Recognized as the most iconic chronograph on Earth, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch is now released with a white lacquered dial inspired by space exploration and the renowned heritage of the collection itself.
This new model has been eagerly awaited by Moonwatch fans since November 2023, when the first edition was seen on the wrist of brand ambassador Daniel Craig at the Planet Omega Exhibition in New York. The design has now been officially revealed and will be available for public sale.
The most distinctive feature of the watch is its rare white dial. When the original Speedmaster was created in 1957, one of the main goals of the designers was to produce a display that was easy to read and had excellent legibility. Consequently, the hands and indices were white on a black dial. In this new version, the opposite color palette achieves the same result. Omega not only produced this new white dial with black details and new applied indices, but the designers also added the Speedmaster name in red and gave the entire surface a glossy lacquered finish – this technique was first used on the stepped dial of the Moonwatch.
Why white? The main inspiration for this new look is the white and black colors of astronauts’ spacesuits, especially those used during extra-vehicular activities (EVA), such as spacewalks. This is an authentic connection, as the Speedmaster Moonwatch has been officially used by NASA astronauts since 1965 and is known as the first watch worn on the Moon. On the other hand, the red symbolizes the stripes seen on the suits since Apollo 13 in 1970 to indicate the commander’s position. There is yet another special reason for the use of white. In 1969, the brand created the ALASKA I prototype as part of a secret project with NASA to design the perfect space watch. After months of experiments, Omega chose a white dial because it provides a particularly effective thermal reflection coefficient. The red Speedmaster name on the new model is also a tribute to the red protective case that surrounded the original ALASKA I watch.
In addition to the white dial, the 42 mm stainless steel watch is presented on a comfortable vintage-inspired stainless steel bracelet with five arched links per row. A classic look with polished and brushed details. There are also two more versions available, including one with a black perforated leather strap with red and white stitching and another with an antibacterial rubber strap with a positive relief lunar surface pattern on the underside for added comfort and aesthetics. For Moonwatch fans, the black anodized aluminum bezel of each watch features the famous “Dot over Ninety” on the tachymeter scale; inside, the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 386 movement beats, the latest version of the legendary Calibre 321 that astronauts relied on the moon.
