Introducing: The New Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite Watches!
It’s a tradition! A new Omega Speedmaster comes on a (Speedy) Tuesday, and today, we even get two. Meet the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite models, one with a black meteorite dial and another with a gray meteorite dial.
Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite
Omega had a wonderful 2024 with great new Speedmaster releases, and the new year starts with something special! Here, we have a 43mm stainless steel Speedmaster with a moonphase indicator and both Northern and Southern Hemisphere moons.
The main dial is a slab of iron meteorite, and the two moons in the 6 o’clock sub-dial are made of lunar meteorite. We saw the latter before on the case back of the 2019 Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary edition in 18K yellow (Moonshine) gold.
Speedmaster Professional ref. 345.0809, ca. 1985
Moonwatches with moonphase complications
This is not the first time Omega has created a Speedmaster with a moonphase indicator. Back in 1985, the brand introduced a Moonwatch with this complication, also referred to as the “SpeedyMoon.” At the time, Omega used its caliber 861 as a base and added a moonphase (and date) complication on top, resulting in caliber 866. Then, in 2016, Omega created a Speedmaster Moonphase using the 44.25mm case also used for the caliber-9300-powered models. However, for those 44.25mm Moonphase watches, Omega used its in-house-developed caliber 9904.
The brand-new Omega 9914 movement
Today, Omega spices up the Speedmaster collection with two new Moonphase models featuring meteorite dials and the brand-new 9914 movement. This hand-wound caliber with a special finish meets all the Master Chronometer requirements. A manual-winding movement fits the Speedmaster legacy perfectly, and it takes some millimeters off the watch’s total thickness (now 13.6mm). Interestingly, after going through the coverage of the Speedmaster Moonphase models released between 2016 and 2018, I noticed that there was not a single word on the thickness of those watches. Apparently, nobody cared back then, but they used to be a towering 16.9mm. The lug-to-lug of this new 43mm Speedmaster is 48.60mm, so it’s 1.1mm longer than the regular Speedmaster Professional.
Black or gray/blue
But first things first! The new 43mm Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite model comes in two flavors. There’s the version with a black meteorite dial, a black bezel insert, silver hands, and a black moonphase disc. Then, there’s the version with a gray meteorite dial and a blue bezel insert, sub-dials, and hands.
The latter gives off a Silver Snoopy Award 50th Anniversary vibe when you squint your eyes. As written in the introduction, the moons are made of lunar meteorites, and the starry sky is a reproduction of the one seen (from Biel) on the night of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.
The black version (ref. 304.30.43.52.01.001) has a black PVD-coated meteorite dial with 18K white gold hands and hour markers. The blue version (ref. 304.30.43.52.06.001) has a galvanic gray-coated meteorite dial on a blue PVD-coated base. We also find 18K gold hands here, but these have been treated with a blue PVD coating. Both watches have a ceramic bezel insert with a white enamel tachymeter scale.
Caliber 9914
Inside these two references ticks Omega’s in-house-developed caliber 9914. This is a new hand-wound movement, ticking at 28,800vph and having a power reserve of 60 hours. Of course, it’s a Master Chronometer and certified as such by METAS. This means it is accurate to 0/+5 seconds per day on average and antimagnetic to 15,000 gauss.
The chronograph utilizes a column-wheel mechanism, and then there’s the Co-Axial escapement invented by George Daniels. Like all other Omega 9xxx movements, the sub-dial at 3 o’clock has the minute and hour hands. For this new Speedmaster model, there’s an additional sub-dial at 6 o’clock for lunar phases in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Finally, in the sub-dial at 9 o’clock, we find the running seconds and the date indicator.
This caliber 9914 is decorated with Geneva waves in Arabesque, rhodium-plated bridges, and red-varnished engravings, as well as a blackened balance wheel, screws, and barrels. All this is visible through the sapphire window on the back.
Nixon bracelet
The Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite comes on the stainless steel “Nixon” bracelet, which has both brushed and polished links (Omega’s fully brushed bracelet is kept exclusively for the Moonwatch with a Hesalite crystal). The folding clasp has Omega’s easy-adjustment system inside, allowing you to extend the bracelet when your wrist needs it.
Lunar meteorite
Omega’s latest Speedmaster is packed with details, but my favorite ones are the moon cabochons made of lunar meteorite. A meteorite dial is not new to Omega, and you can find one in several previous Speedmaster models, including the Dark Side of the Moon and the Apollo-Soyuz edition with the Moonwatch case.
Speedmaster Apollo-Soyuz from 2010
In addition to the lunar meteorite cabochons, there’s the starry sky based on the one that could be witnessed on July 21st, 1969, in Biel, Omega’s home since 1882. Combining these elements makes perfect sense in a Speedmaster due to its strong connection to lunar exploration in the 1960s and 1970s.
You might feel a little disappointed if you expected a resurrection of the Omega “SpeedyMoon” with a caliber 3866 for its moonphase and calendar complications. With this new 43mm Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite, Omega is probably aiming at a slightly different, less puristic “Moonwatch” audience.
The meteorite dial, the beautiful moon cabochons, and the hand-wound caliber 9914 with 60 hours of power reserve and beautiful decoration all add to a beautiful modern chronograph with many nods to the Moon story. I slightly prefer the black-dial version as the other one has too many Snoopy 50th Anniversary vibes for me. On the other hand, there’s something special about gray meteorites. Usually, I prefer meteorite dials in this gray shade.
In some of the images, the hands of the black-dial version appear black, but, as you can see above, they are polished white gold and absorb the light when taking a picture from the front.
Pricing
The new Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite retails for €19,000 (including VAT) / US$17,100 (without tax) / CHF 15,000 (without tax). You can find all the specifications for these watches below this article or on the official Omega website.
Let us know your thoughts on the new Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite in the comments below!
*A big thank you to ND_Graphy for taking care of the images.
