Review: Omega Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition

When it comes to Speedmasters, there are definitely some variants that are much more popular than the others. One of them is the CK2998, a Pre-Moon/ Pre-Professional Speedmaster that features the legendary Lemania Caliber 321 movement. 

The CK2998, notably, is the second reference in the Speedmaster collection – the first being CK2915, or also known as the “Broad-Arrow” thanks to its distinctively arrow-shaped hour and minute hands. But for today, we shall leave the “Broad-Arrow” aside and instead focus on one of the latest novelties from Omega in Baselworld 2016 that pays homage to a classic: the Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition.

Case, Dial, and Hands

The Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition, which pays homage to the original CK2998.

At the first glance, the new timepiece from Omega does not really resemble the original CK2998 that the company had produced back in 1959. The original variant, for instance, does not feature the blue and white color combination that is found in this new watch. The same goes for the strap, in which the original version was fitted with a stainless steel bracelet instead. However, for the more observant Speedmaster fans, you might already have spotted some aspects of this new watch that features the classic characteristics of the original CK2998.

First, the 40mm stainless steel case is similar to the original CK2998: it is fitted with straight lugs, and noticeably lacking the crown guards at the right side of the watch. Having seen the Speedmaster with its usual case design for most of the time, it took us quite a while to get used to seeing the watch being fitted with a slightly different case. It is admittedly a bit odd, but it is still appealing nonetheless.

Did you spot the missing crown guards?

Next, and more conspicuously, would be the hands. The CK2998 Limited Edition is fitted with the uncommon “alpha” hands (for both the minute and hour hands, and the three hands found on the sub-dials), as well as the “lollipop” center chronograph hand that is found on some of the CK2998. They certainly make the watch more unique, since the usual “baton” hands may get a tad boring at times.

Finally, similar to the Pre-Professional Speedmasters, this watch does not include the word “Professional” on its dial. It makes the dial cleaner, and hence giving it a less cluttered feel.

However, the similarity ends there. The original CK2998 does not come with a white dial, and neither was the minute track highlighted in blue. In addition, the CK2998 Limited Edition features a rather contemporary blue ceramic bezel ring, with a tachymeter scale that is filled with SuperLuminova.

Overall, the combination of having elements from the original CK2998 and incorporating contemporary bits into this new watch makes the Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition pretty interesting. And of course, it is a definitely beautiful sight to behold as well.

The Movement: Caliber 1861

The caseback of the Speedmaster.

The watch is fitted with Omega’s iconic Caliber 1861. This manual-winding movement is a staple for all the modern “Moonwatch”, and it boasts a decent power reserve of around 48 hours. As an owner of the Moonwatch, the writer personally thinks that this is probably one of the most affordable and reliable chronograph movements that we have in the market. It is not particularly finished to the highest quality, nor does it feature some other fancy complication. But at this price range, the workmanship is excellent enough, and the solid movement does its job very reliably without much hiccups.

Concluding Thoughts

The Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition actually sits pretty nicely on the wrist, and it is sized rather nicely as well.

The Omega Speedmaster CK2998 Limited Edition is a nice watch, no doubt about that. We love how Omega had incorporated the blue theme, as well as the other unique characteristics of the CK2998, into this stunning and charming timepiece. The combination is rather pretty, and it adds some spice and flavors into the Speedmaster collection.

Priced at S$8,400, we think that it is rather reasonable for such a charming and solid timepiece. It will be limited to 2998 pieces, and they will all be presented with a special box. If you are a Speedmaster fanatic, we think that it will be wise for you to reserve a piece as soon as possible; this is an alluring piece, and we reckon that it will be a massive hit with many collectors and fans alike. Do expect it to be sold out very soon.