A bold use of blue gives the Moonphase its distinctive look. The sun brushed dial, ceramic bezel and leather strap are all in brilliant blue. The case is in stainless steel and the twin two-handed subdials with rhodium-plated circles give the watch a beautifully symmetrical look.

The first thing that strikes you about this extraordinary new timepiece is the representation of the moon. It has never looked more realistic. The high resolution image, in sharply contrasting black and white, is as detailed as a NASA photograph; so detailed in fact, that a closer look reveals an astronaut’s footprint.

Of course, the Speedmaster is no stranger to the lunar surface, given that it was the first watch worn on the moon. And as a Master Chronometer, this watch celebrates another pioneering moment: Omega’s exacting new standard of testing, set in late 2015, by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS).

True to its name, the timepiece displays the phases of the moon. Contrary to popular belief, a lunar month is not 30 days, but 29.5 days. A difficult time span to manage for a standard gear train, but Omega’s Moonphase is up to the task. Its highly accurate mechanism only needs adjusting after 10 years, and all it takes is a few turns of the crown.

And it’s not just the moon’s wobbles kept in check. The watch is also balanced visually, with twin two-handed subdials, to create a beautifully symmetrical look.

The Speedmaster Moonphase has many other striking features: including a stunning sun-brushed blue dial, ceramic bezel and stainless steel case. Liquid metal has been used on the Tachymeter scale; another Speedmaster first, and a closer look reveals rhodium-plated circles on the sub dials.

Though the hands are classic Speedmaster, the internal workings are a giant leap forward. The revolutionary new 9904 movement is made up of 368 components and marks the start of a whole new era in watchmaking. As the Moonphase is both a Master Co-axial and a Chronometer, it can be certified as a Master Chronometer.

Of course, no Omega timepiece is complete without the ultimate finishing touch. For a watch with such a stunning blue dial, it has to be a blue leather strap, clasped with a foldover buckle.

Price - Steel version: 9400€

Reference	:	304.33.44.52.03.001
Case	:	Steel
Diameter	:	44.25 mm
Crystal	:	Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
Dial	:	Blue
Water restance	:	10 bars (100 metres / 330 feet)
Features
Anti-magnetic	:	The movement is unaffected by exposure to strong magnetic fields, even those greater than 1.5 tesla (15,000 gauss).
Chronograph	:	Complicated watch with a function for measuring short time periods in addition to its function for permanently displaying hours, minutes and seconds.
Chronometer	:	Label given to a watch which has undergone precision tests and received a certificate from an official body (COSC).
Date	:	The day of the month, displayed on a sub-dial at the 9 o'clock position.
Liquidmetal®	:	Liquidmetal is an alloy which is considerably harder than stainless steel yet bonds seamlessly with ceramics. The blended materials are particularly resistant to scratching and corrosion.
Moonphase	:	A function which tracks the phases of the moon. One lunar cycle is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds and includes four phases: new moon, first quarter, full moon, last quarter.
Small seconds	:	A hand on a sub-dial which tracks seconds; typically it completes a full rotation in one minute.
Transparent case back	:	A transparent case back - frequently made of sapphire - makes it possible to see the movement inside the watch.
Tachymeter	:	A tachymeter is an instrument for measuring speed. It is a chronograph with a graduated dial on which speed can be read off in kilometres per hour based on 1000 metres distance.
Available	:	Available in stores in October 2016