Scottish Watches Podcast #809 : The New Omega Speedmaster Reduced Reborn Plus Czapek, Formex and More

August 28, 2026

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We’re only a few days away from Geneva Watch Days 2026. Still, somehow the watch industry has decided that this is the perfect time to dump a load of new releases on us, starting with Omega and the new generation of 38mm Speedmaster watches.

Click here to read along and see the photos in our show notes as you listen – http://www.scottishwatches.co.uk/2026/08/27/scottish-watches-podcast-809-the-new-omega-speedmaster-reduced-reborn-plus-czapek-formex-and-more/

We get properly stuck into those, from the return to a much more classic Moonwatch-inspired dial layout and the seven different configurations, to the excellent 38mm proportions and the rather less excellent 14.75mm thickness.

Czapek’s new Promenade Transparencies Aqua Blue features an incredibly intricate metallised sapphire dial, before moving into the latest Formex Essence, where an updated movement, 65-hour power reserve, COSC certification, screw-down crown, and that ridiculously clever micro-adjustable bracelet make this collection an even better proposition.

And that’s only the start. We also revisit Venezianico and the Nereide Opal Blue, with its lab-grown Japanese opal dial. Enjoy a live review of the latest Elliot Brown watches and their deliberately colourful departure from the brand’s traditional tool-watch aesthetic. Then we take a rather more critical look at Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe 70th Anniversary, asking whether it can really justify an $18,000 price tag when there are so many alternatives out there.

We also answer one of your listener questions: what watch would you take to a desert island? And, we hear from listener Ben about what it’s actually like to attend Geneva Watch Days and British Watchmakers Day as a collector rather than as media.

Omega Speedmaster 38Previous generation 38mm Speedmaster with oval subregisters.Rolex Deepsea James Cameron.Czapek x Fratello Promenade Transparencies Viridian Green 1706.Czapek Promenade Transparencies Aqua BlueCzapek Promenade Goutte D’eau.Horage Autark Tourbillon BubblesARIA Automatic Manufacture Chronometer 40 mmUpdated Essence 39 collection (Blue, White, and Bronze dials) featuring the upgraded case, bracelet, and Sellita SW200-2 Power+ movement.Straum Jan Mayen Arctic Blue. Straum Frozen Metal Titanium Fears Brunswick 40 ‘Helmsman’ ESESSENCE FortyOne Automatic Chronometer MalachiteCitizen Attesa CC4107-80H Omega Seamaster 300.BREITLING EMERGENCYNereide Opale Blu – Limited EditionRedentore Bellanotte – 1221575