Omega Speedmaster 38mm Co-Axial Chronograph, now in Full Gold

The first watch to land on the Moon has fascinated men and women alike. In 2017, exactly 60 years after the debut of the first Speedmaster, the legendary watch made its debut in a 38mm case, a size far better suited to women’s wrists. Easily recognisable as a Speedmaster chronograph, the 38mm models diverge from the men’s models with their oval sub-dials and an oval date window at 6 o’clock. Up until today, the Speedmaster 38mm was offered in a choice of steel and bi-metal steel and gold cases and women could also opt for a diamond-set bezel without sacrificing the presence of the all-important tachymetre scale. For 2020, the 38mm Speedmaster collection expands with the arrival of two new full-gold models; one in Sedna gold and the other in 18k yellow gold, both available with or without diamonds on the bezel.

Sedna Gold ‘Cappuccino’

One of the most popular models in 2017 was the ‘cappuccino’, an attractive bi-metal Sedna gold and steel case with a two-tone dial. Like a frothy cappuccino, the background was creamy and the coffee-brown sub-dials matched the colour of the tachymeter scale. The 2020 model comes in a 38mm solid 18k Sedna gold case. Sedna gold is Omega’s proprietary gold alloy with a long-lasting rose gold lustre. A blend of 75% gold, copper and palladium, Sedna gold has a unique reddish colour. The warmest of all the gold colours, Sedna gold looks great with the coffee colour aluminium ring of the tachymeter scale and the taupe-brown leather strap with white stitching. The gold case with its lyre lugs is finished with polished surfaces and brushed finishes on the sides and the caseback is sealed with a large seahorse medallion.

The dial is now rendered in a uniform creamy colour, including the oval-shaped sub-dials. The three sub-dials are arranged horizontally at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock and slightly recessed with a snailed design in their interior. The only contrasting colour on the dial is the white background of the date window at 6 o’clock, another oval-shaped element on the dial but aligned vertically. The applied indices and the hands are all crafted in Sedna gold to match the case. To enhance legibility in poor light conditions, the three central hands feature luminescent material and small white dots on the periphery of the dial mark the hours.

Yellow gold and pine green

The green colour scheme of this model is not new; it has appeared on previous models in steel and bi-metal steel and yellow gold. What is new is the solid yellow gold case. Finished exactly like the Sedna gold model, the 18k yellow gold is radiant and gleaming and is water-resistant to 100 metres. The pine green tone of the aluminium insert on the tachymeter bezel is echoed on the green leather strap with white stitching. Also available with 90 diamonds or without diamonds on the bezel, the non-diamond version features subtle incisions on the bezel marking the Arabic numerals on the tachymeter scale.

The opaline dial features the classic arrow-head indices in 18k yellow gold. The hands are also crafted in yellow gold, but the hands corresponding to the chronograph functions (the central chronograph seconds, the 30-minute and 12-hour elapsed time sub-dials) are varnished with a nice mossy-green colour.

Omega Co-Axial Calibre 3330

Both models are equipped with Omega’s in-house automatic chronograph movement with a column-wheel mechanism, patented Co-Axial escapement and a silicon balance spring. An officially certified chronometer, the power reserve is a solid 52 hours. This Calibre 3330 has an integrated automatic architecture with column wheel, and is based on the Piguet 1285.

Price

Both the Sedna gold and 18k yellow gold versions of the Speedmaster 38 Co-Axial Chronograph retail for EUR 14,800 without diamonds and EUR 17,900 with diamonds. For more information, please visit omegawatches.com.