Twelve years after the first Dark Side of the Moon made ceramic cool in Speedmaster land, OMEGA has returned to the theme with a measured but meaningful refresh. The headline facts are clear. There are seven new references split across four distinct dials, each in a ceramic case that keeps the familiar 44.25 mm footprint while trimming the profile. The release year is 2025, and the materials story is resolutely high tech: polished and brushed ceramic for cases and dials, Liquidmetal for tachymeter scales and crowns on selected models, and plenty of laser work to create depth and texture.
Design is where the differences sharpen. OMEGA has developed a two-layer ceramic dial construction with laser-brushed finishing that plays with light in a way a single piece cannot. One all-black model goes even darker, pairing a laser sandblasted ceramic dial with diamond‑polished bevelled indexes filled with Super‑LumiNova and an enamel tachymeter. Another take revisits the original Dark Side formula but with finer proportions, a Liquidmetal tachymeter, and that new two‑plate dial architecture. The most tactile update is on the wrist: nylon straps now gain rubber lining for comfort, while the new rubber straps hide a lunar surface pattern on the underside, a small but clever nod to the watch’s origin story.
Movements are equally considered. The range introduces a slimmer manual-winding expression with the Black Edition Co‑Axial Master Chronometer 9908, identifiable by a full matte dial with grey and red transfers and a red central chronograph hand. Automatic fans get the Co‑Axial Master Chronometer 9900, which also appears in a blacked‑out “Black Edition” treatment with darkened components. The space historian’s piece is the Apollo 8 tribute, powered by the Co‑Axial Master Chronometer 3869. Here, OMEGA leans into narrative without resorting to gimmicks. The movement and dial reveal a laser‑ablated lunar surface, with the near side visible through a skeletonised grey dial and the far side appearing through the caseback, echoing Jim Lovell’s succinct verdict from Apollo 8 that the Moon is essentially grey. Across the board, Master Chronometer credentials, Co‑Axial escapements, and four years of development in ceramic finishing underpin the technical brief. Water resistance is not specified in the release.
Within OMEGA’s broader portfolio, this evolution sits exactly where it should. The classic hand‑wound Moonwatch remains the purist’s steel chronograph. The Dark and Grey Side family is the laboratory where OMEGA has long explored modern materials and space‑age surfaces. By keeping the 44.25 mm size and focusing on slimmer cases, sharper dials, and cohesive movements, OMEGA strengthens that identity rather than rewriting it.
Collectors will find plenty to parse. The manual 9908 brings a leaner profile and a cleaner dial that should appeal to those who like their chronographs tactile, with the winding ritual part of the charm. The enamel‑tached all‑black automatic is the stealth choice. The reworked “classic” Dark Side provides a familiar silhouette with noticeably finer detailing. And the Apollo 8 model will continue to polarise in the best way. The laser‑etched lunar scape is literal, yes, but it is executed with the sort of precision and layering ceramic affords, and its near‑side and far‑side storytelling is anchored to a real mission and real words.
OMEGA’s Raynald Aeschlimann calls this collection an embodiment of the brand’s pioneering spirit. Strip away the flourish and the takeaway holds. These new Speedmasters are not louder. They are cleaner, more coherent, and more technically confident, which is exactly how a modern ceramic Moon chronograph should evolve. Reference numbers and pricing are not provided in the press material, but the direction of travel is unmistakable.
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