Continuing the saga of the iconic Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch in Zirconium Oxide Ceramic, the Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' or 'Grey Side of the Moon' was released at Baselworld 2014 as a successor to the highly coveted Speedmaster 'Dark Side of the Moon' released the previous year. The 'Grey Side of the Moon' just like the 'Dark Side of the Moon' is fitted with a Zirconium Oxide and Zirconium Carbide — ZrO2/ZrC— ceramic case measuring 44.25 mm in diameter and fitted with a gorgeous grey alligator strap with grey rubber applique on the perforated section, red contrast stitching on the back lining and a matching ceramic pin buckle.
The unique grey brownish color of the Speedmaster 'Grey Side of the Moon' resembles the color of the image reflected on Neil Armstrong's helmet visor as he walked on the lunar surface in 1969. The unique color of this ceramic case is the result of a complex reactive plasma process where the originally white ceramic case becomes oxidized during this process, acquiring a never before seen color in the watch industry. To be clear, this ceramic case is not color coated but fully transformed in its entirety —via a chemical reaction— and as you will see in one of the following pictures, even the core of the case is the same color as the exterior. The ceramic case on this watch is extremely light —total weight of the watch is only 91 grams— and very nicely finished.
This new Omega Co-Axial Chronograph Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' a.k.a 'Grey Side of the Moon' redefines one more time the iconic design of the Moonwatch and its name evokes the mysteriousness and allure of space in a flawless way. This beautiful and extremely hard case features satin brushed finished areas that alternate and contrast against the highly polished edges on the top of the case, lugs, bezel profile, back of the case, pushers and the crown. The top of the bezel with its laser engraved tachymetric scale is also satin brushed finished.
As if creating such a unique colored case wasn't enough of a challenge, Omega added another fascinating element to the design of this watch by filling the laser engraved numbers on the tachymetric scale of the bezel with ultra bright superluminova. Additionally, the laser engraved Omega symbol on the crown is also filled with superluminova. Talk about attention to detail. The superluminova is so bright that we had no problem at all in capturing the images by barely exposing the watch to a little bit of darkness under the desk we used to review this exceptional timepiece.
The Omega Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' a.k.a 'Grey Side of the Moon' is fitted with a very unique dial made of solid platinum with a beautiful shimmery look that resembles the dust on the moon's surface —hence its name being 'Lunar Dust' a.k.a 'Grey Side of the Moon'. The dial features a minuscule 'Pt950' light engraving right above the central hands pinion, a running seconds register at 9, a co-axial hour-minutes chrono register at 3, a date aperture at 6 o'clock and a seconds chrono hand featuring a perfectly contrasting red tip that matches the red 'Speedmaster' imprint on the dial. The dial also features rectangular raised applied markers with superluminova as well as a black minute rail track. The hands and markers match the color of the case perfectly.
The strap is very nicely finished and its muted grey color makes the watch a perfect candidate to match any outfit. The pin buckle is made of the same type and color of ceramic as the case and laser engraved with the Omega logo. One interesting feature about the strap, is that the second keeper is fitted with a small black rubber rectangle on its interior to secure the keeper against the perforations on the strap.
The new Omega Co-Axial Chronograph Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' a.k.a 'Grey Side of the Moon' features a display case back just like all the other moonwatches in this particular collection. The case back ring features a laser engraving with the words 'Lunar Dust', the water resistance information —50m/167 ft— and the chemical formula for the case and bezel —ZrO2/ZrC. The in-house automatic Omega caliber 9300 with a power reserve of 60 hours is fully visible via the display case back fitted with a domed sapphire crystal that tends to look more like a plexiglass.
On the wrist, this new Speedmaster 'Lunar Dust' wears as comfortably as all other 44.25 mm Speedmasters and perhaps a little nicer as it is extremely light. When compared to the 'Dark Side of the Moon', the watch seems to wear larger due to its light color scheme. After working on this meticulous review, all we can say is that we can't wait for this new watch to hit the Omega boutique network and get our hands on one. Without a doubt, our favorite Omega release from Baselworld 2014.
Sticker Price To Be Finally Confirmed but from what we were told, it will be priced slightly above $12,000 USD —price for the 'Dark Side of the Moon'— due to its platinum dial. For more info on Omega click here.
