In a move that could only be earth shattering, breaking news in the watch industry, one of the most renowned brands has released their most iconic product in a color with no hue. Yes, the Speedmaster Professional, the Moonwatch, can now be had not only with the traditional black dial, but a white version that is perhaps meant to feel a bit more luxe, given its finishing and the (lack of) options consumers will have with respect to the question of crystal, bracelet, and caseback. This release isn’t exactly a surprise to those who follow Omega closely, but it is, all things considered, a fairly dramatic shakeup to the Speedmaster collection.

The unveiling of the white dialed Speedmaster is not a big shock or surprise to those who track, predict, or are otherwise interested in new releases from Omega. Daniel Craig, James Bond himself, was spotted wearing what turned out to be a prototype version of the white Speedmaster last year. The jokes about a spy not being able to keep a new watch secret practically write themselves. In any case, it didn’t take long for the collecting community to reach the conclusion that the Omega ambassador was wearing new version of the Speedy to be released at some point in the near future. And a white dial for the Speedy Pro would be fairly predictable even if it hadn’t been spotted on Craig’s wrist. Some of Omega’s most sought after limited edition Speedys have been white, particularly the Silver Snoopy from 2015, and the Alaska Project release in 2008. 

Now, though, a white dialed Speedy enters the permanent collection, a first for the watch in a non-precious metal. The dial’s configuration appears to be exactly the same as the black version, with subdials being given a circular graining, and a sunken outer minute track inspired by vintage Speedmaster references. Hour markers are diamond polished and now have a black PVD coating for contrast against the white dial. 

The dial has what Omega describes as a varnished and lacquered finish, which would seem to indicate they’ve endeavored to give the dial a more high end or luxury focused feel than the non-descript matte black of the standard Speedy Pro. This suspicion is backed up somewhat when you realize the new white Speedmaster will only be sold with a sapphire crystal and display caseback, and that the bracelet has polished links that match the sapphire version of the black dialed release.

In terms of specs, the new white dial Speedmaster is an exact match for its black dialed sibling. We have the same 42mm stainless steel case that measures a touch over 13mm tall, and it runs on the same 3861 caliber, which is METAS certified. Omega will offer this watch on the aforementioned bracelet, as well as a leather racing style strap and a black rubber strap. 

The retail price of the white dialed Moonwatch starts at $7,800 for either of the strap options, and goes up to $8,100 if you choose the bracelet. Omega