The line was quietly discontinued sometime in 2017 and was since clumsily re-named “Speedmaster Two Counters Chronograph,” to ensure there’s no mistaking the elemental components of what makes a Moonwatch a Moonwatch, which is to say, a 42mm case, three registers, no date, a hand-wound movement, and an aluminum tachymeter bezel – just as god and Ed White intended. ![]() For a while, it felt as though this would eventually become the modern Speedmaster Moonwatch, but it was a Moonwatch in name only, and the community responded in kind. It was a move made, perhaps, to correct past mistakes, as it was that persistent tinkering that led us to the 9300-series Moonwatch from 2011 – a dramatic, divisive, and then-modernized automatic Speedmaster Moonwatch with a bi-compax layout, a larger 44.25mm case, and 100 meters of water resistance. I’ll be the first to admit that, though I’ve always loved Omega’s propensity to flip the script and continually tinker with its own formulas, taking a page out of a certain Geneva maker’s book – to make minor, incremental changes over the long term – was a welcome change of pace and absolutely the right call to make when it came to the crucially important Speedmaster Professional. So, to give credit where it is most certainly due, Omega’s designers did “just enough” to bring the Moonwatch current, paying fan service along the way, while wisely resisting the urge to dramatically overhaul the platform, as the brand routinely seems to do with many of its properties. It’s a monumental undertaking to overhaul a beloved property without forsaking its legions of fans – a collective so passionate, their fervor commands its own day of the week (hat tip to our buddy RJB at Fratello for pioneering the #SpeedyTuesday madness). 3861 hand-wound movement – all changes that do little to diminish what makes the Speedy great in the first place. The dial and physical bracelet of both versions have also been updated, and the watch is now powered by Omega’s state-of-the-art cal. For this long-awaited update, Omega’s made the visual distinction between the two variants a little more apparent, with the hesalite coming in with a more matte presentation, and the sapphire getting polished center links, case flanks, and an applied Omega logo at 12 o’clock. The new hesalite front crystal variant still remains the most faithful specification to that which was originally flight-qualified by NASA and would later walk on the moon, while this “sapphire sandwich,” nicknamed for its sapphire front crystal and exhibition caseback, tends to appeal to those who crave the visual identity of the iconic Moonwatch but with a subtle, more luxurious flourish. Unfortunately, the introduction of this new Moonwatch generation isn’t likely going to make the choice any easier. Hesalite or sapphire? It’s the most natural place to start with the Moonwatch, and perhaps the best-known “this or that” quandary in the watch fam, albeit one with no real right or wrong answer. ![]() More importantly, though, it finally gives “Speedy-curious” collectors a chance to revisit an icon and even perhaps see it in an entirely new light. ![]() All that changes with the new Master Chronometer-certified Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, which fully modernizes Omega’s most beloved chronograph and subtly improves its visual identity while deftly appeasing the notoriously picky Speedmaster collecting community. ![]() And while demand for the venerable “Speedy Pro” has never formally waned in the collecting community, Omega’s hesitancy to modernize its most important property had maybe started to get a little long in the tooth, leaving the Moonwatch feeling dated in face of increasingly stiff competition from Breitling, TAG Heuer, and most recently, Zenith. Leading that charge has been the long-awaited update to the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. As we charge straight into the Year of the Ox, in the watch world, it’s really starting to look like the Year of the Chronograph, with blockbuster releases dominating the conversation thus far.
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