We are just 100 days away from the 2026 Winter Olympic games being held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The games, known as Milano Cotrina 2026, will commence on February 6th, and as usual, Omega will take their place as the official timekeeper of the games, a role they’ve held since 1932. As usual, Omega aren’t shy about commemorating their involvement with the release of a limited edition watch, and that’s exactly what we’re getting today in the form of a 38mm Speedmaster Milano Cortina 2026, featuring a white varnished dial that has been overlaid with a light blue frosting.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never found the sub-40mm Speedmaster lines quite as compelling as many others seem to. On paper, they should be an easy winner, but in the metal, the proportions of the dial components and placement are altered just enough to leave me cold on what is otherwise the gold standard of chronograph design seen in the standard Moonwatch. What Omega have done with this Speedmaster almost cleans a lot of that up as it masks the sub-dial placement with a uniform color and texture. The result may be the most palatable smaller Speedmaster to date.
The Speedmaster Milano Cortina 2026 uses a fully polished 38mm steel case with a twisted lug design, which is mounted to a tapered five-link bracelet with a fully polished center section. The most important element here though, is the blue ceramic bezel piece with a tachymeter scale that’s rendered in white enamel. This piece sets the tone for the colorway as a whole, and provides contrast with the striking white dial that uses deep blue accents throughout.
There are a few details worth pointing out with this watch that heighten the overall experience. The first is the timing seconds hand, which fades from white to blue from bottom to top, which means it kind of disappears until the very tip. The next is the date placed at the bottom of the dial, generally an eye sore on this size of Speedmaster, here it kind of blends in with the dial itself, and the 26 is done in the same typeface as seen on the Milano Cortina 2026 logo. This isn’t the only place the striking logo makes an appearance.
The dial is obviously a nod to the snow covered hills hosting much of the drama of the Winter Games, and taking a broader glance at the dial will reveal the line creating a pattern inspired by the “2” of the Milano Cortina 2026 emblem. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and it breaks up the blue frosting elements just enough to create some intrigue. All of this is followed up with the formal emblem emblazoned on the caseback, commemorating the games and Omega’s place within.
Inside, Omega is using their co-axial caliber 3330 with a 52 hour power reserve. This is not a limited edition, and the watch is available to order now from Omega for the price of $6,800. Omega
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