White-dialed Speedies exist of course—special Snoopy-themed models, limited editions, etc. But not a white, NASA-sanctioned space chronograph in steel. Back in 1957, when the Speedmaster was launched as a racing watch, it was given a black dial with luminescent hands and indices for maximum legibility. It stayed this way for years, and was approved for use by NASA in the 1960s. Now, Omega has flipped the script, ditching black white glossy lacquer and adding applied black indices and black hands, plus red dial text for the word “Speedmaster”—a nod to the “Alaska” project of 1969 that resulted in a white-dialed model never officially adopted for space use. (That unique timepiece had a red thermal shroud.)
Watch enthusiasts, as previously noted, lose their minds over tiny details—the red lettering in “Red” Submariners, for example, which are otherwise identical to ref. 1680s from the same production period; or the “Ultraman” Speedmaster, which is (largely) just a Speedmaster with an orange seconds hand. People pay big money for these slight differences and tweaks, and this new Moonwatch is designed with plenty of quirks that will make it highly desirable among collectors.
For now, the new white-dialed beauty—it’s quite good-looking, we must say—comes on the aforementioned five-link steel bracelet; or on a black, micro-perforated leather strap with red-and-white stitching; or, interestingly, on an anti-bacterial rubber strap with a moon surface pattern in positive relief on the underside. Otherwise, this is largely the current-gen Moonwatch we all know and love: hand-wound Omega Caliber 3861 movement; “Dot Over 90” tachymeter scale on a black, anodized aluminum bezel; 42mm diameter. Handsome and understated, it provides a welcome alternative to the standard Moonwatch without driving too far off the rails.
Which is exactly what watch nerds love.
