The Revamped Omega Speedmaster ’57

Photo: Fratello Watches

The Speedmaster has developed into a signature Omega design over the past few years. The Speedmaster, Omega’s inaugural collection of chronographs, made its debut in 1957. It was prompted by the intricate internal workings of racing car drivers as well as designers whilst on the track.

Generally, the Speedmaster has seen numerous versions since it was first introduced, such as the renowned “Moonwatch” as well as the Speedmaster ’57. After being launched in 2013, the Speedmaster ’57 celebrates its triumphant comeback this year by introducing 8 new variants. Each model boasts a remarkable Master Chronometer improvement.

Technical Characteristics 

The innovative Speedmaster ’57’s outstanding dimensions at 40.5 millimeters wide by 12.99 mm in thickness and 49.6 mm from lug to lug, stand out right away (including 50 meters of waterproofing). This size difference from the previous versions’ 41.5mm broad

Photo: Fratello Watches

and 16.17mm thick chassis makes it obvious that we are discussing more than just an ornamental overhaul.

• The movement

Compared to the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, the Omega Speedmaster redesigned timepieces are slimmer. This was accomplished by Omega employing the in-house created caliber 9906, a hand-winding movement. Although the design of this new iteration is inspired by the original Speedmaster of 1957, the movement is outfitted with the most recent technological advancements.

A Co-Axial escapement is found in the Master Chronometer-certified Caliber 9906 movement. This indicates that it has a precision of +5/-0 seconds on a daily average as well as is anti-magnetic up to 15,000 gausses. Additionally, because the movement is hand-winded, less room is needed within the casing.

This Caliber 9906 is displayed prominently with the new Speedmaster ’57, which has a thin bezel encircling it. In addition, the 9906 is a gorgeous movement with Geneva lines stretching beyond the balancing wheel in an “arabesque” style instead of the more typical motif that extends from the middle. Other exquisite finishing elements include a rhodium-plated bridge, as well as screws, barrels, and a balancing disc that has been darkened.

Photo: Fratello Watches

Furthermore, the Calibre 9906 comprises a column-wheel Chrono with dual barrels and a 60-hour power reserve that runs at 28,000 mph. The casing thickness has decreased by more than 3 millimeters from the earlier versions to a sleek 6.4 millimeters for the movement. Additionally, the 9906 offers a timezone feature that enables you to adjust the hour hand freely.

• The dial and bezel

The two-register Chrono design and large arrow indexes have always accounted for a highly appealing dial. Remarkably, Omega keeps the wonderful qualities of the Speedmaster ’57 intact.

There are a number of brand-new color dials, although the traditional black dial also has some improvements. The black dial edition includes sunken markings and indicators covered with classic-style lume, and it features a very intriguing sandwich dial with beige Super-LumiNova. Green, blue, and polished burgundy PVD are used to introduce the 3 additional color dials. Although the color choices are also really cool, black may be the most popular.

Although the Speedmaster ’57 is not a duplicate of the initial 1957 Speedmaster, Omega handled every aspect. The dot above 90 and the standard flat-top “A” in “Tachymeter” may be found on the bezel. The attached Omega symbol and the large arrow markers in silver are also visible on the dial. While the first Speedmaster served as inspiration, the remainder of the dial is very unique. Two counters, attached Super-LumiNova hour markings, a date window at six o’clock, and 2 registers are all present.

Photo: Fratello Watches

On the other hand, the chronograph’s hour and minute register are displayed on the sub-dial at three o’clock. The counter also tracks the moving seconds at nine o’clock.

• The bracelets 

Omega has obviously spent a lot of time and effort perfecting its bracelets. A flat-link bracelet featuring a micro-adjust fastening that can be altered in two settings up to 2.3 millimeters is featured on the Speedmaster ’57. The bracelet also has beautiful details, including polished faces, finished sides, and beveling on both the links and the buckle.

Final Thoughts

For this year, Omega has revised the Speedmaster ’57 featuring a revamped manual wound movement that is METAS-approved and a smaller casing. With several versions, there are also plenty of design and color choices.