Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Gets White Dial

Omega has hitched a large part of their marketing strategy to getting their watches on the wrists of celebrities at big, red carpet type events. This works well for folks who pay attention to celebrity culture, and a bit less so for folks that don’t (or even worse, can be an active deterrent). Last year, the brand took the opportunity to tease an unannounced Speedmaster release on the wrist of British actor, Daniel Craig at just such an event, leading to speculation that this would be the annual January Speedmaster release come 2024. That wasn’t the case, but this sighting did raise eyebrows across the spectrum, even among those not predisposed to consuming celebrity media. 

A Speedmaster Professional with a white dial and steel case has deep historical connotations, largely for its association with Omega’s Alaska project. This codename housed their early developments for NASA astronauts after the Speedmaster gained its ‘flight qualified’ status. Efforts were made to produce more variations of the Speedmaster that would be better able to withstand some of the forces, including extreme temperatures, experienced on the moon by astronauts of the Apollo program, which was in full swing heading into the ‘70s. These included full titanium cases, white dials to better reflect heat, and even large anodized aluminum protective shrouds that would encase the watch while exposed. 

Ultimately, the cost of many of these made their use untenable for NASA, but that didn’t stop the development of more Alaska project watches. The last proper Alaska project watch with a white dial came in 2008, as a nod to the original formula, which included the rocket shaped totalizer hands, and red timing seconds hand. The kit even came with the same red anodized aluminum shroud. This week, Omega returns to the white dialed Speedmaster with a new reference in steel, and while it doesn’t directly reference the Alaska project, the roots run deep. 

The newest Speedmaster gets a white lacquer dial, and retains the step configuration that returned with the new generation back in 2021. This means it also gets the handwound METAS certified caliber 3861 movement, and that amazing tapered 5-link bracelet. There is no acrylic option with closed caseback here, which also means that this will get those polished center links. 

The dial here is done exceptionally well, and fixes one of the biggest gripes in general with white dials appearing on sport watches. One of the original features that appeals to NASA was the high contrast dial providing proper legibility, and that is retained here thanks to the use of black hour markers and hands. Far too often we get polished hour markers on white dials which can lead to a mixed bag when it comes to legibility, which is largely dependent on the environment of the wearer. With black accents, the dial retains its legibility regardless of where you might find yourself. Finally, the red touches in the Speedmaster script and the tip of the timing hand drive home the Alaska project connection. 

The 42mm case remains unchanged, meaning 13.5mm in thickness and 47mm from lug to lug. Despite the large diameter (the measurement includes the crownguard) this case famously wears a bit smaller and trimmer than you might expect. It’s not a small watch, but it’s a wearable watch. Even more so with the silky tapered bracelet. 

The newest Speedmaster is priced at $8,100, and it appears that availability may be limited in the early going. You can register interest and learn more about the watch from Omega.