From the Other Side
MYSTERY AND EXQUISITE CRAFTSMANSHIP COME INTO PLAY ON OMEGA’S NEWEST ITERATION OF ITS DARK SIDE OF THE MOON WATCH
Omega has had a long and enviable association with space exploration, with the Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph holding the distinction of being the first watch on the moon. But before the mission that carried the first men to the lunar surface, there was also Apollo 8, which was the first to orbit the moon. More than that, the Apollo 8 astronauts became the first to gaze upon the far side—the dark side— of the moon.
This year, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission, Omega has released a new Dark Side Of The Moon timepiece. The Speedmaster “Dark Side Of The Moon” Apollo 8 comes with a specially decorated version of the famed Moonwatch movement, whose intricate details are now shown in all its glory through a skeletonized dial. This design gives us a clear view of the bridges and main plate of the movement, which has been blackened and then decorated using laser ablation to create a realistic depiction of the lunar surface.
To achieve the perfect dark shade, the watch is made entirely out of black zirconium oxide ceramic. To add some contrast to the dark tone of the watch, Omega has used yellow color coding for the seconds and chronograph hands. The yellow-against-black theme extends to the strap, where micro perforations on the black leather reveal the yellow rubber layer inside it.
A final touch on this new Dark Side of the Moon watch is an engraving of a quote by Jim Lovell, pilot of the Apollo 8’s command module, to ground control shortly before the spacecraft was to go “behind” the moon and as such would lose radio contact: “We’ll see you on the other side.” This engraving can be found on the caseback and serves as yet another point of connection between Omega, the wearer of the watch and the history of space travel.