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Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 8 Dark Side Of The Moon 44.25mm Mens Watch
Ref. O31092445001001
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Stepping up in Omega's range
Apollo 8 launched in December 1968 carrying the first crew to orbit the moon — ten loops over twenty hours, every one of them on the far side entirely cut off from Earth. The original Dark Side of the Moon Speedmaster appeared in 2018 to mark that mission; this 2024 successor carries the same concept forward but replaces the earlier movement with the fully METAS-certified Calibre 3869, which shares its architecture with the Calibre 3861 used in the current Moonwatch Professional and adds resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss. Black zirconium oxide ceramic runs to every external surface, and at 44.25mm the watch sits large on the wrist without weighing like it — ceramic at this scale consistently surprises. The skeletonised anodised aluminium dial opens the movement to view, and the main plate and bridges beneath have been laser-ablated to texture like the cratered lunar surface. Yellow accents pull against all that black with some force: the chronograph seconds hand, the interior of the perforated rubber strap glimpsed at the edges. The small-seconds hand at nine o'clock is cast in grade 5 titanium as a miniature Saturn V rocket, a detail that reads as absurd in description and entirely right on the dial. The caseback carries engraved text — "Apollo 8, Dec 1968", "Dark Side of the Moon", "We'll see you on the other side" — which is where the mission's tone lives most quietly. The tachymeter scale on the ceramic bezel is laser-engraved and filled with white Grand Feu enamel, a finishing choice that only becomes apparent once you look for it.
- Reference
- O31092445001001
- Brand
- Omega
- Collection
- Speedmaster
- Case size
- 44.25mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- OMEGA 3869
- Functions
- Chronograph, Small seconds, Tachymeter, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Rubber strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50mm
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Omega
Louis Brandt began assembling pocket watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1848. His sons moved production to Biel in 1880 and, in 1894, released a calibre whose parts were fully interchangeable and which could be serviced by any watchmaker with standard tools. They named it Omega. The movement was successful enough that the company took its name.
Omega's history is bound up with measurement in public. It became official timekeeper of the Olympic Games in 1932 and has held the role for most Games since, which drove genuine engineering: photo-finish cameras, touchpads in swimming pools, and the timing systems that made hundredths of a second meaningful.
NASA qualified the Speedmaster for manned spaceflight in 1965 after testing chronographs from several manufacturers to destruction, and it was on Buzz Aldrin's wrist on the lunar surface in 1969. The watch has never been substantially redesigned.
The Seamaster line dates to 1948 and covers everything from dress watches to saturation diving instruments. Omega's technical position strengthened considerably after 1999 with the adoption of George Daniels' co-axial escapement, the first genuinely new escapement to reach series production in two centuries, and more recently through Master Chronometer certification testing resistance to magnetic fields at 15,000 gauss.
The company has been part of the Swatch Group since its formation.
- 1848
- Louis Brandt starts assembling watches in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
- 1894
- The Omega calibre gives the company its name.
- 1932
- Becomes official timekeeper of the Olympic Games.
- 1948
- The Seamaster line is introduced.
- 1965
- NASA qualifies the Speedmaster for manned spaceflight.
- 1999
- The co-axial escapement enters series production.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Omega Speedmaster range (5), Back in Stock (2,749), Chronograph Watches (1,380), Watches 44mm and Over (1,006), All Black Watches (347), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (318) and Skeleton Watches (318).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 50mm lug-to-lug keeps the 44.25mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 44.25mm sits at the larger end
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 8 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | O31092445001001 | 414.NI.1123.RX | 00620025481 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £13,500 | £14,775 | £21,150 |
| Case size | 44.25mm | 45mm | 43mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 100m | 50m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Rubber strap | Rubber strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | — | 216 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is hand-wound, so it needs winding every day or two but never a battery.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 50mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £13,500. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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