Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster: Two Icons Compared

Curious about the difference between the Omega Speedmaster and Seamaster? Here’s what you need to know.

In the watch world, it’s not that often that we compare Omega’s racer that went to the moon with their diver that became a pop culture icon.

Unlike the Manning brothers, the Seamaster and Speedmaster are like siblings that went on to do two completely different careers (though both equally impressive).

And siblings they are, at least when it comes to the Seamaster as we know it today. They’re both part of the 1957 Trilogy, along with the Railmaster.

Design-wise, when it comes to the core versions, both the Speedy and the Seamaster are rooted in that Omega sport watch language — black base, utilitarian aesthetic, flush indices.

That’s where the similarities end though. I’m going to deep-dive into these two icons, into their distinct looks, functions, and histories. Who knows. You may have a favorite.

Speedmaster vs Seamaster: Quick Overview

Both the Speedmaster and Seamaster are well-built tool watches. And as Omegas, they’re both stamped with the coveted Swiss-made moniker.

With its chronograph functions, pushers, and the fact it’s available with manual hand-wind movements, the Speedy is definitely the more engaging model. It also has a more blatantly sporty look.

The Seamaster, meanwhile, whether you go for the Broad Arrow or the wave dial version, is simply composed of indices and hands — no extra subdials, not as much going on on the sides of the case. It’s sporty, but not as complex or industrial-looking. It even comes in quartz versions.

When it comes to history and culture, the Speedy is known for its historical importance as the Moonwatch, though this status has earned it time in the media too (Apollo 13, the movie, for example).

The Seamaster is reversed, having made a huge comeback in the ‘90s as the James Bond watch, though the main reason it made it onto 007’s wrist is that the costume designers were privy to the fact the Navy had actual connections to the watch.

Omega Speedmaster

The Speedmaster is arguably the world’s most important chronograph.

Let’s find out what makes the Moonwatch so special.

Looks

One thing that the Speedy has over the Seamaster when it comes to looks, at least when it comes to recognizability, is the fact it hasn’t seen as many drastic changes. Of course, the original 1957 model looks like a vintage version of today’s models, but the family resemblance is clear to see.

Then and now, it’s safe to say that the Speedy is a masterclass when it comes to balancing and proportioning a chronograph.

The first Speedy Reference, CK 2915, was actually originally a subline of the Seamaster, which was commonly equipped with a tachymeter scale at the time.

The same basic blueprint we see today was still there, from the subdials to the line indices to the tachymeter and pushers. A major difference is the fact it had broad arrow hands, a testament to its Seamaster origins.

I always say that the CK 2915 has “excellent genes.” Claude Bailloud, a watch world legend, designed it, while the 321 caliber it ran on was built by Albert Piguet.

Today, the Speedmaster comes in several forms including a modern version of the Broad Arrow ‘57 Trilogy variant.

They’re all similar, boasting that frenetic, line-forward look and dimensional subdials. Of course, they’re also all built to modern spec standards with elements like sapphire crystals and Master Chronometer movements.

There’s even a line of heritage models that run on the legendary 321 caliber, but I’ll get into the features later.

Basically, the Speedy is often considered a gold standard of sporty and luxurious chronographs, no different than how many people feel about the Rolex Submariner when it comes to divers.

It’s a great everyday watch, and since it’s so high-end and has such a following, I could see it being worn in semi-formal situations too.

Features

Here’s a little overlap between the Speedy’s features and its storied history. Omega was actually one of the first brands to create a wristwatch equipped with a multi-subdial stopwatch. Before the Speedmaster, chronographs were predominantly used for aviation and battle artillery.

As mentioned earlier, the original CK 2915 ran on the Piguet-built 321 caliber. Speedys ran on this movement until 1968, meaning most of the ones used on Apollo missions were 321-powered.

After 1968, starting with Reference 145.022, Speedmasters ran on the 861, which featured a higher beat rate.

Since the Omega that went to the moon ran on this movement, it’s considered the proper “Moonwatch caliber.” Contemporary watches run on the 1863 which is a variation of the 861.

For a long time, the 321 was rarer because it was more difficult to produce. These days though, the heritage subline of Speedys is powered by this highly sought-after movement.

Basically, from the perspective of the collector, both of these movements have something unique to offer. It’s a matter of what’s more functionally important to you, and also what story is most interesting.

Of course, all Speedmasters feature a working chronograph, premium construction, finishing, and, for the most part, mechanical movements.

The Speedmaster Reduced came out in the late ‘80s as a smaller, more affordable, and uniquely automatic version. It was discontinued in 2009 but is pretty common in secondary markets.

It’s worth mentioning that a lot of people find the tactile nature of the manual winding a fun and distinct part of a lot of Speedmaster models.

It connects you to the history of the watch, as all of the racers and astronauts who sported a Speedy were winding up their watches too. Between that and the transparent casebacks Omega employs, this watch gets extra points for its engagement factor.

History and Pop Culture

The Speedmaster is one of the most historically important watches in the world, which is inextricably related to its good design.

What I mean by that is that it wouldn’t be so legendary if it didn’t go to the moon, which wouldn’t have happened if not for that good design.

It beat a lot of other chronographs when NASA pitted them against each other for who would get to be the Moonwatch, including the Rolex Cosmograph.

Still, its history does go back a bit further than when it started regularly going to space. In the ‘30s, Omega chronographs, otherwise known as the Speedmaster ancestors, were used as official Olympics timekeepers. 

Moreover, since the Speedy was initially designed for the racetracks, it’s been seen on the wrist of Formula One legend Willy Mairesse, as well as on Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, who managed Ferrari’s F1 team, the Scuderia, back in the 1970s.

Essentially, the fact this Chrono had all of these associations, many before it went to the Moon, is the reason it’s the Omega sport watch.

Of course, it’s been on every NASA lunar expedition since 1969 — its main claim to fame. 

In 1965, NASA certified the Omega Speedmaster for, not only spaceflight but for extravehicular activity. This means you can wear it outside of a spacecraft, outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.

I already mentioned that it beat out the Daytona Cosmograph, but other contenders included Breitling, Hamilton, and Longines.

The Speedy passed several tests of extreme conditions. I’m talking humidity, noise, shock, high and low temperatures, and high and low pressure.

For two days, it sat in 160-degree Fahrenheit conditions, before being placed in 200 degrees for half an hour, followed by 0 degrees for four hours.

It remained accurate at plus or minus five seconds a day.

Buzz Aldrin wore an Omega when we went to the moon in 1969.

And of course, using a Speedmaster, Jack Swigert successfully timed an important engine burn to safely get back to Earth after Apollo 13’s oxygen tank exploded. 

Tom Hanks wears this “hero watch” in Apollo 13, the docudrama, giving it some pop culture street cred too.

Now, how does the Seamaster stack up compared to all of this?

Omega Seamaster

Since it sits on a throne next to the Submariner as one of two Bond watches, the Omega Seamaster gets spotlit a lot for being an important pop culture watch. However, it does have real-life historical importance too.

There are also many sublines, so we’ll stick to the main two: The Broad Arrow Seamaster and the wave dial version, which was the first Bond Omega (though the Broad Arrow variant has made its way onto 007’s wrist too).

Let’s take a look at this iconic diver.

Looks

I know I mentioned that the Speedmaster gets points over the Seamaster for not changing much, that has to do more with ease of identification.

I’m sure a lot of Seamaster fans love that there are several variants offered, though none more ubiquitous than the two “core designs,” as I refer to them.

Though a dressier Seamaster came out in 1948 (which would become the visual ancestor of the Omega De Ville), the true diver, the Seamaster 300, came out in 1957 — again, with the Railmaster and the Speedmaster.

It’s the first Seamaster for all intents and purposes outside of tracking its family tree.

This watch, Reference CK 9213, features several recognizable elements, not least of which include the flush triangular indices and the broad arrow hands. The latter is why it’s nicknamed the Broad Arrow Seamaster.

It’s an incredibly practical design due to its legibility and size, though the tapered lugs reign the beefiness in a bit. 

There are a lot of sublines based on this design, including the Planet Ocean, which is basically the Hulked-out version of the Broad Arrow Seamaster.

And though the wave dial Seamaster was indeed the first Bond Omega, 007 has also worn descendants of the Broad Arrow version.

In fact, the No Time To Die Seamaster is a combination of both, with the Broad Arrow’s vintage-inspired palette and athletic build, and the skeleton hands and scalloped bezel of the wave dial.

Speaking of the wave dial, the GoldenEye watch, as it’s often referred to, came out in 1993. The Seamaster 300 Pro is known for the pattern on its dial, as well as the prior-mentioned scalloped bezel and skeleton hands.

Usually, the word classic is equal to the word standard, but despite being an out-of-the-box aesthetic, the Seamaster is still considered a classic. It’s definitely on the Mount Rushmore of iconic dive watches. It comes in a few colorways, none more emblematic than the blue and black variations. 

The Seamaster 300 Pro famously came out in three sizes: A full-size 41mm, a mid-size 36.5mm, and a ladies 28mm with beautiful applied indices instead of raised ones.

There have since been several models with the wave dial, making the Seamaster arguably more diverse than the Speedy.

Features

The Seamaster doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as the Speedy, though every version is a solid spec-forward diver. 

Basically, if you’re looking for a more versatile, more no-nonsense sportwatch, I’d say the Seamaster is the way to go. It even comes in a quartz variation.

They’re all, as expected, highly water resistant, most being able to handle 300 meters of water. Compare this to the Speedy, which usually has 50 meters of water resistance. The Planet Ocean can even withstand up to 600 meters. 

Like modern Speedys, a lot of Seamasters run on Co-Axial Master Chronometers, with exhibition casebacks also available.

And one extra that Seamasters have, being dive watches, is their helium escape valves, a professional-level feature that allows you to manually let go of helium build-up when you’re heading back up to the surface of the ocean.

I’ve mentioned this in the Submariner vs Seamaster deep-dive, but I’ve even worn the ladies 28mm quartz Seamaster 300 Pro as a dress watch. It’s the right size, the high-shine applied indices add sparkle and worst-case scenario, it’s small enough to just move into my pocket. 

The Speedy doesn’t come in a smaller, sparklier variation.

History and Pop Culture

Both in history and pop culture, the Seamaster is more often compared to its direct competitor, the Submariner, rather than its brother, the Speedmaster.

The CK 2913 Seamaster 300 may have only had 200 meters of water resistance, but it was 100 more than the Sub at the time. And of course, the 1993 Submariner 300 Pro is the second Bond watch.

The pre-CK2913 Seamaster was based on watches soldiers wore during World War II. It was more professional looking and, as mentioned, paved the road for the Omega De Ville.

So yes, Pierce Brosnan did wear the quartz-powered, wave dial Seamaster in GoldenEye. And yes, James Bond would go on to wear only Omegas from then on. 

Something a lot of people forget is that long before it became a 007 icon, the Seamaster was worn by real-life British Navy officers. That’s the reason Bond costume designers decided to make the switch.

Omega has always played a part in advancing dive watch technology. They even participated in a research project with the French diving company COMEX, Compagnie Maritime d’Expertises, to prompt the use of 904L stainless steel in watchmaking.

The wave dial Seamaster is also a return to form for Omega as a brand. After the quartz crisis, Omega experimented with the Seamaster, churning out a lot of trend-focused variants.

When the Seamaster 300 Pro came out, it represented a new tent-pole design for the subline, with a Bond association no less.

FAQs

Still have questions? Below are answers to some common ones :

What’s the difference between the Speedmaster and Seamaster?

The Speedmaster is a sporty chronograph, associated mainly with space exploration but also automotive sports. The Seamaster is a dive watch, also known as Omega’s Bond watch.

Which is more expensive, the Omega Seamaster or Speedmaster?

It depends on which specific models, but they’re mostly comparable in price. The Speedy Reduced and certain quartz Seamasters can cost as little as $2000, while rarer or special models of either can be up to $70,000 or even more.

Is it worth buying an Omega Speedmaster?

Yes, if you’re a fan of sporty watches, chronographs, and space exploration, the Speedy is a well-designed timepiece from a trusted brand. It also has sound investment value.

The Omega Speedmaster vs the Omega Seamaster: Which One Is for You?

Ultimately, the Speedmaster has a sportier aesthetic compared to the Seamaster, because of its three-pusher silhouette and multi-subdial design. The Seamaster, however, is a well-designed diver, with bolder features.

The Broad Arrow version is equipped with sizable hands and indices, while the wave dial version is lively yet still classic.

The Speedy is also arguably more fun to tinker with. It has the stopwatch feature, and comes in a manual hand-wind, giving it a tactile user experience. The Seamaster comes in both automatic and quartz versions, for a convenient and set-it-and-forget-it experience.

Finally, the Speedy is a historical watch that went to the moon, while the Seamaster has pop culture cache as a Bond watch that’s equally as important as the Submariner.

Both being good investments, as well as being wildly different timepieces, there’s also no reason that they can both find a place in the same collection.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below!