Omega Dark Side of the Moon Watches

Omega Dark Side of the Moon Review

Omega has been around since 1842, when Louis Brandt founded the watch company in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The company was then known as La Generale Watch Co. It was this company that produced the first Omega watches. In the year 1903, the board of La Generale Watch Co decided to let Omega roll out as a brand on its own.

More than a century later, Omega is still here. Not only is Omega thriving as a watch company, but it has proven itself a force to reckon with in the timepiece curating industry. Over the years that Omega has been in existence, the Swiss watch giant has achieved many firsts. Among such firsts are becoming the official watch of NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency) and producing the first watch on the moon.

History of the Dark Side of the Moon Watch Collection

Before Buzz Aldrin – wearing an Omega Speedmaster watch – and Neil Armstrong historically landed on the moon in 1969, the Apollo 8 flight made history as the first mission to take humans to the moon and back. The Apollo 8 trip was not as popular as the historic Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, but it was the precursor event that paved the way for its success.

During the seven-day Apollo 8 space voyage, the three-men astronaut crew became the first humans to travel to the moon and back and see the dark side of the moon. This dark side of the moon is a metaphoric phrase that refers to the moon's unseen, far side that faces away from the earth, rather than an absence of light on this side of the moon. The crew on the Apollo 8 were the first set of people to see this side of the moon directly, and to date, no human has set foot on it.

Inspired by this revolutionary space mission and intrigued by the mysteriousness of the dark side of the moon, Omega created a collection of watches dedicated to it. The Swiss watch giants introduced the first member of the Dark Side of the Moon collection at the Baselworld watches and jewelry show in 2013. Since the inception of this collection, Omega has added several other timepieces to it.

What is Special about the Dark Side of the Moon Watch Collection

Honestly, everything about the wristwatches on the Dark Side of the Moon collection is remarkable. Firstly, this collection comes with its pedigree. It's the modern upgrade of the moonwatch (the Speedmaster professional). It takes a cue from the first watch on the moon in design but classes itself in terms of the material and technology advancement.

Omega decided to use ceramic for the cases of watches in this collection as opposed to stainless steel, which is the widely used material for most of its other designs. Zirconium oxide is used in treating the ceramic used in making the case.  The use of Zirconium oxide is ingenious. Not only does it make the casing stronger and durable, but it also makes it scratch-resistant and capable of withstanding corrosion and radiation.

From a design point of view, only a few other watches can stand toe-to-toe with the Dark Side of the Moon collection. Omega pulled out the big guns with the technology used in the processing and designing this collection. Omega did a wonderful job with combining the brushed and polished surfaces, creating a stylish collection of watches.

The movement system used for the watches on the Dark Side of the Moon collection is also special. Omega designed the in-house manufactured 9300 caliber system on which the watches on this collection runs. This movement system was specially designed with accuracy, precision, and quality in mind. It is an automatic winding system with chronometers licensed by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). It employs 54 jewels, 28,800 vibrations per hour, and a Silicon Si14 hairspring to ensure that accuracy is upheld. Although variations of this system exist, it generally has a power reserve of about 60 hours. Finally, the movement system features a date window at six o'clock.

Description of the Dark Side of the Moon Collection

Although variations exist, most of the watches in the Dark Side of the Moon collection have a diameter of 42.25 mm. Both the case and bezel of the watches in this collection are made from ceramic. The glass covering of the cases is made from scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystals.  Generally, all the dials are black, and they feature an index indicator instead of Arabic numerals.

Features of watches on this collection include tachymeter, chronometer, and water resistance. These features vary from watch to watch.

Prices of Watches in the Dark Side of the Moon Collection

The Dark Side of the Moon collection currently has several members. Below is a list of some of the watches in this collection, their serial numbers, and the prices available at the Exquisite Timepieces store in Naples or website.

• Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Diamonds Bezel (311.98.44.51.51.001) for $ 25,200.
• Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon (92.44.51.01.007) for $ 12,000.
• Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Chronograph 44.25mm (311.92.44.51.01.003) for $ 12,000.
• Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Chronograph 44.25mm (311.92.44.51.01.006) for $ 12,000.
• Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Chronograph 44.25mm (311.92.44.51.01.005) for $ 12,000.
• Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Chronograph 44.25mm (311.92.44.51.01.004) for $ 12,000.
• Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Co-Axial Chronograph 44.25mm (311.63.44.51.06.001) for $ 15,000.