Omega really likes astronomical-themed timepieces, and the Speedmaster Moonphase is a reflection of this.
The modern Speedmaster Moonphase, which arrived in 2016, with a 44.25 mm stainless steel case and an automatic caliber 9904 movement with Co-Axial Master Chronometer certification. A variation of the Speedmaster Moophase in the same 44.25 mm-sized case, with the same caliber 9904 movement, arrived in 2017, in a blue ceramic case, dubbed “Blue Side of the Moon.” In 2018, a variation of the Speedmaster Moonphase “Blue Side of the Moon” debuted, with a 44.25 mm diameter case, a total weight of 106 grams, and an Aventurine glass dial, and that’s what is pictured in this article.
The marquee complication of this watch displays the different moon phases (the sunlit portion of the moon, as observed from Earth) — new moon, first quarter moon, full moon, and last quarter moon — by means of a disk that rotates beneath a small aperture.
Aventurine is a natural gemstone, while aventurine glass is a man-made creation made to look like the gemstone, and to be clear, this dial is made of the man-made variant: aventurine glass. When combined with a blue ceramic case, blue ceramic bezel, and 18K Sedna Gold (Omega’s proprietary non-fading rose-gold) for the hands and indices, the watch definitely pops visually.
At 44.25 mm x 17.10 mm, and 49.8 mm, with a 21 mm lug width, this is not conservatively sized like a Moonwatch or FOIS, which are 42 mm and 39 mm respectively, and much thinner. Even the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite, which launched in 2025, has a smaller, thinner, 43 mm x 13.61 mm stainless steel case, with a 48.6 mm and a manually wound Moonphase equipped caliber 9914 movement Master Chronometer movement.
Final Thoughts
Featuring an accurate Moonphase indication, which features a blue enamel aventurine glass Moonphase disc with near and far sides of the moon in Sedna gold, is a cool complication to have, and shows the current phase of the lunar cycle.
Suffice it to say, the 44.25 mm Speedmasters have significant wrist presence and are thus targeted more toward people with larger wrists. Moreover, this is not a cheap at $16,900, and yes, the slightly smaller Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite is in a stainless steel case, not ceramic, comes with a manual, not an automatic movement, and is even more expensive at $19,300, but that watch does have a natural meteorite dial and arguably wears better at 13 mm vs 17 mm in thickness, so it would be smart to at least consider that if you’re looking at the Speedmaster Moonphase “Blue Side of the Moon” Aventurine (Ref. 304.93.44.52.03.002).
Learn more at Omega or The 1916 Company.
