The Omega Speedmaster White Dial "Moonwatch:" Owner's Review

The Speedmaster is a strange watch. Omega’s most iconic chronograph enjoys an enviable history which has made it a household name, and instantly recognizable to even the most casual of enthusiasts. It has aged gracefully, changing surprisingly little since its introduction in 1957, which has no doubt buoyed its status as a bona fide icon. Along with, you know, landing on the moon and all that. But digging just a little bit deeper than the Moonwatch Professional reveals a mother lode of Speedmaster references of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Getting a grasp on the full lineage of the Speedmaster is daunting, and it’s something that we plan on breaking down in layman's terms in the near future, but it’s important to understand how these older (and at times obscure) references inform Omega’s latest and greatest releases.

The newest Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, released earlier this year, is the first regular-production steel Moonwatch to receive a white dial. There have been plenty of other Speedmasters to feature a white dial — from recent limited-edition Snoopy references, to the famed Alaska Project watches that originated in 1969 (and were seen again in a reissue from 2008) — so it’s not an entirely new look for the Moonwatch. This new variation is a bit different and, to my eye, draws inspiration from a different reference in the back catalog: the so-called Albino 3893.20 from 1997, released for the 40th anniversary of the Speedmaster.

A good white dial is tricky to pull off, but Omega has generally done well with them. The key is to retain a good amount of legibility between the hands, hour markers, and base dial, which means a certain level of contrast must be achieved. White dials that use applied polished hour markers present an issue here, as they can blend in with the rest of the dial depending on the surrounding conditions. It’s the same story when they’re used on black dials, to be fair. The obvious solution here is to use black hands and hour markers, but it’s surprising how many white dials out there don’t take this route. This is exactly what Omega did with the 3893.20, and it’s what the brand has done with this latest white-dial Moonwatch. The hands and hour applications are onyx black, and they’re done in a way that introduces a new method to the tried-and-true design. 

Omega is using a white lacquered stepped dial here to create a clean, pure, white appearance. That said, it feels more satin in most lighting, and doesn’t have the high gloss you might typically associate with lacquered dials. It’s not the flat, paper-white aesthetic of the 2015 Snoopy watch, and as such, elevates this model with a touch of formality. This is a Speedmaster that walks a fine line, but retains enough of that base tool-watch chronograph vibe to be a viable everyday-wear or GADA-type candidate. You’d also have no issues in dressing this one up a bit. 

As outlined above, the lacquered white dial plays host to applied black hour markers that receive a small application of lume at their outer tips. The seconds and minutes indexes are also rendered in black around the perimeter of the dial. So too are the pencil hands, with a thin sliver of lume running down their spine. The lume is undoubtedly the weakest element of this watch, but it is technically there. Seeing this watch has me wondering what a pure-lume dial execution might look like, but I’m not holding my breath for that one. 

Each of these elements come together brilliantly. This is a highly legible Speedmaster that is also quite beautiful to behold in the small details. It has forced me to confront the design of the Moonwatch in a way that I never have before, and I’ve come away appreciating it all the more. It’s the same iconic design, but it reads and feels so different from the black dial variation, that it feels like an entirely different watch. Not that I’m one to judge, but this is absolutely a watch that you could get away with owning both examples of and finding enough space between them to enjoy both equally in different ways.

The dial is the real star of the show, and the rest of the watch falls along very familiar lines. The steel case measures a very wearable 42mm in diameter, and at 13.2mm thick, it enjoys the slightly slimmer dimensions that were introduced with this generation back in 2021. There are a few other changes in this latest generation that took me from a guy who appreciates the Speedmaster to a guy who owns a Speedmaster, and the biggest of them is the new bracelet. The Speedmaster quite famously works rather well with all manner of strap choices, but the bracelet of the last generation felt dated and, to me, was the biggest drawback of the overall wearing experience.

In 2021, when Omega launched a new generation of the Moonwatch Professional, it introduced a bracelet that felt far more modern in design, which features a lovely 5mm taper from the lug to the clasp. It looks stunning, and wears even better. The watch is still a strap monster, but I find myself wearing it on the bracelet more often than not simply because the bracelet is that good. I’d love to see Omega give this much attention to other bracelets within its collections. It’s also worth noting that the quick-adjustment system is built into the clasp on this bracelet, a detail that wasn’t available at the launch of this new series. It’s a simple press-to-release system that doesn’t add any bulk to the clasp and provides an extra few millimeters of expansion. 

The new Speedmaster generation was released with two variations, one with an acrylic crystal to retain a link to the old-school references, and one with a sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback. The sapphire variation also got an applied Omega logo on the dial, as well as a polished center link in the bracelet. The white dial is being offered only with a sapphire crystal, meaning all of them will have the PCLs, exhibition caseback, and applied logo at 12 o’clock. This feels like an appropriate move considering the lacquered dial, and it’s worth noting that the non-PCL bracelet will also fit this example. 

The other big change with this generation of the Moonwatch is the movement. This was the first regular-production Moonwatch to be outfitted with the Caliber 3861. Yes, it’s still a hand-wound chronograph, but it now features a co-axial escapement, and boasts METAS-certified accuracy. The free-sprung balance uses a silicon balance spring and provides 15,000 gauss worth of magnetic resistance. It is visible through the caseback, and while it’s an interesting movement, I wouldn’t quite call it beautiful. I wouldn’t have complained about a closed caseback here, but it’s an inconsequential detail when on the wrist. 

Overall, this is a welcome new execution of an all-time great chronograph design. It’s clear that Omega took this new dial execution of its most famous watch seriously, and it shows in the details. The result might just be the most premium-feeling steel Speedmaster that’s ever been produced. This watch doesn’t have the straightforward, tool-watch character that the black-dial version enjoys, but it’s not far off, and it offers much more flexibility in the process. It also maintains a welcome amount of space between itself and the classic black dial, which keeps it special in its own right.

It’s easy to be cynical about a release like this. It's simply a new dial offering on an existing watch, and not really even a “new” color at that. But this feels like more than that, thanks to the attention to detail that Omega has applied here. Yes, in many ways this is the same great Speedmaster we know and love, but it’s a lot more than that in person and on the wrist. This model feels distinctly different from the standard black-dial Moonwatch, and sure, it wears the same, but it presents quite differently. The Speedmaster certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve never quite connected with the black dial, you might want to give this one a chance. It’s that different, and it’s that good.