Omega debuts 4 new, slimmer “Side of the Moon” Speedmaster models in black and grey
Zach BlassHouston, we have four new Omega Speedmaster watches to take a closer look at! The three Dark Side of the Moon models may initially look familiar, with (for lack of a better phrase) dark-white, dark-dark, and dark-red variants, but the new Grey Side of the Moon will certainly stand out. However, all four include notable evolutions and refinements. Let’s run through it all.
Everybody knows the Speedmaster. Usually, that would be quite presumptuous to say, and, of course, there are individuals who have yet to discover the iconic chronograph, but in a post-MoonSwatch world, its decades-long history with NASA and space expeditions, and a long fan-favourite of watch collectors, it is safe to say it is one of the most recognisable watches in the world. But, then again, the Speedmaster collection is so expansive. The most familiar model is the Professional Moonwatch, but there are now over 20 configurations in this segment. And, for the overall Speedmaster range, when you consider its Heritage segment, Speedmaster 38 segment, Two Counters segment, and more, there are over 100 variants to explore on the Omega website.
So, with so many options to choose from, it is forgivable not to be familiar with each and every reference. One segment, one of the most favoured beyond the OG Moonwatch, is the Dark Side of the Moon range that began twelve years ago in 2013 – a significant moment which brought forth the first-ever Speedmaster in a full ceramic case. The Dark Side of the Moon has since grown from a single model to a full-blown sub-segment with many “side of the moon” configurations. Today, however, this range evolves further with, as I mentioned before, three new Dark Side of the Moon models and one new Grey Side of the Moon model. But let’s first start with the Dark Side of the Moon trio.
The new Dark Side of the Moon 2025 collection
All of the Dark Side of the Moon models are executed in 50-metre water-resistant black ceramic cases, though with slightly different finishes, and still measure 44.25mm in diameter, but with a .2mm more lug-to-lug span of 50mm. Where the cases for these watches have most notably evolved, however, is in regard to their thickness.
The two automatic variants, the all black dark-dark and the dark-white, are now a little over a millimetre thinner, measuring 15.09mm thick.
I refer to the reworked version of the original Dark Side of the Moon as the dark-white due to the fact that the Liquidmetal tachymetre scale, lume, and the majority of the dial text are white in hue.
The second automatic, the dark-dark, as its name suggests, has all of these elements in a more black hue. While that may all feel familiar, the dials are not 1:1 the same as they now feature a more vintage-flavoured pie pan-like architecture – the centre of the dial raised with an upper plate and then sloping down at the outer extremities. The dark-white has a new two-plate ceramic dial construction with laser-brushed finishing.
The dark-dark has a slightly brighter black dial that incorporates laser sandblasting. Both dials have dial-matching date complications at the 6 o’clock position, and chronograph counters at the 9 and 3 o’clock positions – with the left counter conveying the small seconds and the right counter relaying both the elapsed hours and minutes of the chronograph, with two sub-hands strategically nestled within the one counter.
There has been internal evolution for these watches as well, jumping from the calibre 9300 to the 9900, which results in these two more familiar configurations being METAS Master Chronometer certified for the first time. It is otherwise structurally the same, still utilising a column-wheel architecture and still affording 60 hours of power reserve. However, it is worth noting that the all-black version, compared to its predecessor, now features movement decorated with darkened bridges to better match the all-black vibe.
To close out the new Dark Side of the Moon trilogy, we have the dark-red variant, which has a dial that merges elements of the dark-white and all-black together. Its dial is a darker black, like the dark-white, and has the pop of red too, but it has the sandblasted finish on its upper plate like the dark-dark and the blackened hands and lume as well.
The real departure from the previous pair, however, is that it utilises the manually-wound METAS Master Chronometer 9908 calibre, and, in turn, is more than 2mm thinner, measuring just 13.02mm thick. The 9908 is also a 60-hour calibre, and, to better match the predominantly dark aesthetic of the watch, the calibre has been given a blackened finish as well.
All three models can be purchased on a new black rubber strap that introduces a new lunar surface texture to the underside, but the two automatics have the distinct second option of being offered on a black nylon strap as well. Both of these straps are secured to the wrist via a case-matching folding clasp.
| Brand | Omega |
| Model | Dark Side of the Moon |
| Case Dimensions | Automatic: 44.25mm (D) x 15.09mm (T) x 50mm (LTL) Manual-wind: 44.25mm (D) x 13.02mm (T) x 50mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Black ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Black |
| Strap | Black rubber strap, case-matching folding clasp Black nylon strap, case-matching folding clasp |
| Movement | Automatic: 9900, in-house, Co-Axial automatic Manual-wind: 9908, in-house, Co-Axial manual-wind |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$15,700 (Dark-White) US$16,100 (Dark-Red, Dark-Dark) |
A new Grey Side of the Moon Apollo 8
Fans of the Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 watch will be happy to see this new Grey Side of the Moon model. It is also an Apollo 8 tribute, using Jim Lovell’s historic observation during Apollo 8 that “the Moon is essentially grey” as a muse for its grey-grey look. Like the Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8, this watch also has a laser-ablated lunar surface motif on the surface of the front and back of the movement. The near side of the Moon appears between the skeletonised grey dial, while the far side of the Moon emerges through the caseback.
This new Grey Side of the Moon model and its grey ceramic case share the same 44.25mm diameter and 50mm lug-to-lug span as the new Dark Side of the Moon models, but it is the thinnest of the four with a 12.97mm thickness. This is due to the fact that it utilises the METAS Master Chronometer calibre 3869, the same 50-hour manually-wound movement found in the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch.
This results in the dial, compared to the Dark Side of the Moon models, having no date complication and, instead, three dedicated counters that indicate the small seconds, elapsed hours, and elapsed minutes from left to right. It also means that the new Grey Side of the Moon does not have the time-zone adjustment function the new Dark Side of the Moon models have with their 9-series calibres, which allows you to independently adjust the hours hand without interrupting the timekeeping of the movement.
In terms of the strap options for this new Grey Side of the Moon watch, you can select either a grey rubber strap with the new lunar surface motif underside, or a grey nylon strap, both of which are secured to the wrist with a case-matching folding clasp.
| Brand | Omega |
| Model | Grey Side of the Moon Apollo 8 |
| Case Dimensions | 44.25mm (D) x 12.97mm (T) x 50mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grey ceramic |
| Water Resistance | 50 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Grey, skeletonised |
| Strap | Grey rubber strap, case-matching folding clasp Grey nylon strap, case-matching folding clasp |
| Movement | Calibre 3869, in-house, Co-Axial automatic |
| Power Reserve | 50 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$16,400 |
The verdict
Ultimately, half of this new collection, the two black ceramic automatics, is more about subtle refinements with significant impact – like finally making the original Dark Side of the Moon design METAS-certified for the first time in its twelve-year history.
The manually-wound dark-red variant of the Dark Side of the Moon importantly offers a manually-wound evolution that offers the same sense of modernity with its black ceramic case and largely black dial, but in a much thinner case, and the Grey Side of the Moon Apollo 8 watch simply brings new colour to a design that many enjoy due to its lunar surface laser ablation.
Between all of the variants, I think my pick would have to be the dark-red manually-wound Dark Side of the Moon as I had the pleasure of wearing the original Dark Side of the Moon design while visiting NASA with Omega in Houston, and I personally loved how it looked but would be more than happy to trade self-winding for a case that is a few millimetres thinner.