On the tail end of the 1980s, Omega decided it was about time to put a diminutive variation of their flag bearer, the Speedmaster Professional, into the market. This is the story of the Speedmaster Reduced.

Introduced in 1988, the Speedmaster Reduced ST 175.0032 was a 39mm twisted-lug steel case timepiece. Omega fit the watch with what they designated to be the automatic Caliber 1140. Essentially, Omega’s own assembly of an ETA 2890-2 with a Dubois-Dépraz 2020 chronograph module mounted to the dial-side and was gold plated.

The movement was updated with the 1141 in 1996 using again the ETA 2890-2 and Dubois-Dépraz 2020 but this time the movement assembly was rhodium plated. Again in 1997, the movement was updated to the 1143 which used the newer ETA 2892-A2 with the 2020. The last update made to the Speedmaster Reduced movement was with the calibre 3220 in 2000, again with the ETA 2892-A2 and 2020, although updates this time are said to be mostly cosmetic.

The Speedmaster Reduced from a distance, with its black dial and familiar case silhouette can — and often is — mistaken for its larger sibling, the Speedmaster Professional aka, the Moonwatch. But closer inspection of the Speedmaster will highlight some hallmarks that differentiate it.

Most obvious is the vast amount of space from the central pinion to the sub dials at 9 and 3 o’clock. The dial of the watch also reads “Automatic,” where you would otherwise have “Professional”.

And, of course, if you’ve handled enough Speedmasters, you would be able to tell on first contact that this is a significantly smaller case. Turning the watch to its crown-side, you’ll also notice that the crown and the chronograph pushers don’t line up. This asymmetry is the cause of the stacked movement construction.

Further deviations include the fact that on the Speedmaster Professional the tri-compax layout is as such: 30-minute totalizer at 3, 12-hour totalizer at 6 and running seconds at 9. On the Reduced, the layout is as follows: running seconds at 3, 12-hour totalizer at 6 and 30-minute totalizer at 9.

Buyer beware. Enough shoddy dealers out on the internet have often listed the Speedmaster Reduced for sale, marked as Moonwatch. This is just simply dishonest. The Speedmaster Reduced is a variation within the Speedmaster family, as is the Moonwatch — the Speedmaster Professional — a variation within the Speedmaster family. However, a Speedmaster Reduced is not a Moonwatch Speedmaster, and a Moonwatch Speedmaster has never been a Speedmaster Reduced. Conveniently calling a Speedmaster Reduced a Moonwatch is nothing more than unscrupulous.

But that’s not to say that we ought to write the Speedmaster Reduced off. Because within the Speedmaster family, it has its own place. Not to mention the various colourful dial variations that Omega explored on the face of the Speedmaster Reduced, which no one can deny are very much part of the Speedmaster’s story. But, of course, nothing beats the classic – the black dial Speedmaster Reduced, last of which was produced as the reference 3510.50.00.

For the price cautious buyer, the Speedmaster Reduced is a superbly viable means of entry into the Speedmaster family. For the more advanced collector, the Speedmaster Reduced is a necessary addition for those looking to assemble the family.
For those on the lookout, please go ahead and have a look at the following listing on the Revolution Shop, sourced through our partnership with Watchfinder & Co. The watch comes complete with a 14-day return window and Watchfinder’s own 24-month warranty.