HANDS-ON: Once in a Blue Side of the Moon – a closer look at the boldest Omega Speedmaster yet

Felix Scholz

Omega’s ceramic exploration of the Moonwatch has been underway for some time now, starting with the popular Dark Side of the Moon back in 2013. Since then, we’ve seen a bevy of monochromatic models, with numerous blacks on offer, as well as grey and white.

Last year, Omega flipped the program a little, adding colour – and additional complication – to the equation with the Speedmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph … AKA the ‘Blue Side of the Moon’. The first Moonphase version of the Speedmaster, powered by the calibre 9904, was released in 2016, and we remarked at the time that it was a logical and clever take on the famous Moonwatch, and, a few years on, I still stand by that statement.

The blue ceramic, though, adds a whole new element to this watch. Previous monochrome ceramic iterations of the Speedmaster managed to somewhat slip under the radar (well, except for the white version). That is not an option for this 44.25mm blue number. While in certain light it does look quite dark, almost navy; when the light hits it, the watch becomes iridescent. It’s worth pointing out that all the details — pushers, crown and caseback — are ceramic. Even the clasp is ceramic-coated titanium. But not everything about this watch is blue. There are a few red highlights, but the main complementary option is silver; the tachymetre scale and the moon is done in Liquidmetal, and looks really strong against the blue. The moon in particular is a stunner, pitted with miniature craters, just like the real deal.

On the mechanical front, the BSOTM is as superlative as you’d expect; the calibre 9904 is a Master Chronometer, meaning it meets Omega’s class-leading quality standards in terms of accuracy and performance in real-world conditions. The only issue you might have from a functionality point of view is the stacked hour and date indicators in the sub-dial at nine. Good for balanced design, less ideal for legibility.

The Speedmaster has a reputation for being something of a conservative classic, even in its more colourful versions. The Blue Side of the Moon is a bold, colourful, fun and (dare I say it) flamboyant take on Omega’s icon. And regardless of whether or not you could handle such a big blue watch, you can’t deny that it’s cool.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph Australian pricing

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonphase Chronograph, $16,950