Welcome to this Watch live. Hi, I'm Lydia Winters.
And I'm Boo Booey. And today, we're talking about a
New Moon watch. Yeah, we're going to space.
We're. We are going to actually this
was recorded in space. To quote my favorite astronaut
to Infinity and beyond. Is that your favorite astronaut?
Obviously. Say it again.
To Infinity and beyond. I tried.
I tried.
OK, so yes, Yesterday Omega announced the new white
Speedmaster Professional, Moonwatch.
At least they actually the teaser went directly with this.
You mean they didn't, like, put Snoopy?
And then have it be about something else.
We're getting a Snoopy Moon Swatch.
There was absolutely no Snoopy a part of.
Anything. In this case, the teaser said
new or now in white #moonwatch. I was like, if it is not a white
moonwatch, I will be with everyone being upset, even
though I don't really care either way.
Yeah, as far as teasers go, it was a very clear one.
But the original teaser for this came in November when Daniel
Craig wore one of these. It may have been a prototype, it
may have been first production, who knows?
I mean, it was a while ago, so it was probably a prototype, but
like wore this to an event. I mean, that's a teaser.
I would definitely let Daniel Craig wear a cool watch of mine
early if he wanted to. I think you're like, was it
intentional or was Daniel Craig just like, I want to do this?
And they were like, yeah, you you can do whatever you want.
Yeah, it's interesting how those things probably happen.
I mean, we have a little bit of insight into, you know, how
brands come together and do things.
And sometimes it could be as simple as that.
He's like, no, I think it'd be really cool if I wore this at
this event and they're like, yeah, do it.
Or someone just like accidentally sent it early.
It's always interesting whether it started as a real idea or if
it was an accident that that is like, yeah, of course we wanted
him to wear that totally embargoed watch early that he
had for a magazine shoot or something that's coming out
later in the year. I.
Mean he like he was posing with it like it was.
This was not accidental. OK, OK.
So at minimum he he went rogue and just decided I'm doing this.
Yeah, but. That's unlikely.
It's unlikely because when you look at all of the red carpets
and how how much Omega is really like wanting their watches on
stars, I'm going to go with intentional, yeah.
For sure. Me too.
I was just playing Devil's out, OK?
But all like when when he did that, everyone was like, OK,
well it's coming because it's not like Daniel Craig, who is an
Omega ambassador, would wear like some kind of modded watch.
You know. Like, oh, he did it himself.
No, definitely not he. Took it to a customizer.
OK. So you're going to talk a little
bit about the history? Yeah.
These amazing watches. Yeah, it's really funny.
Got me super interested. So we had the space race
dominating the 1960s, but in 1957 that's actually when Omega
released, which is Wild, a trio of sports oriented tool watches.
The Seamaster is a rail Master and the Speedmaster, I know, I
know that because of the 1957 Trilogy edition which we had.
But when you think about, like, how iconic, especially the
Seamaster and the Speedmaster are, it's wild to think they
were just like, hey, let's. We got these three.
New watches. Let's drop them all right now.
So then the Speedmaster is launched. the IT starts with a
space legacy. In 1965, NASA qualified it for
use in its piloted missions. And so there's many stories.
We were talking about it. You were like, there's a story
where someone just like goes shopping and just buys, watches
and then like, let's test them. That does not seem accurate at
all. That is a legend.
But actually they went out to NASA, went out to 10 different
watch brands, asked them to submit 4 submitted, which was
Hamilton Long Jeans Whitener at the time.
It was the double name Rolex and Omega.
The Hamilton watch was disqualified because it didn't
meet all of the criteria. So then it was really, you know,
3 watches, and I love, Omega says.
You know, the tests that NASA performed on the chronographs
that were submitted to the agency in 1964 were designed to
destroy the watch. In the end, only one watch
survived, the Speedmaster. That also is not accurate
because it's they tallied up the points of all the tests,
although. At the end it wasn't like 2
piles of parts and then an Omega Speedmaster.
But it's like, OK, I get the they're they're being you know
there's a little hyperbole there but it's fine.
It's it's like only one didn't go to space.
But I don't think it survived and but the the Speedmaster was
also the astronauts favorite. So it's really was this cool,
you know, special special thing that now has become synonymous
with Omega. Omega.
The moon, you know? And on July 21st, 1969, it was
the first watch born on the moon.
Which is pretty cool. Is really cool.
I I I've so I've loved the the Moon watch for for a long, long
time. I bought my first one in 2014
and I will buy my second one soon because I am in love with
this new one. Oh, oh.
I love. It.
Oh no, you do. I I really do did not expect to
I when when the, you know back in November Daniel Craig I was
like eh white dial speedy who cares.
Oh yeah, that's where they It always gets you.
Whenever I say who cares? I'm like I want it.
Last night as I looked at the images.
Uh, oh, you're like, oh, I'm just doing some research for the
podcast. Well, The thing is.
There's not much research that needed to be done, really.
This one truly is just look at images because it is the same
watch that already exists. The black dial and the white
dial. They aren't different watches.
The difference is in the dial and the hands.
So everything else, the case, the bezel, the bracelet.
It's the same as the existing sapphire sandwich version
because this is also only coming out in a sapphire sandwich
version. Sapphire Sandwich being sapphire
glass on both the top for the dial and the bottom so you can
see the movement. They're not doing a Hesselite
version, which kind of makes sense.
The Hesselite version only exists, I think, for people who
are like. I want the closest thing to the
one that went on the. Moon Yeah, that would be weird.
Like I want the closest thing to the one that went on the moon in
the color that I refer. Like I'll take a green Hesselite
please for moon watch landing I. Really, I agree with that
decision. Of.
Course options are always nice, but I don't think there's a real
reason to to have a heslite white dial version.
So it makes sense. It's a sapphire sandwich and it
is the same. It has the bracelet with the
polished links it has and and it is the new bracelet that, yeah,
like that they quietly release. Like, what was it a year ago?
Maybe two years ago? I don't remember.
But. It has their what they call I
think the comfort adjust, which is a a quick adjustment on the
class. Oh, perfect.
Amazing. And this bracelet has a
beautiful taper. It is to me the most beautiful
bracelet that has ever been on a moonwatch.
It has the new movement, the 3861, which is the That and the
bracelet are the reasons I sold my own moonwatch because I
wanted the new one. But now that the white dial
exists. You're you're going to switch
over? I I believe so.
So OK. It's a lacquer white dial which
is. Really cool.
I do like lacquer. Yeah, and you know the black
dial is very matte. Finished.
This is not at all. It's a completely different feel
and it has really cool red details.
So the Speedmaster text is in red and the tip of the second's
hand is, sorry, the tip of the running chronograph.
Second's hand is also in red. Everything else is pretty much
just inverted, like the colors of the dial are completely
inverted. That's the part that kind of
freaks me out when I look at it. Yeah, because I'm not sure that
I like all the black details. What color would you want them
to be on a white dial though? Well, I mean, I didn't think
that far. I'm just not sure about it.
So I have a lot of experience with a white dial with awesome
black details with my Explorer 2, Polar, and the new version
that came out a couple years ago.
I like even more because it's it really the the black details,
because they're matte now, even deeper than they used to be.
This I'll have to see in person to see how, yeah, the character
of it is. But I I really, I just kind of
love everything about this. Yeah, why?
Why the complaints? Why like is there?
Is there any? Whoa, it's funny you should ask.
I mean, white is to me a great color for Moonwatch.
Because oh, we're just going to get your reason why you are like
it. Well.
I don't think Omega came out and said here's the exact.
Well, yeah, I was just. Curious, but NASA space suits
have always been white, right? So, like, space and white go
together. The shuttles, the Rockets,
they're all painted white mainly.
And so I I think it really does fit.
Also this year is the 55th anniversary of the Alaska One
project, which is the I'm not going to go into it, but it's
like a secret project between Omega and NASA to design the
perfect space watch. Back in I think 2008 they
released a limited like re release of that.
I guess not re release but a limited edition version of that
watch had this cool over case that you could put on it that
was red and really amazing details.
That's also the the moon Swatch. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, there's one the Mars kind of has also Harkins.
And it has a white dial. And it does have a white dial
and it does have some red details.
Yeah, I I really. To me, white is more legible.
I don't know scientifically what it is, but my Explorer 2 is the
easiest watch for me to read the exact time.
Yeah, I mean, I when, well, when you look at books, they're
printed white with black tanks. That is true, but that could be
to save ink. Yeah, that's true too.
It would be a lot of printing. Yeah, that would be a lot.
Of printing. Unless they invent like non dyed
black paper like trees. I guess they'd have to anyway.
Not going to get into that. I'm not designing black paper
right now. No.
But I mean I do know like for legibility.
I I agree with you when I look at them I and maybe it's also
just what we're more accustomed to like white on like black text
on white things. Because I definitely feel like,
oh, I could probably read that watch.
We're the moon watch. I'm like, I'm probably not able
to read that watch when you. Look at the images of both of
them side by side. Like I really do feel that the
white has more clarity in it for some reason.
Like that's the vibe I get. And part partly, you know, the
the black dial, more of it is printed.
There's there are less things that are applied.
Oh, OK, so on the white tile. Maybe I'll like the white tile
more because I prefer applied things.
Yeah, so there. But it just has a crispness that
could just be the images, you know?
We'll have to see it in person to really know.
But it feels so much more legible, but also to me, less
busy. Yeah, that's true.
I I saw some people commenting online.
I mean, don't don't go too deep there, but they were like, oh, I
wish it was a panda though. And I was like, that wouldn't
make any sense. It really is.
Like you said, it's just an inverted version, which then it
becomes really nice and also it doesn't try to become something
else. That's what I do like the most
with this. It's not like all of a sudden
it's like moving into more of like a Zenith or a Daytona
feeling or look like it looks, it's it's moon, Moon.
Watch it still. Looks like a moon watch and
there you know there have been speed masters in the past was
white tiles. There have been gold speed.
I believe there have been gold moon watches with white tile,
but this is the first time with a steel moonwatch white dial.
It's a full production model. It's not limited, it's just part
of the collection now and I think the white.
Oh, wow. Yeah, one of I think the best
comment I saw. Someone said finally.
The Moonwatch looking like moon. Looking like.
I was like, wow, I love it. I love it so much because I kind
of want to have it just so that when I show it to.
People are like why? Why is your Moonwatch white?
It's like it's looking like moon.
Yeah, it's. Looking.
Like, I mean, come on, that is a really good reasoning.
You're like Alaska project Nas. Secret things are like looking
like moon. I I like it.
You're like the chronograph Subdials are craters on the
moon. So all this time, the Moonwatch
was actually the dark side of the moon.
Yeah, it was. Yeah, they have that too.
So it doesn't. So that doesn't.
Basically, if you pick any word related to the moon, there's
probably some special limited edition around it.
Yeah, this is true. OK.
So the the last thing that we we just have to talk about because
it has been a big part of the conversation around Moonwatch
for a few years now, is the price OK?
And I will admit, I've been with what I would consider the masses
for a while right now. The enthusiast masses?
Yeah, 'cause I I wouldn't call it like the general public.
Enthusiast masses, you know, have been a bit upset over the
pricing around the moon watch. It has gone up a lot.
It it, you know, in general, all watches have been, or most
watches have been going through price increases over the years.
Most things in the world have been going through price
increases. Feels like watches have moved a
little quicker than other things and the moon watch itself also
did a big jump when they released the new version a
couple years ago. So now it's like $8100 or €9000,
right? That is, in my mind, like such a
departure from what I feel a Moonwatch should cost, but it's
because I bought my first one in 2014.
Yeah. And I bought that for around
€3000 brand new. Yeah, so like, that's a.
Different time. Yeah, 10 years.
Time. Three times the cost.
Yeah. So it it doesn't it like that is
not inflation. Right.
And it. Is a different watch.
Now you know it has a new movement.
It has the better bracelet there there.
There are improvements to it. But is it three times better?
Is it you know and has labor and materials?
Have they increased by three times?
So I think mentally, if you're comparing the moon watch to the
previous moon watches in the previous years of the moon
watch, it becomes difficult to see the price.
But you have to compare it to the market right now around it,
it, yeah, it. Is different when you compare it
to the Daytona, the Breitling chronographs, you know all of
these other chronographs that exist out there.
JLC has a bunch of chronographs and let then you start to see
that the price is still kind of in the right place.
Daytona's like €15,000, right? And when the Moonwatch still had
the 1861 movement, you could say, well, oh this.
Is over, yeah. That's true old movement, you
know it doesn't have any modern technology, but now with the
3861 it is a very modern movement with meta
certification. It is nearly anti magnetic, it
has all of the things you want in a modern movement and I just
feel like if you look at it through the lens of what else is
out there and not through the lens I've been looking what.
It was what it. Was a few years ago.
Then you start to see like, OK, it probably is not amazingly
priced, but it is reasonably priced in my opinion.
OK, so you are on team like new, new?
New. New White Moonwatch, new IT.
Looks like Moon. It's all I want.
And I'm going to go. I'm on Team Original.
Wait. What?
What level of original? No.
OK. The the current line.
The Moonwatch. Yeah, not the.
I know I don't need the Heslite. Yes, I'm.
I'm going to go black. Dial sandwich, yeah.
Black dial, yes, So let us know. Oh.
What team? You're on what team you're on.
I think it's going to be my team.
I think some. People will be with me.