It defies the law of attraction.
One can hardly believe that it has been 55 years since Apollo 8 became the first manned aircraft to orbit the Moon. To mark the 50th Anniversary of that historic event, Omega decided to launch the Speedmaster Dark Side of The Moon Apollo 8 in 2018, to mark the auspicious occasion, an all-black (of course) with a black ceramic case with white SuperLuminova markers and yellow hands; the dial itself is a work of art, it has a partial open-dial revealing the parts of the movements below. It was a thing of beauty. Especially to those who harbour a penchant for black, then never had a Moonwatch look so good!
January this year, once again Omega revealed another edition of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8, and we are in for another round of treats. The mood of the new Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 is very similar to the 2018 edition, but several visual and technical elements in the latest edition are different. It’s sexier, more decorated and very enticing.
Let’s face it, the first thing we notice while looking at a watch is the look of the dial. Yes, we are shallow that way. The dial in this instance, is partially opened between 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock, revealing the components below the black anodised aluminium dial, which is a work of art on its own. It has a life-like laser-ablation rendition of the cratered surface and terrain of the moon. It’s not just on the dial itself, as we shall discuss later—just fascinating.
The white SuperLuminova-coated hour markers and seconds indices sit on the outer flange. The chronometer hands are in bright yellow and a micro model of the Grade 5 Titanium NASA’s Saturn V rocket formed by laser-turning as a continuous seconds indicator, showing off the refined craftsmanship of the Maison. The sporty modern anodised hour and minute second hands coated with SuperLuminova with the varnished bright yellow chrono hands sit centrally. A polished black ceramic bezel framing it, marked with bright white “Grand Feu” enamel filling the tachymeter scale. The entire aesthetics, though changes are small from the 2018 edition, enough to take the space-mad and sci-fi fanatic in us to another level of emotional journey to the Moon with the latest Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8.
Within the 44.25mm black ceramic case is the Co-Axial escapement Calibre 3689, based on the Calibre 1869, several things make it a rather desirable watch also for watch enthusiasts and collectors alike the movement is hand-wound with 48 hours of power reserve. To live up to its name, components are blackened, black gold coated, and decorated, as mentioned earlier, not only is the dial decorated with a rendition of the surface of the moon, but the main plate and bridges of the movement are also given the same laser-ablation treatment as the dial, adding more details and decorations. The ceramic caseback is engraved with the inscription “WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE” uttered by Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell just before the craft disappeared over the far side of the Moon as the radio contact was cut off, it framed a sapphire crystal back that shows of the technically advance calibre with balance wheel which can resist up to 15,000 gauss/15 Milgauss magnetic field, and it carries a certification approved by METAS
This is one wristwatch that lives up to our childhood-to-manhood dreams every inch. If you need to think about getting your hands on one, then it’s too late. Grab it while you can it won’t sit in the display case for much longer.
