Speedmaster Date 38 Stainless Steel / Black / Albertville Winter Olympics

In Context

At 38 mm it sits just under the modern norm — the band that suits the widest spread of wrists. At 14 mm it is a tall case, and it will catch on a cuff. The case back is closed, so the movement stays out of sight, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. 100 m is genuine swimming resistance — more than the shape of this watch suggests it would need.

The movement winds itself from the motion of your wrist. 42 hours of reserve carries it overnight, but not through a weekend in a drawer. At 28,800 vph the seconds hand advances 8 times a second.

3811.50.JO stands on its own in this catalogue — no other reference here shares its base number. It pairs a black dial with a stainless steel case. It was a limited edition. Beyond the time it carries a chronograph.

Omega version of the earlier (17 jewels) Valjoux / ETA 7750. Later version is the Omega 1164.