Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Guide: Calibre 3861, Calibre 321, 1861 References, Specs and Prices

The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is the hand-wound chronograph that NASA qualified for crewed spaceflight in 1965 and that Buzz Aldrin wore on the lunar surface in July 1969, still made today in the same 42 mm asymmetric steel case. The current Moonwatch Professional runs the calibre 3861, a Co-Axial, Master Chronometer version of the movement that went to the Moon, and comes with a Hesalite crystal (310.30.42.50.01.001) or a sapphire crystal (310.30.42.50.01.002), in Sedna gold, Canopus gold and Moonshine gold, and since 2024 with a white lacquered dial (310.30.42.50.04.001). Beside it sit the calibre 321 Speedmasters, led by the 39.7 mm Ed White 311.30.40.30.01.001, the calibre 1861 and 1863 references that were the Moonwatch from the late 1990s to 2021, among them the 3570.50 and the 311.30.42.30.01.005, and the ceramic Dark Side of the Moon line. This guide covers the specifications, every reference with a dated ask, what changed between the 1861 and the 3861, how the Moonwatch compares with the Ed White, the Speedmaster 38 and the Rolex Daytona, how it wears, prices in 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources the Moonwatch to order; the Speedmaster collection lists the references we can seek.

Last reviewed on October 24, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional specifications

Source: Omega's Speedmaster pages describe the case, crystal options and the calibre 3861. The Master Chronometer rating is issued by the Swiss federal metrology institute after tests on the cased-up watch for accuracy, magnetic resistance, power reserve and water resistance; it sits above the classic chronometer certificate issued on bare movements by the COSC, which is the standard the automatic Speedmaster 38 and the earlier Dark Side of the Moon watches carry. The Swiss made label on every Speedmaster is defined by the watch industry's federation, the FH.

Which Speedmaster Moonwatch references exist, and what do they ask?

All of the above are brand new unless a listing says otherwise, and every figure is a dated ask that will move. Omega's reference system reads from left to right: the first group is the family and generation (310 for the 3861 Moonwatch, 311 for the 1861 and 321 watches), the second the material and bracelet (30 steel on steel, 32 or 33 steel on strap, 60 gold on gold, 63 gold on strap, 20 steel and gold), then the case size, movement family, dial code (01 black, 02 silver, 04 white, 10 green) and a sequence number. The Omega collection holds the wider catalogue, including the Seamaster and Constellation lines.

What changed from the calibre 1861 Moonwatch to the calibre 3861?

The Moonwatch that went to the Moon ran the calibre 321, a column-wheel chronograph built on a Lemania design. In 1968 Omega replaced it with the calibre 861, a cam-actuated movement running at 21,600 vibrations per hour that was cheaper to make and easier to service; the 861 became the rhodium-plated 1861 in the late 1990s, and its decorated sibling, the 1863, sat behind the sapphire display back of the 3573.50 and later the 311.30.42.30.01.006. For more than fifty years the Moonwatch stayed mechanically much the same, with 48 hours of power reserve and no hacking seconds.

The calibre 3861 appeared first in the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary watch in Moonshine gold in 2019 and in the Silver Snoopy Award watch in 2020, and in January 2021 it went into the standard Moonwatch Professional. It keeps the 1861's architecture, so the chronograph still feels and sounds the same, but it adds a Co-Axial escapement, a silicon balance spring, a free-sprung balance, hacking seconds, about 50 hours of reserve and Master Chronometer certification, which means the finished watch is tested to keep time between zero and plus five seconds a day and to resist magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. The case also changed. The 2021 watch has a step dial, where the outer minute track sits on a lower level than the centre, a bezel with the dot above the 90 on the tachymeter scale as on the 1960s watches, and a new five-link bracelet whose links are arched and brushed with polished edges, replacing the flatter bracelet of the 1861 era. The Hesalite watch kept its solid case back; the sapphire watch gained an applied logo and a display back. Side by side, the 1861 reads as a slightly flatter, plainer watch with a cleaner dial, which some owners prefer, and the 3861 as the more refined version with the better movement.

Hesalite or sapphire Moonwatch: which should you buy?

The Hesalite crystal is the one that went to the Moon, chosen because acrylic does not shatter into fragments in a spacecraft. It is warm and domed, it can be polished free of light scratches with a cloth and a mild abrasive, and it carries the tiny Omega symbol in the centre that proves it is a factory crystal. The sapphire crystal cannot be scratched in normal wear, has a stronger box shape, shows more reflections and adds a display back, an applied logo and a higher price. Purists and first-time buyers tend to choose the Hesalite because it is the reference watch, and because the solid back carries the NASA wording. Buyers who want to see the movement, or who cannot live with a crystal that scratches, choose the sapphire. The 2024 white-dial watch is sapphire only and brought a new look to the line: a lacquered white dial with black printing, black hands and a black bezel, the inverse of the classic layout. On October 24, 2026 the catalogue asks were US$6,775 for the Hesalite, US$7,650 for the sapphire and US$8,245 for the white dial, all on the bracelet and sourced to order.

Moonwatch 3861 vs Calibre 321 Ed White: what is the difference?

The Ed White is the collector's Speedmaster: the pre-Moon case shape and the column-wheel movement that Omega re-engineered in 2019 from an original 321 and the drawings of the period. It costs well over twice the Hesalite Moonwatch and has been scarce at retail since launch. The Moonwatch is the better watch to wear daily, with the better movement specification, and it is the one most buyers mean by "Speedmaster". If the romance of the column wheel and the smaller case matter more than the certification and the price, the 321 is the one; the platinum 311.93.42.30.99.001 and the 38.6 mm Canopus gold 311.50.39.30.01.001 are the precious metal versions of the same movement.

Speedmaster 38, First Omega in Space and Dark Side of the Moon: the siblings

The Speedmaster 38 of 2017 is the smaller, automatic Speedmaster: a 38 mm case, the Co-Axial calibre 3330 with a column wheel and a COSC certificate, a combined hour and minute counter at 3 o'clock, running seconds at 9 and an oval date window at 6. It is offered in steel, two-tone and Sedna gold with many dial colours and is the Speedmaster for a smaller wrist or for someone who wants a date and self-winding. It is not a Moonwatch and does not claim to be.

The First Omega in Space of 2012 (311.32.40.30.01.001) honours the CK2998 that Wally Schirra wore on his Mercury flight in October 1962, the first Omega in orbit. It uses the 39.7 mm straight-lug case later shared with the Ed White, the calibre 1861 and a leather strap, and for years it was the quiet alternative to the Professional. In 2024 Omega replaced it with a Master Chronometer version on the calibre 3861 (310.30.40.50.06.001 in the dark grey-blue dial listed in our catalogue), which makes it the small-case Moonwatch with the modern movement at a fraction of the Ed White's price.

The Dark Side of the Moon of 2013 put the Speedmaster into a 44.25 mm case machined from black zirconium oxide ceramic with a matching ceramic dial, powered by the automatic Co-Axial calibre 9300. It spawned Grey Side, White Side, Pitch Black, Vintage Black and meteorite-dial versions, and two Apollo 8 editions: the 2018 watch with a hand-wound calibre 1869 whose skeletonised plates are decorated like the lunar surface, and the 2024 watch with the Master Chronometer calibre 3869 and a small seconds hand shaped like a Saturn V rocket. The ceramic line is for a large wrist and for someone who wants the Speedmaster look in a modern material; it is a different proposition from the 42 mm steel Moonwatch, which is why this guide treats it briefly.

How does the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch wear?

At 42 mm the Moonwatch sounds large, but the asymmetric case, the twisted lyre lugs and the roughly 48 mm lug-to-lug keep it manageable; the thin bezel and large dial make it read bigger than a 40 mm Rolex while the short lugs stop it overhanging a wrist from about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches). The Hesalite watch sits around 13 mm high with the domed crystal, the sapphire a fraction more, and both slide under a shirt cuff. The 2021 bracelet tapers from 20 mm at the lugs to a slimmer clasp and is far more comfortable than the 1861-era bracelet, with a fine-adjustment clasp that compensates for a wrist swelling through the day; many owners also run the Moonwatch on a NATO or a leather strap, and Omega sells the Hesalite watch on a nylon strap for that reason. The watch is hand-wound, so the owner winds it each morning; with the 3861 it will run through a weekend off the wrist, and the hacking seconds make setting precise. Water resistance is 50 m, so it is a watch for swimming at most, not diving. The Ed White, at 39.7 mm and with a flat bracelet, wears like a vintage chronograph and suits wrists from about 15.5 cm (6.1 inches), and the Speedmaster 38 smaller still. The Dark Side of the Moon at 44.25 mm needs a wrist above about 18 cm (7 inches).

Speedmaster Moonwatch vs Rolex Daytona 126500LN

The two are the most famous chronographs in the world and they answer different questions. The Daytona 126500LN is automatic, deeper rated, finished to a higher standard and trades on the secondary market at a multiple of its retail price because supply is controlled. The Moonwatch is hand-wound, carries the spaceflight history, is sold at or near list by Omega and asks a fraction of a Daytona on the secondary market. For most buyers the question is not which is better but whether the budget is US$7,000 or US$30,000 and above; our Rolex vs Omega comparison goes through the two brands more broadly, and the chronograph collection shows both side by side.

How much is an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch? Retail and dealer prices in 2026

• Retail. Omega's US list prices for the steel calibre 3861 Moonwatch have sat between roughly US$6,500 and US$9,000 in recent years depending on crystal, dial and bracelet, with the Hesalite version the cheapest and the white dial the dearest; Omega has raised list prices more than once since 2021. The Ed White has listed in the mid teens of thousands of dollars, the gold Moonwatches between roughly US$35,000 and US$60,000 depending on the alloy and bracelet, and the platinum and Canopus gold calibre 321 watches well above that. The current figures are on Omega's product pages and in its boutiques.
• Secondary market. Through 2025 and 2026 the steel Moonwatch has traded close to retail rather than above it: unworn full-set 3861 watches have generally been asked a little below list, pre-owned 3861 watches lower, and 1861-era 311.30.42.30.01.005 and 3570.50 watches lower again, with clean full sets from the 3570.50 era holding up best among the older references. The Ed White has been the exception, asking at or above retail since 2020 because supply has been thin. The Snoopy 50th has asked well above its list price since launch. Gold Moonwatches have generally traded below their list prices on the secondary market, as gold Omegas usually do.
• Bizak catalogue asks. On October 24, 2026 our sourced catalogue listed the Hesalite Moonwatch at US$6,775, the sapphire Moonwatch at US$7,650, the white dial at US$8,245, the steel and gold versions at US$17,935, the Sedna gold Moonwatch at US$43,265, the Canopus gold Moonwatch at US$56,355, the Ed White at US$18,720, the 1861 Moonwatch from US$4,999 on leather to US$6,799 on the bracelet, the First Omega in Space at US$5,999 and US$7,699, and the Dark Side of the Moon from US$8,999, all sourced to order.

Those figures describe what we saw that day and will move. Ask for a dated quote for the exact reference, year and card. Where a Moonwatch ask is far below the others, as with some of the 1861 listings, confirm which generation of movement it carries and whether the full set is present; the dealer margins guide explains how dealer asks are built, and auction results for vintage calibre 321 Speedmasters are published by Sotheby's watch department.

Is the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch a good buy?

As a chronograph to own for decades, the steel Moonwatch is one of the strongest cases in watchmaking: a design unchanged in its essentials since 1964, a movement whose family has been serviced by every competent watchmaker for sixty years, Master Chronometer accuracy since 2021, a five-year warranty on new watches, and a price that an Omega boutique will usually honour without a waiting list. It is the opposite of the Daytona in that respect, and the Which Omega to buy guide puts it in context against the Seamaster and Constellation. As an investment it is steady rather than exciting. The steel 3861 has not carried a secondary premium, so a new one bought at retail will generally be worth a little less the following year, and a pre-owned one should be bought because it is the watch you want. The references with a collecting story are the calibre 321 watches, old and new, the Snoopy editions, the Apollo 11 50th in Moonshine gold, early 3570.50 full sets with their original boxes and papers, and, among the vintage pieces, the 105.003, 105.012 and 145.012 with the original 321. Those are specialist purchases that need a specialist's inspection.

Buying a used Speedmaster Moonwatch: what to check

• Generation. The reference number is engraved between the lugs on modern watches and on the case back of older ones. A 310.30.42.50 prefix is a 3861 watch; 311.30.42.30 is an 1861 or 1863 watch; 3570.50 and 3573.50 are the 1990s and 2000s references. A 3861 has hacking seconds and a step dial; an 1861 does not hack and has a flat dial.
• Warranty card. Omega has issued a five-year international warranty on new watches since 2018, with the card or digital record carrying the reference, the serial and the retailer's stamp. Match the serial on the card to the engraving on the case.
• Crystal. A Hesalite crystal should show the small Omega symbol in its centre under a loupe; a replacement without it is not a factory part. Light scratches polish out, deep gouges mean a new crystal. On sapphire watches check for chips at the edge of the box crystal.
• Case and bezel. The lyre lugs should keep their sharp twist and the brushed and polished boundaries should be crisp; rounded lugs mean a heavy polish. Anodised aluminium bezels scratch and fade; a worn bezel is cheap to replace but a replaced bezel on a vintage watch changes its value, so ask.
• Chronograph function. Start, stop and reset the chronograph several times. The seconds hand should snap back to exactly twelve; the minute counter should jump cleanly. A reset that leaves the hand off zero or a sluggish start means a service is due.
• Winding and power reserve. Wind the watch fully and listen for a smooth action; the mainspring should stop winding with a firm end. A 3861 should run about 50 hours and an 1861 about 48; a watch that stops early needs a service.
• Bracelet. Check the clasp engraving and the stretch between links on older bracelets. The 2021 bracelet has a fine-adjustment clasp; the 1861-era bracelet does not. A Moonwatch sold on a strap with no bracelet should be priced accordingly.
• Box and extras. New 3861 Moonwatches come in a large presentation box with a strap-changing tool, a loupe, a NATO strap and a leather strap; a Hesalite watch with the full kit is worth more than a watch alone.
• Service. Omega's own network services every Moonwatch calibre, and the 861 and 1861 family can be serviced widely. A service history matters more on 1861 watches more than a decade old; a 3861 bought new in 2021 is only now approaching its first service.
• Price against the band. An unworn full-set Moonwatch offered well below the others deserves a question about the card date, the generation and the kit before anything else.

Our authentication process describes what we inspect before dispatch, and the pre-owned collection shows how we describe condition.

Quick answers

How much is an Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch?

Omega's US list prices for the steel calibre 3861 Moonwatch have sat between roughly US$6,500 and US$9,000 in recent years. Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the Hesalite Moonwatch at US$6,775, the sapphire at US$7,650, the white dial at US$8,245 and the calibre 321 Ed White at US$18,720 on October 24, 2026, all sourced to order.

What is the difference between the Hesalite and sapphire Moonwatch?

The Hesalite watch has a domed acrylic crystal that can be polished, a solid case back with the NASA wording and a printed logo; the sapphire watch has a scratch-resistant box crystal, a display back, an applied logo and a higher price. Both share the 42 mm case and the calibre 3861.

Is the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch a Master Chronometer?

Yes. Every Moonwatch Professional with the calibre 3861, which means all watches from 2021 onwards, is Master Chronometer certified by the Swiss federal metrology institute. The calibre 1861 watches before 2021 and the calibre 321 Ed White are not chronometer certified.

What does calibre 321 mean on a Speedmaster?

Calibre 321 is the column-wheel chronograph movement in the Speedmasters worn on the Moon in 1969, which Omega put back into production in 2019. It is used in the 39.7 mm steel Ed White 311.30.40.30.01.001, the 42 mm platinum 311.93.42.30.99.001 and the 38.6 mm Canopus gold 311.50.39.30.01.001.

Is the Speedmaster Moonwatch better than the Rolex Daytona?

The Moonwatch is hand-wound, carries the spaceflight history and can usually be bought at list from an Omega boutique; the Daytona is automatic, rated to 100 m, finished to a higher standard and trades at a multiple of retail because supply is controlled. Which is better depends on whether you are buying a chronograph to wear or a store of value.

Request a Speedmaster Moonwatch sourcing quote

Tell us the reference, crystal, dial, preferred year range, condition and whether the warranty card and the full strap kit are required, plus your budget and timing, through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, card and final price before you commit. Catalogue entries: Moonwatch Hesalite, Moonwatch sapphire, Moonwatch white dial, Moonwatch Sedna gold, Calibre 321 Ed White, Moonwatch 1861; browse the Speedmaster collection, the Omega collection, or sell or trade your Speedmaster.

Related reading: The best Omega watches · The cheapest Omega watches · Rolex vs Omega: which costs more · Which Omega to buy: Speedmaster, Seamaster or Constellation · Omega Speedmaster vs Seamaster vs Constellation · Speedmaster 38 Sedna gold 324.63.38.50.02.003 guide · Speedmaster Moonphase 304.23.44.52.13.001 guide · Speedmaster Racing 329.53.44.51.03.001 guide · Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 guide · is Omega a good investment · Rolex Daytona 126500LN guide.