Okay, so I’ve been eyeing this OMEGA Speedmaster Apollo 8 “Dark Side of the Moon” watch for a while. You know, the one with the classic style? It’s been tough to get my hands on. Seriously, I checked the US site like a hawk, and it was “currently unavailable” for most of last year. Geez! I figured since they stopped making the 1861, this Apollo 8 model might be gone for good too. I even found some posts on watch forums talking about a 2024 edition, and some older discussions from 2022. These guys really know their stuff.
I mean it really does look like a sand pile my kids have been playing in. It’s kind of a mess. But in a good way. Like a cool, messy moon way. So, I kept digging. I learned that this watch is a tribute to the Apollo 8 mission, which was a big deal back in December 1968. The case back even says “APOLLO 8, DEC 1968.” Nice touch, right?
Anyway, this whole thing got me thinking about the moon landing and all that. Did you know the original moonwatch was the Speedmaster Professional 105.012? Buzz Aldrin wore it when he walked on the moon. That’s some serious history right there! This Apollo 8 version is a bit bigger, 42mm. It has this cool skeletonized dial, and you can see the movement inside, which is supposed to look like the moon’s surface. They call it the Calibre 1869. Pretty neat, huh?
Now, some folks online were saying it should have a metal bracelet to match the case. I get it, but I kinda like the strap. And I was reading somewhere that the far side of the moon is full of bumps and holes, like someone messed it up. But hey, that’s what makes it interesting, right?
The new model has a 3869 movement. I guess it’s like the 3861 but with a laser-treated dial. One side shows the near side of the moon, and the other shows the far side. It is really neat.
Here’s what I did:
- Scoured the internet: I spent hours on forums, and the OMEGA site.
- Read up on the history: Learned about Apollo 8 and the original moonwatch.
- Compared models: Checked out the differences between the old and new versions.
- Finally pulled the trigger: Got my hands on the Apollo 8 “Dark Side of the Moon.”
So yeah, that’s my little adventure with this OMEGA watch. It was a bit of a hunt, but totally worth it. Now I’ve got a piece of space history right on my wrist. How cool is that?
Click to consult