What Is the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase?
Reference 304.33.44.52.03.001 is a 44.25mm stainless steel automatic chronograph with a moonphase complication, built around Omega's Caliber 9904: a column-wheel chronograph movement with a Co-Axial escapement, METAS Master Chronometer certification, anti-magnetic resistance to 15,000 gauss, and a 60-hour power reserve. It wears a blue sunburst dial, a blue ceramic bezel with a Liquidmetal tachymeter scale, and a blue alligator strap.
One important clarification: this is not the manual-wind Moonwatch Professional that actually flew on Apollo missions. That's a different reference entirely (the 310.xx series). This is its own watch, one that borrows the Speedmaster name and chronograph DNA and adds a moonphase complication on top. It deserves to be judged on what it actually is, not on history it isn't claiming.
Two Moon Details, Not One
This dial has two separate moon-related features that are easy to conflate. The first is a small red crescent moon on the tip of the date-pointer hand, purely decorative, matched to Speedmaster's signature red accents. The second, at the bottom of the dial, is the actual moonphase complication: a photorealistic moon disc, microstructured at sub-0.02mm resolution to reproduce real lunar cratering, that physically rotates to show the moon's real current phase.
Here's what makes it genuinely impressive rather than decorative: most mechanical moonphase watches drift a full day off every 2.5 to 3 years, which is why moonphase owners are so often correcting them. This one is accurate to one day off every 29.5 years, timed to the actual synodic lunar month down to the second. That's not a gimmick complication tacked onto a dial. That's real engineering.
Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Price: MSRP vs. Used Market
MSRP on this reference is $12,600. Gray-market dealer pricing runs around $10,700. On the used market, it's trading in the $6,500–$7,500 range, roughly half of retail.
Omega tends to hold value better than most brands at this price point, and that shows here: this isn't a watch in free-fall. It's settled into a stable used-market range, which means a used buyer is getting the same watch, movement, and complication for close to half of what the original owner paid.
Design & Mechanics: What Makes This Reference Different
The case is thick at 16.85mm, but Omega's layered design (case, bezel, and exhibition case back stepping up in tiers) keeps it from reading as a single dense slab. It's an elegant execution of a large watch.
The chronograph uses a proper column-wheel setup, including a restart function: start, stop, and restart the chronograph without a full reset, a mark of a more sophisticated movement architecture than a standard cam-actuated chronograph.
The honest tradeoff: all those stepped case layers create a lot of tight edges, and edges collect dust and small marks more visibly than a simpler case shape would. It's the cost of the layered, elegant design.
The crystal: the sapphire crystal itself resists scratching well, but the anti-reflective coating shows marks in angled light more readily than expected at this price point, worth checking closely on any used example.
Wearing It Every Day
The crown winds in its closed position, which makes winding noticeably less smooth than watches that wind regardless of crown position, the one real point of daily friction. Pulling the crown out to set the time, date, and moonphase, by contrast, is clean and intuitive, and this reference skips the screw-down crown entirely.
On the wrist, it wears solidly rather than heavily, though the case height keeps it sitting up rather than disappearing the way a thinner watch would. This is a watch that announces itself whether dressed up or down, not a quiet daily piece.
The 5D Watch Score: 65/100
Rather than list every category, the shape of the score tells the real story. Wearability & Utility actually edges out Aesthetics & Heritage here, a flip from prior reviews. Features & Complications is the standout number, the movement and moonphase genuinely punch above the price point. Legacy is what holds the score back: a beautiful watch, but not the one carrying the Speedmaster name's historic weight.
Aesthetics & Heritage — 32/50
- Styling: 7
- Movement & Craftsmanship: 8
- Cool Factor: 6
- Legacy: 5
- Value & Collectibility: 6
Wearability & Utility — 33/50
- Comfort: 6
- Usability & Tactility: 6
- Features & Complications: 8
- Build Quality: 7
- Versatility: 6
Total: 65/100
Is the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase Worth It?
This watch doesn't need the Moonwatch's history to earn its spot, and it isn't trying to borrow it. What it actually offers: one of the best-looking, best-engineered automatic chronographs available at this price, with a moonphase complication that's genuinely well executed rather than decorative. Once you know exactly what you're buying, it's an easy watch to fall for.
If you're shopping for a Speedmaster and want to be certain exactly which reference you're looking at, and what it's actually worth, that's what I do. Buying used comes down to trust as much as condition, and I'd rather walk you through the details than let you find them out the hard way. Reach out for a second opinion before your next purchase.
FAQ
Is the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase the same as the Moonwatch?
No. The Moonwatch Professional (reference 310.xx) is the manual-wind chronograph that flew on Apollo missions. The Speedmaster Moonphase (304.33.44.52.03.001) is a separate automatic reference with a moonphase complication added.
What is the retail price of the Omega Speedmaster Moonphase?
MSRP is $12,600. Gray-market dealer pricing runs around $10,700.
How much is a used Omega Speedmaster Moonphase worth?
Current used-market pricing runs $6,500–$7,500, roughly half of retail.
How accurate is the moonphase complication on this watch?
It's accurate to one day off every 29.5 years, significantly more precise than the typical mechanical moonphase, which drifts a day every 2.5 to 3 years.
Does the Speedmaster Moonphase have a screw-down crown?
No. This reference uses a standard pull-out crown, not a screw-down crown.