Omega's most exciting Speedmaster chronograph

Omega Speedmaster is something of a phenomenon in the watch collecting world.  It's one of our community's staples.  In fact, it's somewhat difficult to find long time collectors who haven't owned at least one of them in their day.  The pedigree of the watch is virtually unrivaled with a great story behind it and an extreme focus on heritage and preserving the purity of its design.  The two watches we're looking at today are revitalized and updated versions of that classic.  Their resemblance is obvious, but the materials used in the case and the movement are huge upgrades. 

The replica Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon,the name is certainly accurate--it's very, very dark, with an all black ceramic case, black ceramic dial and black strap.  What is perhaps more impressive, however, is that its surfaces are not matte black--they have an extreme polish.  The ceramic case appears as if it's made from some hitherto unknown dark metal and the dial is polished nearly to a mirror finish.  It's all topped off by extremely high-contrast luminous accents.  It is, more or less, the stealth bomber of Omegas. 

The Omega Speedmaster Grey Side of the Moon is not precisely the opposite of Dark Side--it's on something of a gradient between it and the new White Side of the Moon.  The case, like the Dark Side, is fully ceramic, but here with a finish that more closely resembles steel.  Yet, it is very difficult to precisely describe it--it is still darker than steel, yet with more luster than titanium.  The dial is no doubt the centerpiece.  It is platinum plated in the German style, giving it a slightly matte finish.  Up close, however, you can see that it has a very fine texture to it that glistens.  In addition to the lume on the hands and indices you'd find on the Dark Side, the tachymetre and even crown are luminous. 

In terms of dimensions, they're both rather large at 44.25mm.  I'm not especially concerned about that particular metric, as a larger case is somewhat fitting the overall design, but they are a hair on the thick side, thanks, no doubt, to the beautiful box crystal on the back.  It doesn't feel too thick to me, particularly given the overall size of the watch and its sporty character, but it is something to consider.  In keeping with Speedmaster tradition, I think it'd be wonderful if Omega one day decides to use a hand wound version of the 9300 in this watch, which should shave off a millimeter or so.