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11 March 2024

NEW OMEGA SPEEDMASTER WHITE DIAL

By In Brands, General, Omega

Introducing a new feature for an iconic timepiece such as the Speedmaster, a staple in the watchmaking world for over 60 years, and making it appealing to enthusiasts is not an easy task. However, Omega nailed it! On March 5th, they released a new white lacquered dial for their legendary watch. Omega collectors always wanted a white dial for the Speedmaster in the regular production, something that Omega did only for some limited editions and other few prototypes.
The chance of seeing a white Speedmaster became more plausible after Daniel Craig, the British actor who interpreted James Bond from 2006 up to now, was photographed while wearing a never seen watch at an Omega event in New York.
Let’s discover the new reference and analyze the differences from the past editions and prototypes.

Daniel Craig wearing the white dial Speedster – photo courtesy of hodikee.com
Limited editions and prototypes from the past

The first watch that immediately comes to the mind of many Omega enthusiasts while discussing about a white-dial Speedmaster is the iconic Alaska Project. This series of watches was made by Omega for NASA with the goal of crafting the perfect timepiece for space missions. The code-name “Alaska” was deliberately chosen to maintain secrecy and minimize the risk of industrial espionage. 

Alaska Project 1 from 1969 – photo courtesy of omegawatches.com

Omega produced four different versions of this watch, with the most iconic being the first of them, the Alaska One, created in 1969. The watch features the distinctive white dial, with triangular sub dials hands, a titanium case (a remarkable characteristic for the 1960s), and an aluminum red cover, designed to be worn over the spacesuit, that allowed the watch to withstand temperatures, in lunar or spatial atmospheres, ranging from -148° C to +260° C.

Most of the watches created for this program still belong to Omega and NASA and are showcased in their museums. When one of these watches goes up for auction, it results to be a rare opportunity for Omega enthusiasts to add to their collection a true piece of human history. Indeed, the last Speedamster auctioned belonged to the Alaska Two series and fetched an astounding sum of 530.000 CHF.

Omega Alaska Project 2 – photo courtesy of Phillips.com

To commemorate how remarkable the Alaska Project was in Omega history, In 2008 they released a limited edition of the Speedamaster drawing significant inspiration from the second model. They produced 1970 pieces, still highly sought after today, and their value on the market is still remarkable (between 15.000 and 20.000€).

Omega Alaska Project 2008 limited edition – photo courtesy of omegawatches.com

Also the recently launched MoonSwatch “Mission to Mars”, the bio ceramic watch part of the highly successful collaboration between Omega and Swatch, shared many characteristics with the prototypes of the Alaska project, a way in which brands have tried to highlight what is likely to be the next major milestone for space missions in the coming years. 

Moreover, just two years ago Phillips auctioned another remarkable prototype of an Omega Speedmaster with a white dial, known as the Speedmaster Monza. According to Omega, this watch was crafted as a prototype for a project they were developing during the 1990s but was never brought to market. It fetched 250.000 CHF at auction, sparking considerable interest in its uniqueness.

Omega Speedmaster Monza prototype – photo courtesy of Phillips.com

Over the past decades, numerous limited editions of steel Speedmasters have been produced, with some of the most significant and sought-after being those created in collaboration with Snoopy. However, among these editions, the one that perhaps most closely resembles the model currently in their catalog is the “Albino”. Released in 1997 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the model, this edition was exclusively made for the Italian market in a limited run of 500 pieces. Today, it is considered a must-have for Speedmaster collectors.

Omega Snoopy Award 2015 – photo courtesy of omegawatches.com
Omega Speedmaster Albino – photo courtesy of Phillips.com

Until the introduction of this new model, white dials were exclusively featured in Canopus white gold models among the current production lineup.

New reference 310.30.42.50.04.001

Despite featuring a new dial, this timepiece remains fundamentally a steel Moonwatch Professional, with all the characteristics already present in the black versions. In essence, this new Speedmaster maintains the classic case design, measuring 42mm in diameter, 13.2mm in thickness, and 47.5mm in length. 

Omega 310.30.42.50.04.001 – photo courtesy of omegawatches.com

The movement is the in-house caliber 3861, an upgraded version of the classic 1861, featuring a co-axial escapement certified Master Chronometer by METAS, ensuring anti-magnetic properties and a precision of 0/+5 seconds per day. The main highlight is surely the white dial, as we said a first for a non-limited edition Speedmaster Moonwatch in steel, that according to Omega is inspired by the color of the space suits of the astronauts. This marks a significant departure from the traditional black dials, featuring a white lacquered and glossy base, with black marks and hands, apart from the tip of the chronograph hand and the Speedmaster sign in red. 

Omega 310.30.42.50.04.001 – photo courtesy of omegawatches.com

While the stainless steel bracelet remains the primary option, Omega offers two additional versions, including one on a black micro-perforated leather strap with red and white stitching, and a rubber strap that features a moon surface pattern on the inside.

Pricing and availability

The price for the model with the bracelet is 9.100€, while the versions with the strap are both priced at 8.700€. The new timepiece will be soon available in all the stores and retailers and as the first impressions of the enthusiasts were after the launch we are sure it will be a huge success.

Written by Tiziano Patti

Born in 2002, I’m a young watch collector and enthusiast always looking to add new pieces to my collection.