Why the revamp of the Omega Speedmaster ’57 collection is an evolution in all the right ways

I’ve always had a crush on the dual register Omega Speedmaster ’57 collection. The design felt modern and sleek while I also appreciated the date complication that was added. Furthermore, Omega still managed to fit a 12-hour counter on the watch. It truly was a match made in heaven until I got to the specifications. It’s here the watch seemed too big and the proportions a bit off.

But now, nine years after its introduction, Omega has completely revamped the collection. The result? A modern chronograph with all the right stuff.

It all starts with the case. It retains its mixture of polished and brushed surfaces. The first change however comes with the twisted-lug, stainless-steel design getting a millimetre cut from the width, bringing it down to 40.5mm. This is welcomed but where the major benefit comes from is the 3.5mm that have also been removed from the previous generation’s thickness. This new version now comes in at a svelte 12.99mm, in large part due to the new movement, which I’ll address later. All these changes should lead to better wear on the wrist.

The only change I wish hadn’t been made was a decrease in water resistance. We are now down to 50 metres from 100m. Though, it’s a concession I’m willing to accept for the new overall package.

Moving in from the case and its brushed/engraved steel bezel, we are met with four different dial options. Behind the boxed sapphire crystal you’ll find an aged lumed sandwich dial, a green sunburst dial, a blue sunburst dial and a matte red dial. All four options provide completely different looks to the watch. With the red, you get those Michael Schumacher Speedmaster racing vibes. The blue and the green walk that fine line between dress and casual. While the aged lume version is everything I love about vintage.

As you get closer, the designs show even more differences. The applied markers are used on everything but the aged lume dial. The minute track is highlighted on some versions and on others, not. When you view the collection as a whole, it feels like these four watches were designed in four completely different locations.

Powering these amazing dials, and also behind a sapphire crystal is the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9906. The movement is manually wound and features a beautiful three quarter plate with Geneva waves in arabesque. The balance wheel is made of silicon which helps lower the magnetic effect of timekeeping. Two barrel wheels are used to give the watch 60 hours of power reserve. And finally, the cherry on top. METAS certification.

All-in-all, the movement represents the upper echelon of what the brand has to offer.

Securing these watches to the wrist is a choice of either a colour-matched leather strap or a screw and pin stainless-steel bracelet. The leather strap tapers down from 20mm to 16mm at the clasp. While the flat link bracelet, which has brushed center links and polished side links, tapers down from 20mm to 15mm at a clasp. The clasp on the bracelet also features their comfort release adjustment system with a 2.3mm range.

Both the strap and bracelet pair well with the watch head. The bracelet highlights the new colours being used while the strap matches the dials perfectly.

Overall, of all the Omega releases, to me this feels like the most improved. So much has been done to turn the Omega Speedmaster ’57 into a more approachable package for those interested in the design. Better dimensions. An updated movement. New tech on the bracelet. All these changes together have shot the new ’57 to the top of my list of sub $10k USD chronographs.

The Omega Speedmaster ’57 Calibre 9906 collection pricing and availability:

The Omega Speedmaster ’57 Calibre 9906 collection is available from Omega Boutiques, authorised dealers and website. Price: $8600 USD on bracelet and $8,300 USD on strap.