The new version of the First Omega in Space re-creates the look of an aged CK 2998 by maintaining the 39.7-mm symmetrical steel case, black aluminum “Dot-Over-Ninety” tachymeter bezel, and domed crystal. The dial itself is CVD-coated gray-blue—which replicates the looks of certain vintage CK 2998 faces—and has yellowish Super-LumiNova to match the aged luminous material on a vintage dial. The triple-register chronograph display of the original CK 2998 is present and accounted for, but it’s powered by the modern Calibre 3861 movement, the hand-wound design that inherited the mantle from the Calibre 361 in 2021. The caseback also has a cool “First Omega in Space” engraving with the date of Mercury’s liftoff in 1962 and the Omega hippocampus logo. The watch features all the charming details of a legitimate vintage piece from 1959 without the fragility that comes with a timepiece more than 60 years old. The watch on a leather band will set you back $7,500 or, if you like it on a steel bracelet, $7,900.
It’s tough not to feel excited about the plethora of truly excellent Speedmasters released over the past five years. First, there was the Speedmaster Calibre 321 “Ed White”—a watch that actually used a newly produced version of a classic Speedy movement—which hit the shelves in January 2020. Then, a year later, Omega dropped the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch “Master Chronometer” With Co-Axial Caliber 3861, the current-generation Speedy with an updated, hand-cranking movement available in both Hesalite and sapphire-crystal versions. Then, of course, there’s the white-dialed Speedmaster, which was first spotted on the wrist of Daniel Craig during an event in NYC in November 2023 and was officially released this past March. This new First Omega in Space Speedy keeps the good times rolling.
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