Hands-on with the Omega Speedmaster Lunar Dust

We were all so excited with the idea of the re-edition of the Seamaster 300 that we actually didn’t expect a new version of the Speedmaster in Baselworld 2014. Last year, Omega went the extra mile: playing the vintage card with the Seamaster 300 and the Speedmaster Mark II or being innovative with the introduction the first fully antimagnetic movement and the spreading of the co-axial escapement to all collections. New materials are also in the current scope: after the introduction of a full black ceramic Speedmaster last year, the Dark Side of the Moon, this year Omega presents a grey version, again with a ceramic case, which is called the Lunar Dust.

Monochromatic watches have been one of the major trends in the watchmaking industry in recent years, especially with the use of black DLC coated cases, with sometimes “questionable” results. Although we’re not the biggest fans of full black watches, we have to admit that Omega’s proposition on the Speedmaster was interesting. First of all, the colour scheme works great on the Dark Side of the Moon, and the concept of a ceramic watch has been pushed to the extreme: the case, crown, pushers, case-back, buckle and even the dial are made of that same material. And the new interpretation, a “declination of grey”, is an interesting alternative for those who want a brighter colour.

The Lunar Dust shares its 44.25 mm case and technical specifications with the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon. The case is made from a solid block of white ceramic that is treated with a plasma technology. We are not talking about a surface coating, but a treatment that tints the entire ceramic. If you cut the case in half, you’ll see that the grey tone is through and through. That means: no risk of fading colours or to see some white after the case has been scratched (something that will probably never happen, because ceramic is close to be scratch-proof). On the photo bellow, you can see the different steps of manufacturing.

The colour obtained is a metallic grey, darker than stainless steel or titanium, reminding us of the colour of a moon stone. The difference between the entire black ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, and the new ‘Lunar Dust’, is that the dial on the latter is made of a solid piece of platinum that is finely textured and is a bit iridescent. The bezel, crown, pushers, case-back and pin buckle on both models are made in ceramics. The hands and indexes, with the classical Speedmaster Professional design, are black coloured and filed with super-luminova. Even the engraved tachymeter on the  bezel is filled with super-luminova.

Omega Speedmaster Lunar Dust – calibre 9300

The Omega Speedmaster Lunar Dust features Omega’s in-house calibre 9300, a self-winding movement that is also used in the Moonwatch Chronograph and the Seamaster Planet Ocean Chronograph that we reviewed for you here. It features:

• an integrated chronograph function (meaning that all the levers and gears are no module on top of a base movement, but are fully integrated in the movement’s construction)
• a silicon balance spring that is antimagnetic
• the co-axial escapement that allows very good chronometric performance and the COSC certification
• two main spring barrels that deliver more than 60 hours of power reserve
• a column wheel and a vertical clutch system to engage the chronograph

The movement, visible through the case-back with a boxed sapphire crystal, is finished with elegant arabesque Geneva waves. As the IWC Portuguese Chronograph Classic we reviewed a few weeks ago, it’s a two-register chronograph that indicates the elapsed minutes and hours in a single sub-dial. It’s not very good visible on these photos, but there are two hands (one for the elapsed hours, one for the elapsed minutes) in the sub dial at 3 o’clock.

This movement has not yet benefited of the antimagnetic technologies, like used in 8 new Master C-Axial calibres, that are able to resist to magnetic fields up to 15.000 Gauss.

The Omega Speedmaster Lunar Dust comes with a matching grey alligator strap. The case is larger than the classical Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional, as it measures 44.25 mm vs. 42 mm for the older iconic version, but has the exact same design. On the wrist however, it wears smaller than expected, probably due to the short lugs. It also feels very light, and that’s due to the use of ceramics. The grey case, dial and strap create a very nice monochromatic, and original, colour scheme. The Lunar Dust makes a great alternative to the all black Dark Side of the Moon; what is your favourite?

The Omega Speedmaster Lunar Dust will be available at the end of the year for a price of CHF 10.500 before taxes, approximately CHF 500 more than the black version.

More information on omegawatches.com