The Speedmaster is a collection of chronograph watches by Swiss brand Omega.
The Speedmaster line was introduced in 1957 and has grown into one of the most popular collections by the brand. One of the longest-produced models that continue to enjoy popularity today is the Moonwatch, which we will discuss further below.
An article on Hodinkee that takes a closer look at the Speedmaster Moonwatch said that the chronograph watch had not yet developed as a casual timepiece. Rather, it was greatly considered as a tool for professions such as doctors and technicians, or those who needed precise readings (like a stopwatch).
One of the things that the Moonwatch is most popular for is its part in the first American spacewalk, the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the moon. You can read more about its journey here.
The watches in this collection, as with all of Omega’s watches, don’t come cheap. If you’d like to own a watch that looks similar to the Speedmaster can’t afford or justify a watch with such a hefty price tag, check out thedr watches below.
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Best Affordable Omega Speedmaster Alternatives
There are many Omega Speedmaster models. These watches below are chronographs that have a stainless steel case and bracelet and a black dial (though there are also Speedmaster models with other dial colors, such as blue, white, and gray). Most of these watches also have a tachymeter scale on the bezel.
Swatch Irony Deepgrey YVS465G
The Swatch Deepgrey (model YVS465G) watch is an affordable Speedmaster alternative. This quartz chronograph looks like the Omega model, with a stainless steel case and a tachymeter bezel.
The 43mm watch has a sun-brushed black dial with a stainless steel strap and clasp and a black PVD bezel. The dial has Swatch Appliques, and there is a date window at 6 o’clock. Unlike the Speedmaster, however, this model has Arabic numeral markers.
Another model from the Irony collection to consider is the Swatch Men’s Irony Blackie Quartz, which has a slightly different dial style, with only two Arabic markers (4 and 8 o’clock) and a mesh strap.
Seiko SSB031
The quartz SSB031 chronograph watch by Japanese brand Seiko has a stainless steel case and bracelet, with a water resistance of up to 100m.
With many positive reviews on Amazon, his is a 40mm analog model with a tachymeter scale and index hour markers, as well as a screw-down solid metal case-back and Hardlex crystal.
Another similar chronograph by Seiko is the SSC143 model, which is a bit more expensive and slightly bigger at 42.5mm. This one has a black ion finish and a Japanese quartz movement.
Stuhrling Rialto 3975L
The Stuhrling Rialto 3975L is a 44mm quartz chronograph with a Japanese movement. Excellent for both casual or dressier events, this versatile watch has a stainless steel case and a leather band (a mesh bracelet is also available on the brand’s website).
This model has minute, seconds, and 24-hour subdials. Like the Omega Speedmaster, this has a tachymeter—this one, however, is on the dial and not on the bezel.
Other features include a push/pull fluted crown with function pushers and a big date window between 4 and 5 o’clock. You can check out the other versions of this watch on this page.
Casio Edifice
The Edifice collection is Casio’s line of watches with multiple functions, a watch for those who need features such as multiple dials, alarms, and world time.
The Casio Edifice Quartz is an affordable substitute if you’re looking for a good-quality chronograph. A watch for those looking for a sporty design, this is a large model (48mm) with a stainless steel case and band, as well as a flat bezel design.
Some of the main features include a chronograph function, a date window at 4 o’clock, a stopwatch, a battery level indicator, and elapsed time (1st-2nd place times). The watch is water-resistant to 100m.
This one’s a solar-powered model made possible by Casio’s solar-charging system that converts any light into energy that powers the watch.
Alpha Chronograph Moon Watch
Alpha is a watch company known for producing homage watches that are of high quality. One of these is the mechanical chronograph model. As the name suggests, it’s an homage to an Omega Moonwatch. It’s Chrono features, however, also make it look similar to a Speedmaster
Running on a Seagull SG2903 mechanical movement (with a power reserve of up to 42 hours), this watch has chronograph functions and a tachymeter scale on the bezel. The case with a matt black dial and the bracelet is stainless steel, and the glass is scratch-proof with a hardened mineral dome glass. The water resistance is up to 50m.
For a closer look at the watch, you can check out this review.
Certina DS 2 Chronograph
This chronograph watch by Swiss luxury watchmaker Certina is a quartz model with a sporty look—a stainless steel case with a combination of silver, white, and yellow highlights on the hands and markers (green and gold versions are also available–find them here).
The 41mm Certina DS-2 watch has a stainless steel bezel, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and water resistance to 100m. The watch is powered by Super Luminova.
The watch boasts of a 1/100th second display in real-time, showing precision. Certina explains that the 1/100 second hand (colored), stops after a minute while the central stop measured exactly 1/100th of a second.
Victorinox Alliance Sport Chronograph
This watch by Swiss brand Victorinox is a handsome chronograph timepiece made of high-grade stainless steel. The brand promotes this as a sports watch, which is excellent for bike, track, or trail adventures.
A watch that has gained many positive reviews, the Victorinox Alliance Sport Chronograph is a quartz model that’s relatively affordable. Some of the main features are the 44mm gunmetal black case, legible markers, and a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The water resistance is up to 100m.
Victorinox has a wide range of chronograph watches that boast multifunctionality, high-quality quartz, or mechanical movements. You can see all of the models here.
Tissot PRS 516 Chronograph
This watch by Swiss brand Tissot is inspired by motorsports. The PRS line, which takes design elements from the racetrack, is for those who are looking for a watch with chrono functions and accurate time counters.
The Tissot PRS 516, which has a Swiss quartz movement, has a 42mm case made from stainless steel. One of the things that makes this watch special is the use of ceramic material, which Tissot is known to use. The use of this material means that the watch will not oxidize over time. Aside from being able to retain its shine, the watch also has hypoallergenic properties.
Other features include a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. The main functions include 30-minute/1/10 second counters, end-of-life battery indicator, and central 60 seconds chrono hand. The watch is water-resistant to 100 and has either a stainless steel or leather strap.
Citizen World Chronograph A-T
Japanese watchmaker Citizen promotes this watch as a timepiece for avid travelers, as it has atomic timekeeping in 26 time zones. The watch has a stainless steel case and bracelet, with a black dial and sapphire crystal. This does not have a tachymeter scale, but it has chronograph functions.
Off of the brand’s World Chronograph Collection, other features of the Citizen World Chronograph A-T include a 1/20 second chronograph that measures up to 60 minutes, a power reserve indicator, day and date functions, and a 12/24-hour time option. The water resistance is up to 100m.
This is also powered by Citizen’s own Eco-Drive technology, which allows the watch to function without a battery. It only needs any kind of light (natural or artificial) in order to function.
Bulova Special Edition Moon Chronograph 96B258
This is another watch that is usually compared to the Omega Speedmaster. The brand competed with Omega to be used in moon missions, and eventually produced a watch to be worn in space—this time for the NASA Apollo missions.
The Bulova Special Edition Moon Chronograph (also sometimes referred to as the Bulova Moonwatch, is recommended by A Blog to Watch as a good Speedmaster budget alternative. This watch has a high-quality quartz movement, which results in more accuracy.
The 45mm black dial steel watch, which has either a stainless steel or leather strap, has a chronograph function, tachymeter scale, and water resistance to 50m. This is a special edition and is no longer available on the Bulova website, but you can still find it on other third party sites.
Junkers JUMO
The Junkers JUMO 9.21.01.01.M is a mechanical, self-winding watch with chronograph functions.
This automatic model (ETA Valjoux) has a power reserve of up to 48 hours. It has a stainless steel case and bracelet (a leather strap is also available), a crystal case back, and a sapphire crystal glass. The water resistance is up to 100m.
There is a tachymeter scale on the bezel, as well as a day and a date window at 3 o’clock The watch does not look crowded, despite the many features on the dial, thanks to the thin hands and markers. To see other Junkers JUMO models, check out the brand’s website.
Seiko Prospex SSC757J1
Another one by Seiko is this dive watch with a chronograph feature. The Prospex SSC757J1 is a solar watch (caliber V192) with a stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and water resistance of up to 200m.
The Seiko Prospex collection is a popular line of high-quality dive watches that are on the mid-price ranger—not cheap, but not on the luxury watch category either.
The 44mm black dial has chronograph functions, round markers, and a date window between 4 and 5 o’clock. The hands and markers are powered by Lumibrite, which assures readability even when used underwater. Unlike the Speedmaster, however, this does not have a tachymeter scale on the unidirectional rotating bezel.
Farer Moritz Chronograph Sport
The Farer Moritz Chronograph Sport watch, which has three chrono dials on a matte black dial, is a race-inspired watch—it is the official timing watch of the race in the Swiss Alps, the Bernina Gran Turismo.
The watch has a 44mm stainless steel case and a flat sapphire crystal case back. The hands and markers are powered by Super Luminova (Grade A), with a Barenia bridle leather strap (you can choose from a variety of strap colors like navy, black, tan, and brown). This model is powered by the Swiss Sellita SW510 BH Elabore grade manual movement, with a power reserve of up to 58 hours.
Farer has two other chronographs similar to this—one is the Cresta, which has a navy dial, and another one is the Bernina, which has a matte off-white dial with racing-themed colors. Check them out here.
Bell & Ross V2-94 Black Steel
This watch is a good model to consider if you’re after another luxury brand, but not as expensive as the Speedmaster. Bell & Ross is known for its square-shaped watches but released a number of vintage-designed round watches in 2017. This model is one of them.
The Bell & Ross V2-94 Black Steel is an automatic mechanical watch–41mm in diameter, this model is made of satin-polished steel with a black aluminum ring. The watch dial is matt black, with hands and markers coated with Super Luminova. It also has a sapphire case back, screw-down crown, and water resistance to 100m.
This model is available in a black calfskin strap and a steel bracelet. You can read more about this watch and similar Bell & Ross models in this review by A Blog to Watch.
Sinn 140 St S
The Omega Speedmaster has a popular history of being the first watch used by NASA in the first American spacewalk. There are, however, other lesser-known watches that have been worn in space.
One of these watches is this one by German watchmaker Sinn, which according to an article by Fratello Magazine, was worn by German astronaut Reinhard Furrer in a Space Shuttle mission in 1985.
Also known as the Space Chronograph, this 44mm mechanical timepiece has stainless steel, a bead-blasted case, and a sapphire crystal glass. Powered by the SINN SZ01 chronograph movement, it has a special dehumidifying technology that prevents fogging, low-pressure resistance, and a 60-minute stopwatch (which has a hand with improved readability). The water-resistant is up to 100m.
