It’s back to normal lunar watch programming today. Omega starts the year with two new Speedmasters with an updated manually-wound movement powering a new feature – a double moonphase, on a new Speedy dial made from meteorite.

The new chronographs have an asymmetrical 43mm case with a thickness of 13.6mm, a mix of polished and brushed finishing, and water resistance of 50m. The new model has three recessed sub dials – 12-hour and 60-minute chronograph counters at 3 o’clock, a small second with a pointer date at 9 o’clock, and the moon phase indication at 6 o’clock. This new moon phase has two cabochon moons made from pieces of lunar meteorites, representing the northern and southern hemispheres, with the stars in the background positioned exactly as they were on the night that Apollo 11 reached the Moon in 1969, as seen from Biel. The two moons are made from shaped, polished and domed lunar meteorite.

As in the name indicates, the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite models feature dials with Widmanstätten-patterned meteorite. This type of meteorite dial has become familiar, but there’s an additional layer of familiarity here – remember the Bulova Lunar Pilot Meteorite Chronograph?

The first of the new Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite models has a galvanic grey-coated meteorite plate, with a polished blue ceramic bezel with white enamel tachymetre scale. The hands and hour markers are 18k white gold with a blue PVD coating and the hands on the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock sub dials are also in 18k white gold.

The other variant has a black-coated meteorite dial plate with a polished black ceramic bezel ring with white enamel tachymetre scale, 18k white gold hands and hour markers, and 18k white gold hands on the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock sub dials.

Both variants have Super-LumiNova on the hands and markers.

Powering them is Omega’s new Master Chronometer certified manually-wound Calibre 9914 which beats at 28,800 VPH a power reserve of 60 hours. Finishing-wise, it features arabesque waves, rhodium-plated bridges, and red-varnished engravings.

The new Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite comes on a polished and brushed stainless steel “Nixon” bracelet which has Omega’s easy-adjustment system with an Australian RRP of $28,400 but you can also buy a NATO-style strap, which is more comfortable in hot weather, if you wish.

[Photo credit: Omega]

Categories: chronograph, Omega, Watch Profile, watches

Tags: moonphase