Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8: Malaysia Price and Review

Leong Wong 19 April 2018

Omega’s black beauty makes the eyes sparkle.

One of the most famous watches from Omega has to be the Moonwatch. It is the only watch that has constantly surpassed NASA’s rigorous testing process and is also the space agency’s watch of choice for their astronauts, something the Russians have also adopted. Since then, a variety of renditions has been produced.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 crew becoming the first humans to see the dark side of the moon, a previously mysterious plane to space observers. With that in mind, Omega unveied an incredible looking chronograph this year, the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8.

As the name implies, the case is entirely black and made from ceramic with a matching bezel to boot. The white Super-LumiNova scales and hour indexes offer a cool contrast to the ostensibly pitch-black tone of the watch that echoes the pioneering spirit of the Apollo 8.

That being said, the real charm of this Moonwatch doesn’t just lie with the all-black case but also the blackened movement seen via the skeletal dial with real image rendering of the moon surface on the bridges that go all the way to the caseback. The monotone aesthetics get a pop of colour via a yellow central seconds hand and chrono counter hands. Also in the bright hue are the words ‘Speedmaster’ and ‘Tachymetre’.

The watch is powered by the classic hand-wound Calibre 1861, which was also used in the original Moonwatch. For added nostalgia, the words: “We’ll see you on the other side”, uttered by Apollo 8 command module pilot James Arthur Lovell Jr, are engraved on the caseback.

Despite the multiple renditions of the Speedmaster Moonwatch over the years, it is pretty hard to find a flaw with this Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8. Its unique aesthetics and moon-inspired styling really make it out of this world, and a definite must-have for all space enthusiasts out there. The slimmer profile and all black design make for a comfortable wear that’s both versatile and eye-catching.