Omega launched the Speedmaster in 1957, positioning it as the ultimate chronograph for motorsports. The Speedmaster was the first watch to move the tachymeter scale from the dial to the bezel for better legibility to track race times. Over the next six decades, the Speedmaster has not only grown to become Omega's signature chronograph but also an icon in the luxury watch space.

Today the Speedmaster collection offers a vast assortment of models available in a range of metals, sizes, and colorways.

Discover which Speedy models standout with our guide to popular Omega Speedmaster watches.

As Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins embarked on their historic mission to the moon during the Apollo 11 spaceflight in 1969, they were all equipped with NASA-approved Speedmasters. When Buzz Aldrin became the second man to walk on the moon, he had his Speedmaster Professional chronograph strapped around his spacesuit. 

As such, the Speedmaster quickly became one of the most famous watches in the world, now forever known as the Moonwatch.

While Omega makes plenty of Speedmaster models dedicated to its space legacy (many of them under the Moonwatch label), the Speedmaster Professional 42 Moonwatch chronographs are the direct descendants of those that partook in the Apollo 11 mission. The Speedmaster Professional 42 Moonwatch models sport 42mm stainless steel cases, black dials with a trio of registers at 3, 6, and 9, black aluminum bezels marked with a tachymeter scale, and run on manual-winding movements. 

The classic style of the watch combined with its lunar mission link makes the Moonwatch one of the most popular Omega Speedmaster watches in the history of the brand.

The very first Speedmaster model from 1957 featured a steel case, a steel bezel engraved with a tachymeter scale, and Broad arrow hands on the dial characterized by an arrow-tipped hour hand.

The modern-day Speedmaster 57 collection offers a range of Omega chronographs in a variety of materials and sizes that borrow many elements from that inaugural model, particularly the engraved metal bezel.

One model in the collection, the limited-edition 60th Anniversary Speedmaster 57, is a faithful reissue of the first Speedy, complete with a 38.6mm steel case, black dial with three registers, Broad-arrow hands, Hesalite crystal, and a manual-winding chronograph movement.

Other models in the lineup rely on a few vintage-inspired touches combined with design details to meet modern expectations, such as larger cases, automatic movements, and a choice of precious metals.

Inspired by the first astronauts to see the dark side of the moon during the Apollo 8 mission the Omega Dark Side of the Moon is crafted from a single block of black zirconium oxide ceramic.

Characterized by a checkered-flag minute track, the origins of the Omega racing dial date back to a 1968 Speedmaster model. Powering these Speedmaster Racing models is Omega's newest generation automatic chronograph movement, visible through the watches' sapphire caseback

On the other hand, the Speedmaster Racing 40 is a solid entry-level Omega Speedmaster chronograph, equipped with a 40mm steel case, a three-register dial, a black aluminum tachymeter bezel, and the reliable Omega Co-Axial automatic movement.

Whether inspired by the racetrack or outer space, the Omega Speedmaster has earned its spot as an iconic chronograph, boasting more than a handful of highly popular models under its famous name.