Omega just did something a lot of smaller-wrist folks (and honestly , anyone who likes a Speedy that doesn’t take over the whole wrist) have been waiting for years. The Omega Speedmaster 38mm is back with a new refresh, and this time it actually looks like it is part of the Moonwatch family, not just like a distant cousin, but close family .
For years, if you loved the Moonwatch look but possessed wrists shaped like anything less than a big strong guy, Omega has forced you a subtle compromise. Sure, the Speedmaster 38 was around, but it had those distinctive oval subdials which I’m guessing no one liked?
The answer to the small wrists was the legendary Speedmaster “Reduced,” a smaller automatic version that became a cult classic. But it was discontinued around 2010.
No more oval subdials, thank god!. No more skinny bezel. They brought back the round sub-dials, widened the tachymeter, and put that little Dot Over Ninety right where it belongs. It’s not a full Reduced revival from the late ’80s–2010 days, but it’s the closest modern version we’ve had in years and I am glad that they listened!
The Big Change: Looking Like a True Moonwatch
Here’s the thing about the previous Omega Speedmaster 38mm released in 2017: it was a bit… different if I can put it this way. It had oval sub-dials and a slimmer bezel that made it look like a distant cousin rather than a sibling of the Moonwatch . It was nice, but it didn’t have that classic Speedy punch, and you want a Speedy that looks like a Speedy.
Omega has fixed that with this update. The new models look like they’ve been on a mission to the Moon and back, maybe with Savage Garden…. We’re talking about:
- Round Sub-Dials: The oval ones are gone. Now they’re classic, round recessed registers that look just like the Professional .
- The “Dot Over Ninety”: This is a big deal for watch fans. On the tachymeter bezel, the dot is placed over the 90, just like on vintage models and the current Moonwatch. It’s a tiny detail, but it makes a huge difference for us fans.
- Cleaner Dial: Omega has dialed back the text, giving the watch a much cleaner and more purposeful look, just how it was supposed to be in the first place .
- Moonwatch Bracelet: The new five-link bracelet is practically lifted from the Professional model, just sized down, which is perfect, because that bracelet is top. Unlike the one from Omega Seamaster 330M Professional which we reviewed .
The clear winner here is the black-dial reference 324.30.38.50.01.002, if you love the Pure and classic Moonwatch, of course. This is the one you want. It’s the only model without a date window, making it the purest and most “Moonwatch-like” of the models launched. It’s a mini-me of the legend.
Like I said there’s one pure classic and then a bunch of material and color options:
- Black dial, no date– steel case, black aluminium bezel. This is the one that feels most like a mini Moonwatch. Clean dial, no date window. Powered by the calibre 3332.
- Steel with grey/silver dial and grey aluminium bezel (Sedna gold accents on the hands). I like this one honestly
- Steel with white dial and blue ceramic bezel (blue hands and indexes). Looks sharp, but not really my thing.
- Two-tone steel + Moonshine gold (the pale yellow gold Omega likes). Yup, looks amazing!
- Two-tone steel + Sedna gold “cappuccino” version -ivory dial, brown accents and I love every centimetre of this watch
- Two diamond-set versions (52 diamonds, about 1.53 carats total) – one with ice-blue dial, one with mother-of-pearl. Not really my thing, maybe something for women? Or rappers…
Besides the one with Black dial and no date, everything else runs the calibre 3330 with a date at 6 o’clock. Both movements are automatic Co-Axial column-wheel chronographs with 52 hours of power reserve and a silicon hairspring. Solid casebacks with the hippocampus logo -no exhibition backs here but who needs them.
Prices start around €6,400 / CHF 5,100 / about $6,500 for the black no-date steel and climb to roughly €12,900 / CHF 10,200 for the diamond mother-of-pearl piece. None of them are limited, which is good because I’m tired of limited edition watches.
Specs at a Glance for Omega Speedmaster 38mm
| Spec | Details |
| Case size | 38 mm × 14.75 mm |
| Water resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal | Sapphire (box-shaped on the black model) |
| Movement | Calibre 3332 (no-date) or 3330 (with date) |
| Power reserve | 52 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph; date on most models |
| Bracelet | Five-link Moonwatch-style |
| Key materials | Steel, steel + Moonshine gold, steel + Sedna gold, diamond bezels |
| Starting price | ≈ €6,400 / CHF 5,100 |
The Elephant in the Room: The Thickness
Now, let’s talk about the one thing that might make you raise an eyebrow, I know I did. At 14.75mm thick, this watch is a bit of a chunky monkey . It’s thicker than the manual-wind Moonwatch Professional. Why? Because it’s an automatic. And we all know that automatic watches have a little more thickness than manual winding watches as we explained in our guide “Watch Movemements Explained”
This is the trade-off you make I guess. You get the convenience of not having to wind it every day which I like, in fact this is the reason why I still don’t own an Omega Speedmaster, even though I love it(not for long though, but you lose a sliver of sleekness. Is it a dealbreaker? On my big wrist, honestly, no. The case design, with its twisted lugs, helps it sit nicely, and it never felt uncomfortably bulky . It just feels… substantial.
Goodbye Oval Subdials, Hello Classic Moonwatch Vibes on the new Omega Speedmaster 38mm
So, what actually changed here? The short answer: almost everything on the dial and that’s why we love it.
Omega kicked the oval subdials to the curb and replaced them with classic, perfectly round registers. Beyond that, they cleaned up the extra text clutter on the dial and beefed up the tachymeter bezel. Oh, and for the true horological nerds in the room, the Dot Over Ninety (DON) is back.
The new models also sport a gorgeous 5-link bracelet styled straight off the modern Moonwatch, complete with micro-adjustment.Nice, Omega, thank you for that! Put all those details together, and at first glance, you’d swear you were looking at a classic 42mm Moonwatch, that is until you put it on a scale or drop it on your wrist. And this is what we all needed, right? Just a smaller version of the Speedmaster Professional
OLD SPEEDY 38 vs. NEW SPEEDY 38
| Old Generation | New Generation |
| Oval subdials | Classic round registers |
| Thin, notched bezel | Thicker “Dot Over Ninety” bezel |
| Cluttered dial text | Minimalist, clean dial |
| Standard bracelet | Moonwatch-style 5-link bracelet |
What About the Size and Winding Mechanism?
Is there a catch?Everything seems to be too good to be true right? Maybe a tiny one depending on who you ask.
While the 38mm diameter and shorter lug-to-lug make this an absolute dream for smaller wrists, the case remains 14.75mm thick. Is it a little slab-sided? Yes, but it’s an automatic chronograph after all!
Underneath the solid sea-horse stamped steel caseback lies either the automatic Co-Axial Calibre 3330 (for date models) or Calibre 3332 (for the no-date black dial). They aren’t Metas-certified Master Chronometers unfortunately, but they pack column wheels, silicon hairsprings, and a sturdy 52-hour power reserve. Most importantly: you don’t have to wind them every morning like the standard manual-wind Professional. Which can be a good thing, if you are not one of those people that feels the connection when they wind their watch every morning.
Is this your watch? Would I buy it?
The new Omega Speedmaster 38mm feels like Omega finally giving the people what they want. It takes the soul of the iconic Moonwatch and packages it in a more versatile, automatic form that works for way more wrists. Which basically a lot of people asked for years!
It’s not a novelty. It’s a proper, serious alternative to the Professional. If you’re a collector with a growing collection or someone looking for their first “big” watch, this new Speedy is a serious contender.
Omega isn’t reinventing the wheel here. They’re just making a smaller, automatic Speedy that finally looks like it was supposed to. For a lot of collectors, that’s exactly what was missing. What Omega did here was fix every single visual gripe watch enthusiasts had with the older generation. By embracing round registers, a cleaner dial layout, and proper vintage proportions, they’ve turned a quirky alternative into a genuinely thrilling watch.
And honestly? At CHF 5,100 and up, the steel models feel like a pretty solid deal for a Swiss-made chronograph with a Co-Axial escapement and a silicon hairspring . It might not be a cheap watch, but it sure feels like a bargain for the quality you’re getting
If you’ve always wanted a Moonwatch but hated how it looked on your smaller wrist, your time has officially come .
Oh, would I buy it? NO! Not because I don’t like it, but because I will buy the bigger version, maybe in white dial…still deciding.
