Breaking News: Omega Launches Speedmaster with a White Lacquer Dial

Drum roll, please: In a not-so-surprising move, Omega today announced a new steel Speedmaster Moonwatch, this time with a white lacquered dial. It is covered by a sapphire crystal and presented within a familiar 42mm stainless steel case.

After James Bond actor Craig Daniel was spotted wearing a pre-release of the model in November last year, fans of the Moonwatch were already expecting and anticipating it. Still, it is quite a feat, as there have only been a handful of Speedmasters – most importantly the Alaska Project models in the 60s and the Snoopy Dial in 2015 – in the almost 70-year history of this iconic chronograph that have not been furnished with the signature black dial.

The white design was inspired by the suits worn by astronauts on space missions during extravehicular activity. The same goes for the Speedmaster red writing, which was chosen to reflect the rank of the commanders in the 1970s. Another inspiration comes from the ALASKA I prototype, which Omega unveiled in 1969 as part of a secret NASA project. Legend has it that a white dial was used because it offered a particularly efficient heat reflection coefficient.

The new dial option retains all its signature features, such as the step-down minute track that gives depth to the dial and the circular graining of the counters and subsidiary seconds. Omega has used diamond-polished black PVD hands to ensure best readability and contrast with the white background. The hands are coated with a Super-LumiNova, which glows green in the dark. As befits a true Speedmaster, the aluminum Dot Over Ninety bezel frames the dial.

Apart from the colorway that gives the newcomer a quite striking appearance, it is a picture-perfect Moonwatch, also in terms of the movement. The watch is powered by the Omega’s caliber 3861, an evolution of the original 1861 movement now equipped with co-axial escapement and a free-sprung balance with silicon balance spring. Its Master Chronometer certificate, issued by METAS, testifies that it is resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss and has a precision rate of 0/+5 seconds/day. From an aesthetic point of view, the movement features a rhodium-plated finish and bridges with straight Geneva Waves.

In addition to the classic stainless steel bracelet with polished and brushed links and an extension system Omega offers two other strap options, one on a black perforated leather strap with white stitching and another on a rubber strap.

Pricing for the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch White Lacquer Dial is marked at $8,100 with a stainless steel bracelet.

To learn more, visit Omega, here.