BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
The Omega Speedmaster is a watch we can’t seem to get enough of, just as well, really, as they are introducing another variation on the design. This new watch is the newest tribute to the First Omega in Space, with the reference 310.30.40.50.06.001, and comes with a historically inspired design.
The watch seems to take on the historical look of certain Omegas from the 1960s which as we all know would later go on to be tested against lots of other brands in secret by NASA and selected for their various levels of performance. Certain modern touches do exist on the new watch, though, for a start, the colour of the deep blue dial might be based on some older watches, but it’s likely the sunray finishing is entirely modern. Also, the dial is sat under a sapphire crystal, which Omega says they have worked on to make it appear as if it were a hesalite crystal of old. I don’t remember if they still make the regular hesalite Speedmasters any more, but if they wanted to use the original material, they could. At least the sapphire crystal is more rugged.
Also, the dial features historical markers and hands, and the applied Omega logo is very similar to those of old, which is a good touch. A smattering of ‘fauxtina’, a patina-coloured lume, is used here, but it’s passable. There’s no date feature, thankfully, that would’ve had the Omega fanboys up in arms for all of history.
Behind the dial is the calibre 3861, a manually-wound affair introduced way back in 2019. It features broadly the same architecture as the 1861 which it replaced and the 861 which Omega made decades ago, however, it’s updated with modern silicone components and such that make it magnetically resistant to over 15,000 Gauss, thus meaning it can be a Master Chronometer movement. This hand-wound calibre has a power reserve of around 50 hours beating at 3Hz. It’s sat behind a solid caseback with engravings regarding the First Omega in Space, as is tradition for these watches.
I think this watch looks smart, and I have to say that despite my cynicism I think Omega is doing the right thing by redoing its old watches but doing them properly. There’s a lot less “tweaking” with this new model, which is good. Its 39.7mm x 13.4mm thick case is good, too, keeping it a sporty and dressy piece. One of these will set you back $7,500 on the leather strap or $7,900 on the bracelet.
