A New Speedmaster Celebrates Partnership Between Omega And Alinghi
The Swiss not only know how to make watches, they also know how to sail. Alinghi has been most successful at it, winning the America’s Cup, one of the world’s most demanding sailing competitions, not once but twice. These are not their only achievements of the Swiss team as they have on their mantle eight D35 Trophies, won the Bol d’Or seven times, and were victorious in four Extreme Sailing Series championships. Since 2019 Omega is their timing partner, which they now celebrate with a watch. This is not a Seamaster as one would expect, but surprisingly a Speedmaster.
Omega was inspired by the Alinghi team’s boats when creating this watch, which is based on the Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon. The 44.25 mm large case is made out of light and scratch-resistance black zirconium oxide ceramic, which houses caliber 1865. This manual wind movement is not used in its standard form but features unique and groundbreaking decorations that resemble the new TF35 catamaran that Alinghi is sailing with. One of the most remarkable details is the carbon fiber pattern that Omega applied on some of the bridges using a technology called laser ablation. This method is also used to achieve a honeycomb effect on the main plate and barrel bridge.
The watch has also many other subtle references to the Alinghi team. The most obvious can be found at six o’clock, displaying the teams’ logo. When the chronograph function is activated, this disc, made out of anodized aluminum, will start spinning. The logo can also be found on the start/stop pusher, while the tachymeter scale is filled in with Super-LumiNova for optimum visibility in low-light conditions. A redesigned minute counter now doubles as a regatta-timer, so the traditional five-minute countdown can easily be followed. The Speedmaster Dark Side Of The Moon Alinghi is safely secured on the wrist with a perforated strap, also featuring the black and red color theme of the team.
