Omega's Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 makes you feel like you're on the moon

Many will remember the shock when the Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Dark Side of the Moon was first released in 2013. However, few could have predicted that this avant-garde model would become one of Omega's most timeless designs. Today, the Dark Side of the Moon has not only firmly established itself as a spin-off collection from the Speedmaster, but has also served as the basis for many groundbreaking designs and technical ideas. This time, we took the opportunity to try on the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8, released in 2018, and explore its appeal.

Released in 2018 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8

　2018 was a year in which Omega focused on its signature Seamaster diver's watch, and the return of the Dark Side of the Moon was particularly noteworthy. The Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 8 in 2018. The 1968 mission was the second manned American mission in human history, and is known for being the first to leave Earth's orbit and orbit the moon, safely returning to Earth. This also led to the first human landing on the moon by Apollo 11 the following year, earning the Omega Speedmaster worn on that mission the nickname "Moonwatch."

　Now, this model is the first to be equipped with the Caliber 1869, which is an openworked version of the Caliber 1861. To me, this watch was one of the most eye-catching in the Omega lineup of 2018, but after wearing it for two weeks, I realized that its distinctive skeleton processing was just the tip of the "beautiful iceberg."

Black ceramic case with two different finishes

　Let's start with the exterior. The case is 44mm in diameter and 13.8mm thick, crafted from jet-black zirconium oxide ceramic. The polished ceramic bezel features a tachymeter with a white scale and the word "TACHYMÈTRE" in yellow. This highlight color and speed-related features are also present on the dial and strap, a feature that ties back to the 1968 Speedmaster Racing. That's because the Speedmaster was originally developed as a racing watch long before it was used in space missions.

　The case, finished in a combination of polished and satin finishes, flows gracefully into the faceted lugs (though, like all ceramic cases, they're prone to fingerprints). The piston-shaped pushers are polished black and have rounded tops for comfortable operation. The chronograph is started and stopped using the pusher at 2 o'clock, but the pusher at 4 o'clock requires a bit of pressure to reset the yellow chronograph hand. Between them is a knurled, polished crown with an engraved Omega logo on the side. The crown is not screw-down.

Speedmaster: A minute scale reminiscent of racing

　Next, looking at the dial, we see that the polished central chronograph hand, the hands of the chronograph counters at 3 and 6 o'clock, and the tips of the applied indices are all yellow. Meanwhile, the small seconds hand at 9 o'clock is white burnished, and the hour and minute hands, hour indices, and tachymeter scale on the bezel are filled with white Super-LumiNova. The minute scale is located in a black ring between the indices, a detail reminiscent of the Speedmaster Racing.

　The slightly conical subdials are positioned over the beautifully openworked movement, resembling moons floating around the moon. The baseplate and bridges are laser-etched to create a three-dimensional representation of the lunar surface. Furthermore, this treatment is done in light gray on the dial side, matching the color of the moon's surface as seen from Earth. In contrast, the parts visible through the see-through back are dark gray, representing the "dark side" that only astronauts can see, hence the name of the model. Naturally, these lunar surface details are even more captivating when viewed through a magnifying glass.

　These details all add up to excellent legibility. The white indices and yellow chronograph hand are easy to read in any light. The small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock is also easy to see, allowing the user to check whether the hands are moving at a glance—an important feature in a manual-wound watch. However, the hour and minute hands are relatively thin, and at times they are somewhat obscured by other elements on the dial, which was somewhat surprising. I would have preferred if they were at least as wide as the indices. In other words, like other chronograph watches, this model is designed more as a stopwatch than a time display. This is evidenced by the luminous tachymeter scale, which allows you to measure time in the dark.