My Ultimate Summer Watch Is The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda”
Am I suffering from heatstroke this Speedy Tuesday when I say that my ultimate summer watch is the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda”? I don’t know. Maybe I am. And maybe that’s why I think that when the bright July sun hits the Moonshine Gold Speedmaster, the noble alloy strikes me as Sunshine Gold. And the black rubber strap sure is another summery touch. You get my point? If you truly want to shine this summer, having something gold on your wrist is certainly the way to go. And if not in real life, then at least in a vacation daydream.
The softly shimmering Moonshine Gold case and dial light up gloriously when the sunlight hits them. And it’s the sharp contrast of the black sub-dials, Ceragold ceramic bezel, and black strap that adds luxurious power to the Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda”. I can’t help but think of the John Player Special-sponsored Lotus Formula 1 cars of yesteryear… Even better, a vintage “JPS” race car seen today with slightly faded gold markings caused by years of racing in full sunshine. But what truly transforms Moonshine Gold into Sunshine Gold is seeing the alloy worn on sun-kissed skin. Even the slightest hint of a tan brings out the sunny character of this particular Speedmaster’s noble alloy.
Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda”
This extremely posh yet informal Speedmaster — it’s a €30,400 gold watch, after all — is not a timepiece you want to hide under the cuff. The black rubber strap with its two vertical stripes is simply too sporty for that. It needs to be out in the open and play in the sun. When I strapped the gold Speedmaster on my wrist, the first word that sprung to mind was “vacation”.
By the way, the inside of the strap shows little Moon craters in positive relief. It sure is a nice decorative touch, and I’m trying to find out if the lunar surface also makes the wrist less sweaty in high temperatures. I will let you know the result of my little field test later on.
Lustrous and luxurious is the way to go
As I said, the Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda” is a lustrous, luxurious, high-end creation. This is the Speedmaster Professional ref. 310.62.42.50.99.001 featuring a solid gold step dial with a sunburst finish and black sub-dials. To ensure good readability, the Moonshine Gold hands and hour markers not only got filled with white Super-LumiNova, but they also received a black PVD treatment. All the elements combined paint a picture that breathes traditional luxury and oozes contemporary class at the same time. This is especially because Omega chose a black rubber strap instead of a traditional/safe black alligator strap. This model also marks the first time that Omega has fitted a rubber strap to a Moonwatch straight from the factory.
And what a good choice that was. This matte black strap tapers from 20 to 16mm, and it is soft and comfy on the wrist. Not to mention, it adds an unexpected and surprisingly fashionable touch to the proven Moonwatch concept. Putting a pin buckle in matching precious metal on this rubber strap could have worked, but Omega opted for a Moonshine Gold fold-over clasp instead. It does feel and look very luxurious and more appropriate than a pin buckle would.
A heartwarming watch
Yes, stating that this €30K watch is my favorite choice for summer is a bit outrageous. But it would look so good when combined with an early-morning cappuccino on a terrace in Positano. And it also wouldn’t look bad with your arm resting on the door of a 1961 Lancia Flaminia convertible while cruising through Tuscany. Hey, it’s a (day)dream watch, so I can have a coffee in my dream destination or while sitting at the steering wheel of a dream car.
But no matter where you take the watch, make sure there’s plenty of sunlight. It turns the soft, vintage-like hue of the Moonshine Gold into a warmer color tone. It’s not as strong as yellow gold and not as bold as rose gold, but it’s classy and luxurious in a soft-spoken way. Seeing the sunlight bounce off the polished-and-brushed case certainly warms the watch-loving heart.
The beach is off limits
I won’t take the watch to the beach or for a dip, although it is 50m water-resistant. I don’t want sand to mess up the case. And although I chose the watch with my heart, even in this fantasy article, I will also try and use my head to keep the watch from losing its luster due to sharp grains of sand. Sand messing up your sandwich is one thing, but sand scratching your gold watch is a completely different matter. What I will do, however, is have a negroni around 5 o’clock, take off the Sunshine Gold Moonwatch and enjoy a closer look at the Co-Axial Master Chronometer caliber 3861 that is visible through the sapphire case back. The rhodium-plated, manual-wind movement has received a special luxury finish befitting the upper echelons of the Speedmaster collection. It also operates at 21,600vph, has 26 jewels, and delivers 50 hours of power reserve, just in case you were wondering.
Easy on the eye and the wrist
And there are other little details that deserve a bit of attention too. While I’m sipping my negroni without a care in the world, with nothing else to do and nowhere to go, I might as well have a long and close look at the dial that reads “Au750”. You’ll find the ton-sur-ton marking between the black sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock. Au is the symbol for gold on the periodic table and 750 means 18K gold. If seeing that doesn’t give me a good boost, a second negroni certainly will.
And since we’re discovering the nice subtleties, the bezel features the famous dot over 90. All in all, this is 135 grams of golden, sunny Speedmaster goodness that is both easy on the eye and easy on the wrist. The modern 42mm case shape of the Moonwatch just sits so well, and the rubber strap makes the whole thing even more pleasurable.
Basking in the glowing warmth of a Speedmaster
Until a few days ago, I thought my summer watch of choice was my recently acquired MoonSwatch Mission on Earth. Man, was I wrong… Instead of a plastic-fantastic “Speedy”, my dream-come-true summer watch is, without a shadow of a doubt, the outrageously luxurious and hypnotizing Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonshine Gold “Panda”. That’s life for you. You think you are set, only to be caught off guard by something you didn’t see coming.
Am I going to be sad when I have to hand in this materialized ray of sunlight? I don’t want to worry about that just yet. Worries and summer don’t match. Instead, I’ll just be grateful that I had the chance to meet and wear this particular Moonwatch. I will just bask in the glowing warmth of the Speedmaster Professional Sunshine — sorry — Moonshine Gold “Panda” for as long as I can (with a bit of sweat underneath the rubber strap with its mostly decorative lunar surface, but nothing I can’t handle). And after that, I will continue to daydream about it. Ah, daydreaming… Another perfect way to spend a lazy, hot summer.
In case you’re wondering what Speedy you see in the background above, it’s the Speedmaster ref. DA 145.0022 Italy Special “Edizione 2” as featured in the book Magister: A Unique Andrea Foffi Speedmaster Selection. You also want to know what kind of shades you see lying around? That’s my pair of Ray-Ban Olympian II sunglasses, a most definite summer essential.
To see the entire Speedmaster lineup, including the gold “Panda”, check out the official Omega website.
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