordinarily, I’d be inclined to gravitate towards the smaller watch. I’ve never been particularly interested in wearing something simply because it’s big, and I generally prefer a case that feels proportionate to my wrist.
But here’s the thing. Those extra two millimetres didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the Super Racing in the slightest. Not one bit.
There is certainly no disguising its size, and I wouldn’t suggest that it wears like a 40mm watch. But the proportions, the bracelet and the overall character of the design somehow make it work for me.
Perhaps it’s because the Super Racing isn’t trying to be understated. Its size feels entirely appropriate to its personality.
And then there’s that colour scheme.
I’ve always had a soft spot for watches that use colour with a little confidence, and the combination of black and yellow works exceptionally well here. In short, I found myself enjoying this watch far more than its dimensions might have suggested.
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A Speedmaster Worth Remembering
One of the things I enjoy most about spending time at Kaplans is the opportunity to consider watches outside the usual context of a new release.
When a watch is sitting in front of you, removed from the advertising campaigns, launch events and carefully constructed brand narratives, you’re left with the object itself.
Does it still interest you? Does it feel special? Is there something about it that makes you want to pick it up again?
The Speedmaster Super Racing certainly passed that test for me.
I wouldn’t suggest that it will ever replace the Moonwatch in the collective imagination. Nor should it. The original Speedmaster Professional has earned its place in history, and there’s little point in pretending otherwise. But I do think the Super Racing deserves more attention than it receives.
The Speedmaster has always been associated with precision, performance and technical achievement. It’s just that, for much of its history, those qualities have been overshadowed by the extraordinary story of the Apollo missions. With the Super Racing, Omega has given us a different kind of milestone.
And if I were ever inclined to venture beyond the Moonwatch ecosystem, this would be very close to the top of my list. In fact, after spending time with it in Stockholm, I think it might just be at the very top.
The Moonwatch made history by going somewhere extraordinary. The Super Racing is attempting to make history by doing something extraordinary–but different.
And sometimes, all it takes is two seconds.
The Omega Speedmaster Super Racing featured here, reference 329.30.44.51.01.003, was photographed during my visit to Kaplans Auktioner in Stockholm. This example is accompanied by its original box, papers and certificate dated July 2024.
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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.
Take Two articles are full-length, hands-on reviews of vintage and preowned watches and represent the opinion of the author only. All photos are original, unless specified otherwise.
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