When it comes to legendary chronographs, the Speedmaster Moonwatch is always part of the conversation. Not only is it culturally significant due to the role it played in the Apollo space missions (earning it the moniker Moonwatch is a very literal sense) it’s one of the most stylish chronographs ever design. On bracelet, a modern one at retail will set you back £7,500, meaning that with some saving it can be the centrepiece of many collections. However, if like me you have not patience to save, here’s a selection of affordable alternatives for you to consider.
Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch
Let’s address the elephant in the room. If you still want the Omega name on your watch, you can have it courtesy of the Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch. A highly controversial collaboration between stable-mates Swatch and Omega, it’s literally designed to be the hyper accessible alternative to the Moonwatch. While it’s available in increasingly numerous variations, for that purebred Moonwatch design you want to look at the standard MoonSwatch Mission to the Moon edition. It’s only £240, which it can afford to be because it’s made from BioCeramic plastic with a quartz movement. So while it might be the closest to the Moonwatch in terms of aesthetic and the fact it has the Omega name attached, it’s one of the furthest in terms of watchmaking prowess.
Price and Specs:
Available at Swatch.
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer ‘Maximum Precision’ 8R Mechanical Chronograph
Back when the Prospex Speedtimer ‘Maximum Precision’ 8R Mechanical Chronograph was released in the summer of 2025, I described it as the ultimate Omega alternative and that still holds true. It features a full monochrome display with tricompax chronograph layout, a tachymeter bezel and even classic pump pushers. Side by side, the similarities are striking. There are some notable differences such as the way the crown and pushers are not inset into the case as much as on the Omega but you’re really nit picking there. It also houses the Seiko calibre 8R48 automatic movement with vertical clutch, column wheel chronograph. It’s priced at £2,400, making it quite pricy for a Seiko but a bargain for an Omega.
Price and Specs:
Available at Seiko.
Ollech & Wajs OW Rallychron
I was torn on whether to include the Ollech & Wajs Rallychron because while at its core level there are a lot of similarities to the Omega Speedmaster, it also pushes its design much further in certain directions. If you distil it down on paper, both watches are tricompax chronographs with bar indexes and tachymeter bezels. But the Rallychron also introduces additional colours in the form of a grey dial and orange accents, a ‘perfect lap’ scale on its bezel in addition to the tachymeter, and chequered flag style markings on its central hands. However, we’re looking for alternatives, not 1-to-1 replicas so I think it’s worthy of a mention. It’s priced at CHF 2,656 (approx. £2,500).
Price and Specs:
Available at Ollech & Wajs.
Bulova Lunar Pilot
The Bulova Lunar Pilot is not an especially new watch, it has been around for many, many years. However, you simply must talk about it when discussing alternatives to the Moonwatch because not only is it an accessible tricompax chronograph with a monochrome display, but it’s also the ‘other moon watch’ because it also visited the moon – hence the name Lunar Pilot. That makes it conceptually the closest alternative to the Speedmaster out of any watch as it has the same achievements. Though there are some noticeable aesthetic differences such as the use of a tonneau case instead of a standard round one. It’s priced at £599 and uses a high precision quartz movement, which is a Bulova specialty.
Price and Specs:
Available at Bulova.
Tissot PR516 Chronograph Mechanical
With a lot of accessible tricompax chronographs you’re going to run the issue that the Omega Speedmaster is not the only legendary chronograph out there. The Rolex Daytona is another heavy weight and as such there are a lot of watches the pay as much tribute to the crown as the Moonwatch. Case in point the Tissot PR516, which on a technical level is a great affordable alternative to the Omega Speedmaster but that at the same time has elements that lean towards Daytona. Specifically the fact that the chronograph subdials have silver rings around them rather than being monocolour. However, look past that fact and you have a £1,720 automatic chronograph measuring 41mm and powered by the manual winding Valjoux calibre A05 with 68-hour power reserve.
Price and Specs:
Available at Tissot.
Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph
The Oris Divers Sixty-Five Chronograph takes a lot of the elements of the Speedmaster as we know them and reimagines them in the context of a dive style chronograph. It retains the monochrome black and white design with pump pushers but puts greater emphasis on legibility by featuring oversize lumed hour markers in the fashion of a dive watch. Similarly instead of a tachymeter, it retains the immersion timer, which in fairness can be useful as a 60-minute counter for the chronograph too. At a price of £3,400, the Oris is roughly half the price of the Moonwatch, making it a solid alternative if you like a dive watch slant to your chronographs.
Price and Specs:
Available at Oris.
Baltic Scalegraph Classic Reverse Panda
If you want the Speedmaster’s core recipe distilled through a vintage motorsport lens, the Baltic Tricompax Scalegraph Classic Reverse Panda is in with a shout. You have the essentials in place: a crisp tricompax layout, a brushed aluminium tachymeter bezel, and proper pump pushers, all delivered in a compact, wearable case that feels purpose built for timing laps. The monochrome reverse panda dial channels the Moonwatch’s high contrast clarity, while the flat link bracelet option nods to period correct style. Where it differs is in the details, with dauphine hands instead of batons, applied markers with a railroad minute track, and a slightly smaller diameter (despite being a little taller). It’s also a manual wind, just like the OG speedy. The price comes in at €1,645 (approx. £1,415) on a flat linked bracelet or beads of rice, or slightly less on light grey leather.
Price and Specs:
Available at Baltic.
Nezumi Voiture
Yet another vintage-style chrono, but this time with an edge of retro-futurism that gives off a space-age vibe, the Nezumi Voiture is worth a look. Its tricompax dial, tachymeter scale, and clean pump pushers tick the right boxes, and the 40 mm case has that balanced, go anywhere presence you want from a daily chronograph. The mecha quartz VK63 brings a satisfying sweep and snap back reset with bulletproof reliability, keeping service headaches at bay while keeping the costs down. Compared with the Moonwatch, the Voiture is slimmer and lighter on the wrist, and the sub dial arrangement includes a 24-hour register that enables even longer timing (perfect for those space missions). If you are after Speedmaster but aren’t afraid of something a little more unique, the Voiture is aggressively priced at €436 (approx. £381) on a five-link steel micro-adjustment bracelet.
Price and Specs:
Available at Nezumi.
Watch Dives version is superior to the Pagani in every way.
You forgot to mention an amazing version called the Pagani Moon Watch; it has the same design and is very beautiful. It may not be a well-known brand, but it’s much cheaper and has pretty good quality.