Omega Speedmaster MK40 Review: A Colorful Cult Classic
When you think of the Omega Speedmaster, the first thing that comes to mind is likely the brand’s golden child, the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. It’s a modern grail with its NASA connection, and its intertwined history with the Moon landing and space exploration is its calling card. But today, we’re looking at a different Speedmaster that has been eschewed from Omega’s current lineup. One that’s a little more playful, a little more unconventional, than the brand’s well-established Moonwatch Professional formula: the Speedmaster Mk40. Down below, I’ll be breaking down the history, context, and all the aesthetic oddities of the watch, all of which work together to create one of the most compelling non-Moonwatch Speedmasters of all time, in my humble opinion. [toc-section heading="Some Speedmaster Context"] Image: S.Song From first glance, the Speedmaster Mk40 that made its debut in the ‘90s defies all the utilitarian, tool-watch-oriented austerity that is the key DNA of the Moonwatch Professional, from its functionality to its experimentation with color, shapes, and typography. But the Mk40 is part of a short-lived and often forgotten legacy of Omega’s experimentation with the Speedmaster formula, before things were so rigidly codified as they are today. It is also important to note that the moniker “Mk40” itself is a completely enthusiast-driven nickname, which Omega itself has never officially used (the brand denotes the different models wi...