The Moonwatch is now coaxial and Master Chronometer-certified. The Biel-based company has included the calibre 3861 in the series production of the Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. This movement, obviously mechanical with manual winding, was introduced by Omega in early 2019, on the limited editions dedicated to the Apollo 11, first with a gold case and later also in steel. Calibre 3861 is equipped with a coaxial escapement, and this is a first for the Moonwatch. Secondly, the same calibre has the Master Chronometer certificate issued by METAS (guaranteeing a deviation of between 0 and 5 seconds per day); finally, this movement is antimagnetic, guaranteeing resistance to magnetic fields of up to 15,000 Gauss. Aesthetically, the watch has also been slightly modified, drawing inspiration from the fourth generation of the Speedmaster, namely Ref. ST 105.012, worn by the astronauts on the famous Apollo 11 mission. The case is the classic asymmetrical 42 mm steel, with polished and satin-finished surfaces, and is available either with a hexalite crystal protecting the dial and a closed steel back or with a sapphire crystal and a sapphire back with a porthole. On the back, the wording referring to NASA tests changes slightly, becoming 'Flight Qualified by NASA in 1965 for All Manned Space Missions'. Another noteworthy detail concerns the anodised aluminium ring on the bezel, where the vintage DON index appears (an acronym that stands for "Dot Over Ninety", indicating the presence of the dot placed above and not beside the "90" index), while the one relating to the figure "70" is placed diagonally with respect to the figure itself, instead of beside it. Small changes have also been made to the "step" dial (matt black, with a grained texture and stepped profile), where the hands and hour markers are smeared with cream-coloured Super-LumiNova and the inscription "Omega Speedmaster Professional" has been slightly modified. In addition, the model with hesalite crystal has the Omega logo printed on it, while on the one with sapphire crystal it is applied. Finally, the sexagesimal scale, in accordance with the operating frequency of the calibre (which is 21,600 vibrations per hour), is divided into thirds of a second instead of fifths. The last modification concerns the bracelet clasp, which has been renewed. In addition to steel, the watch is also available in 18-carat Sedna gold or 18-carat Canopus gold. Finally, all models are covered by a five-year warranty.
Prices: 6,300 euros (steel on steel, hesalite crystal and closed case back); 7,200 euros (steel on steel, sapphire crystal and case back); 34,900 euros (case and bracelet in 18-carat Sedna gold); 45,400 euros (case and bracelet in 18-carat Canopus gold).
