This story is part of Image’s August Adornment issue, which dives into loud, expressive and distinctive accessories.
How we dress is all about projecting a story. Sometimes the projection is an honest reflection of our current narrative, and other times it’s aspirational — why guys put so much effort into procuring clothes and accessories that will help them tap into a character, from James Bond’s suits to Paul Newman’s sunglasses to Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme jacket. It’s why, for years, I lusted over the Omega Speedmaster Professional — famously the first watch to go to the moon. It’s an aesthetic marvel, with its blacked-out dial and simple steel chronograph construction, but I was like anyone else who wanted a Speedmaster: in it for the story, one I wasn’t a part of but wanted to be. Eventually I came across the Omega Speedmaster Reduced, a wildly popular entry in the Speedmaster line thanks to being lower-maintenance and, crucially, more cost-effective and attainable for fans of the Moonwatch’s aesthetic and history. Unlike the original, it never went interstellar. But the day I came across one, it gave me my own story to tell rather than repeating a legend everyone already knows.
The confusion between the Omega Speedmaster Professional and the Omega Speedmaster Reduced comes down to the look. Watch collectors are a nerdy lot, quick to point out differences between two references that may be imperceptible at a glance: the millimeter-smaller lug, the change of material on the bezel, the upgraded lume material that keeps a dial glowing in the dark a year longer than the prior iteration. So if you were to call the Omega Speedmaster Reduced the first watch to go to the moon, they’d be the first to tell you that you’re wrong. But that doesn’t diminish its staying power as one of the most reliable timepieces in the Omega lineup.
The Reduce’s big brother — the original Speedmaster — was introduced by Omega in 1957 as a racing chronograph, designed with a tachymetre bezel, a face with multiple dials and a stopwatch function. It became popular with pilots as well as race car drivers (many chronographs did at the time), which is how it ended up a part of the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission. Astronaut Wally Schirra boarded the vessel wearing his personal Omega Speedmaster Professional, orbiting Earth six times over the course of nine hours. When it came time to decide which wristwatch the Apollo 11 astronauts would be equipped with for their flight, NASA landed on the Speedy after a rigorous round of testing. That’s how, on July 20, 1969, the Omega Speedmaster Professional Ref. 105.012 became the first watch on the moon (Neil Armstrong left his on the spacecraft as it was malfunctioning; it was Buzz Aldrin who first brought what’s now known as the Moonwatch onto the surface).
Everyone promoting anything wants to claim that their product made history. Omega is one of the few who can actually back that up. Collectors of all sorts — watches, sneakers, baseball cards — are drawn to lore more than anything. The Air Jordan 1 is just a sneaker if Michael Jordan’s career fizzles out his rookie season. The Tag Heuer Monaco is an interesting relic of Art Deco design if it isn’t also the watch Steve McQueen wore in “Le Mans.” The Speedmaster is a beautiful watch, with its raw functionality paired with a perfectly proportioned chronograph and sleek design across its face, but the story of its journey from racetracks to the moon is what has given it its longevity. Nobody wears a Speedmaster not knowing where it’s been. Wearing the watch is, as much as anything, a chance to participate in its legacy.
In the years since the watch first landed on the moon, the brand has produced a number of variations on the Speedmaster, which is where the Reduced comes in.
First introduced in 1988, the Omega Speedmaster Reduced took the Speedmaster Professional — which comes in a sizable 42mm case sizing — and slimmed it down to a chill 39mm. The small change went a long way for buyers with smaller wrists, or who were looking to get something more understated. It also features a simple snap-back bracelet and, crucially, an automatic movement whereas the Professional’s requires a manual wind.
Nobody wears a Speedmaster not knowing where it’s been. Wearing the watch is, as much as anything, a chance to participate in its legacy.
Even if it isn’t a one-for-one match of the watch Aldrin wore when he took those first steps onto the moon, it still serves as a shorthand. The three millimeters of difference between the size of the Professional and the Reduced go a long way in making the latter feel more wearable, but they hardly take away from the historical weight of the Speedmaster line, which is still present in its baby brother model. The Reduced was officially discontinued in 2008, but it remains a cult classic on the resale market.
That ease of wearability is why I spent years hunting for one within my budget, and why when I found the perfect one on a last-minute trip to the Rose Bowl Flea Market on an unusually hot May weekend in 2023, I spent hours scrambling around the lot looking for someone to buy my vintage Rolex Oysterdate off my wrist. Eventually the sale was made, and a trip that had started with the intention of finding a cool vintage stash box ended in me driving home with my dream watch on my wrist.
In the time since it’s been my daily driver, the easiest decision I make most mornings when I stand in front of my dresser and glance down at the three watches I keep in a vintage cowboy-patterned trinket tray. It doesn’t need to be wound, it goes with everything and it’s sturdy enough that I don’t have to worry about it getting banged up or scratched — in fact, those nicks just make me love it more over time. I am far happier, I’ve realized, with a watch that tells an entirely unique tale.
Tres Dean is a writer in Los Angeles who covers menswear, travel and culture.
