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Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon 44.2mm Mens Watch Grey
Ref. O31092445006001
The Dark Side of the Moon series began as Omega's answer to a simple question: what would the Speedmaster look like if the case, the bezel and the dial were all made from the same material? This grey ceramic reference extends that logic into a coherent study in a single colour, and adds a second layer of meaning drawn from Apollo 8. The caseback carries Jim Lovell's observation from lunar orbit — "the moon is essentially grey" — and the movement earns that inscription: the main plate and bridges are laser-ablated to reproduce the lunar surface in relief, with the near side visible through the skeletonised dial and the far side revealed through the sapphire caseback. At 44.25mm in ceramic, the watch sits large on the wrist, but plasma treatment keeps the total weight to 94 grams, which reads as noticeably light for the presence it projects. The grey nylon strap with rubber lining handles the bulk sensibly, and the ceramic deployant — with its ceramised titanium frame-spring — closes with the kind of rigidity that justifies the construction. The calibre 3869 beneath all of this is METAS-certified and resistant to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss, which is the practical consequence of Co-Axial Master Chronometer status: the movement holds its accuracy in environments that would destabilise almost anything else.
- Reference
- O31092445006001
- Brand
- Omega
- Collection
- Speedmaster
- Case size
- 44.25mm
- Case thickness
- 13.3mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Manual
- Calibre
- OMEGA 3869
- Functions
- Chronograph, Small seconds, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- 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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Omega Speedmaster range (5), Chronograph Watches (1,380), Watches 44mm and Over (1,006), Grey Dial Watches (261) and Ceramic Watches (107).
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 Dark Side Of alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | O31092445006001 | 1-66-06-04-22-62 | 3713-260-3/03 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £13,800 | £10,900 | £20,660 |
| Case size | 44.25mm | 42mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Manual | Manual | Manual |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 41 hours | 96 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 £13,800. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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