The Omega Speedmaster Reduced 3539.50 is somewhat of a sleeper in the watch world. It evokes a lot of the same classic styling of the iconic 42mm Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch” but sporting an automatic movement in a versatile 38mm form-factor instead. Unfortunately, the Speedmaster Reduced has long been discontinued but at least they’re still pretty easy to find on the pre-owned market.

This example is a late reference 3539.50 which is somewhat rarer than the comparatively ubiquitous Reduced reference 3510.50 produced between 1988 and 2006; After replacing the earlier version of the Reduced, the so-called “Reduced 2” was produced for only three years until Omega discontinued the entire line in 2009. The 3539.50 improved upon its predecessor with a sapphire crystal, improved water-resistance (from 30m to 100m), and a higher-grade bracelet (redesigned clasp, solid end-links). It also refined the dial design to bring it more in line with the Pro.

Notice anything odd about these chronograph pushers? One idiosyncrasy of the Omega Speedmaster Reduced 3539.50 is the way the chronograph function is implemented; Rather than use a movement with an integrated chronograph function, a separate Dubois-Dépraz 2020 module is piggy-backed on top of an Omega calibre 3220 (ETA 2890-A2). This is why the chronograph buttons are slightly off-axis with the crown — the chronograph module is stacked above the timekeeping movement. This is also why this watch has an unusually high jewel count (46!). Apparently, watchmakers don’t particularly like servicing this one (I’ve learned this first-hand).

As much as I love the aesthetic and story behind the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, I was cursed with chicken wrists and I can’t pull off 42mm. However, we chicken-wristed Moonwatch lovers can rejoice — for the Omega Speedmaster Reduced 3539.50 is a very, very solid alternative.