ReviewIn Depth Review of the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Co-Axial Master Chronometer

Omega Speedmasters, popularly known as the moonwatches, have got so famous with the high-decibel marketing campaigns which Omega relentlessly engages in, that almost every watch lover now knows that they are the ones worn by the astronauts and have been many times to outer space in all the famous missions, so far. In fact, not even a month ago, as a part of the 60^th anniversary celebrations of the Speedmaster, Omega got together two of its most famous ambassadors- actor George Clooney and the original moonwalker Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin under one roof in London in an event themed “Lost In Space” to further reinforce Speedmaster as the ultimate choice to people looking for a well-proportioned, technically sound, legacy product.

The Speedmaster franchise for Omega has grown so big that it can be actually called a brand, many times bigger than many famous luxury brands in the market. And with the revenues, has also grown the number of models within the Speedmaster family. The one I am reviewing today is a 2016 launch- Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph 44.25mm.

Decoding the watch (And the name):

Going by the number of words in the name of the product- on one hand, is slightly confusing and on the other, reassuring to the buyer that a lot has gone in the watch. Let’s try and understand the watch a bit better. It all started on the wintry morning of January 24, 2007, in Geneva, when Omega launched its own Omega Co-axial movements Calibres 8500 and 8501, though not fitted in the Speedmaster models at that time. I was lucky to have been present on that occasion.

It was in 2011 that Omega Speedmasters got their first in-house movement in Calibre 9300. Eventually they got replaced by the more advanced 9900 series which uses non-ferrous metal parts for key components, making the watches more resistant to magnetic fields. This is where the watch earns its stripes as a Master Chronometer. In short, it is a highly accurate watch certified under stringent conditions by the rating agency, METAS.

The case & 2 sub-dial options:

The reference number 304.33.44.52.03.001 is in steel, on a blue leather strap. One can also get this same watch in a more classic looking black dial also on a strap, or on a more traditional steel metal bracelet. The watch comes in a 44.25mm wide case. It is also quite thick at 16mm, due to its sandwich-style case construction, and comes in different widths for the bezel, case middle, and case-back. In spite of the bulk, the case is overall comfortable to wear and looks good on the wrist, when worn.

It is but natural that the quality of moonphase mechanism of the moonwatch needs to be special. And so it is with its distinctive look. The sun-brushed dial, ceramic bezel and a leather strap, all in brilliant blue make the watch look very ‘identifiably’ beautiful.

A special Moonphase indicator:

There hasn’t been a more realistic representation of the moon on a dial ever. The image of the moon is as detailed as a NASA photograph, due to its sharp look in contrasting black and white. What also makes these new Speedmasters stunning are the symmetrical twin sub-dials, instead of the three sub-dials look of the past. The left subdial has hands for both the date as well as the running seconds. The right sub-dial is used to measure the chronograph minutes and hours while the central hand still handles the chronograph seconds.

When you buy a good moonphase watch, you also need to know that a lunar month is slightly more than 29.5 days and not exactly 30 days, as popularly known. A standard gear train in a regular moonphase watch is unable to calculate the same accurately. But this Omega Speedmaster Moonphase is up to the task; its highly accurate mechanism only needs adjusting after 10 years and that too it’s very easy with a few turns of the crown.

“…Liquidmetal has been used on the tachymeter scale, which is another Speedmaster first…”

The case is water-resistant to a handsome 100 meters and has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both ends. A see-through case-back offers a view of the beautiful in-house calibre inside. A special alloy made of Zirconium, Nickel, and others – “Liquidmetal”, has been used on the tachymeter scale.  The malleability of this alloy makes this special. The watch runs on the brand new and cutting-edge 9904 movement, made up of 368 components, surely making it a collector’s piece.

Price & Availability

The Blue Speedmaster Moonphase with the leather strap is priced at INR 622,300 in India, whereas the Black dial – Steel bracelet watch is priced at INR 628,900. Both these watches are available at Ethos Watch Boutiques.