Last year, Omega made the announcement it had joined forces with the iconic yacht racing team, Alinghi. This year, we see the results of that partnership in the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Alinghi, a bold new statement piece that’s got watch collectors drooling. Find out more about Omega’s fabulous new addition to its DSOTM series with these ten fast facts.
1. The Partnership
The Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Alinghi has been born of the partnership between the prominent Swiss luxury watch manufacturer, Omega, and the legendary Swiss yacht racing team, Alinghi. The collaboration began just last year, but judging by the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Alinghi, the two brands haven’t wasted any time in discovering what makes the other tick. As Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of Omega, comments via deployant.com, the piece highlights the common values shared by the partners. “The watch is about two great brands combining their passion for innovation,” he notes. “To match Alinghi’s state-of-the-art creation, we’ve harnessed some very impressive technology, together with the best materials and a truly original design.”
2. The Colors
The color-coding of the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Alinghi takes its inspiration from the Alinghi logo, with red, black, and white the shades of the day. Buyers can expect a perforated black and red rubber strap, a red varnished stop/start pusher, and a red 4-minute or 5-minute tactical time display at 3 o’clock. Continuing the theme is the red Alinghi logo that sits on the sandblasted dial.
3. The Movement
The beating heart of the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Alinghi (or indeed, any watch) is its movement. In this case, it’s one very fine movement indeed. To power its latest piece, Omega has chosen the Omega caliber 1865, a hand-wound chronograph that’s been the star attraction in the brand’s Speedmaster collection for the past 26 years. Singularly precise and reliable to a T, the movement operates with a frequency of 21,600 beats per hour. According to the makers themselves, the movement is perfect for sailing crews thanks to its thin, lightweight design and its hefty 48 hours of power reserve.
4. The Fit
The Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon ‘Alinghi’ is by no means insignificant in size, but it’s still lightweight and compact enough to make it ideal for sailing crews. The watch is housed in a nifty 44.25mm case, while its hand-wound Calibre 1865 movement keeps the thickness down to a slender 13.8mm…. something that marks a big shift in direction to other pieces in the Dark Side of the Moon series, most of which come in at a bulky 16.14mm. While large enough to still retain a decidedly masculine air, Omega has resisted the temptation to buy into the market for oversized watches. The result is a piece that’s as elegant as it is functional, and which offers a superbly comfortable wearing experience.
5. The Dial
If you weren’t aware of the partnership between Alinghi and Omega before, you certainly will be after casting your eyes on the dial. Omega has gone all out in celebrating the yachting theme, and not just in terms of the color-coding. As gearpatrol.com notes, the dial is designed to resemble a futuristic regatta timer, featuring a 30 minute counter at 3 o’clock in which the first 4/5 minutes have been highlighted as a starting timer. At 6 o’clock sits a special totalizer bearing a sandblasted aluminum disc stamped with a rotating Alinghi logo.
6. The price
As you’d expect of a brand like Omega, no shortcuts have been taken in either the design, the technology, or the implementation of the new Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon ‘Alinghi’. And ultimately, quality doesn’t come for free. If you want to get your hands on one of these little beauties, you’d better have some savings in place – each piece comes with the hefty price tag of $10,800.
7. The spec
Spending over $10,000 on a watch might be a head-scratcher, but when you consider the spec of the watch (here provided courtesy of hodinkee.com you can start to see the reason for that big price tag. Case: 44.25 milimeter x 13.80 milimeter, zirconium oxide ceramic, ceramic bezel, Super-LumiNova tachymeter; box sapphire crystals; water resistance up to 5 bar/50 meters. Alinghi logo on start- stop pusher. Movement: Omega caliber 1861 base, hand-wound chronograph with cam and lever system; main plate with laser-etched design, chronograph bridge with etched carbon design; frequency, 21600 VHP, 19 jewels; up to 48 hours power reserve.
8. The Availability
If you need a little time to get your savings in place before splashing out on Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon ‘Alinghi’, don’t panic too much, you’ve got plenty of time. Unlike most special editions, the ‘Alinghi’ isn’t limited to just a select few pieces. Omega seems to have enough confidence in its latest creation to have made it a permanent part of the DSOTM series, so there’s (for now at least) no need to worry about availability.
9. The Release Date
Desperate to get hold of the Omega Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon ‘Alinghi’ as soon as possible? Thankfully, you don’t have too much longer to wait. The piece will be available from selected boutiques as early as August 2020.
10. The First of Many
The Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon ‘Alinghi’ might be the first result of the partnership between Omega and Alinghi, but if you’re excited to see what else the duo has up their combined sleeve, you won’t have too much longer to wait. As Ernesto Bertarelli, founder and president of Alinghi, says via Forbes, the new entry to the DSOTM series is just the start of things. “It’s the perfect start to the relationship,” he says, “and a sign of more to come in the near future.”
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