Meteorite Monday Is A Thing: Otherworldly Meteorite-Dialed Watches From Omega, Rolex, Zodiac, And More

Using intriguing space rocks for alien decoration

October 21, 2024

comments 34

What do you see when you look up at the sky at night? Stars? The Moon? I see possible watch dials. Okay, not always, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for meteorite dials. The idea of having a wafer-thin slice of a rock that fell from the heavens on your wrist fascinates me, and its look is something else. Meteorite dials come in all shapes and sizes. This Meteorite Monday, I invite you on a short trip to discover a few of my favorite otherworldly meteorite-dialed watches.

Imagine soaring through space, crash-landing on a planet, and then being sliced up and put inside a watch. It happens. Poor meteorite. Lucky us. The accidental encounter between material from the heart of an asteroid or even an exploded planet can turn into something beautiful when that material ends up on the watch’s dial. No meteorite looks the same as another. They all differ in material and experienced different cosmic journeys that cooled them down and created exceptional metallic patterns.

Otherworldly meteorite-dialed watches from Rolex, for instance

This is not my favorite meteorite-dialed Rolex model (I’ll get to that later), but it deserves a mention. The white gold Daytona ref. 116519LN looks special and sporty simultaneously. The black ceramic bezel perfectly frames the dial from space, which shows a silvery color and an irregular line pattern. With a bit of imagination (which is what a meteorite dial sparks in my case), the black sub-dials look like little planets in space.

The meteorite dial consists of iron and nickel and shows the result of unique crystallization within the material. Proper skill is required to create a thinly sliced meteorite dial showing the triangular Widmanstätten patterns, also known as Thomson structures. This 40mm Daytona variant is now discontinued, but when it came out in 2021, its retail price was €32,400. You will struggle to find one now on Chrono24 for less than €80K.

A Moonwatch with parts from outer space

Another chronograph with plenty of meteorite to show for itself is the Omega Speedmaster Apollo-Soyuz 35th Anniversary. This Speedmaster Professional ref. 311.30.42.30.99.001 came out in 2010 in a limited run of 1,975 pieces. The dial is completely done in “space rock,” but it shows different shades.

The meteorite used for the three sub-dials is a lighter gray than the main dial, creating a spaced-out reverse-panda look that has no equal. The original price was €6,150. If you want one and have a search on Chrono24, you should be ready to pay more than twice that sum.

Unexpected meteorite dials

Rolex and Omega are not the only brands creating dials from rocks that fell on our planet. Many Haute Horlogerie brands, like Jaeger-LeCoultre and others, have used the material to create dials. But lately, brands operating in a slightly or even much lower price bracket have had a go at meteorite dials too. “Meteorite for the masses” is a bit of an exaggeration, but what Frederique Constant and Zodiac did brought an otherworldly dial within reach of a different audience.

The Frederique Constant Classic Tourbillon Meteorite Manufacture debuted last year to celebrate the brand’s 35th anniversary. The watch is limited to 35 pieces, features a 39mm platinum case, and underneath the meteorite dial beats an entirely hand-finished in-house FC-980 tourbillon movement that shows its whirling qualities through the opening at 6 o’clock. The price? A cool €42,995. So, no, it’s not exactly a price that justifies the term “meteorite for the masses.” A look at Chrono24 reveals that there’s just one for sale, but it will cost more than its original asking price if you live outside the US and have to pay import taxes.

A spaced-out diver from Zodiac

The Watches.com × Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Meteorite also features a dial with interstellar origins, and it does so very surprisingly. The Super Sea Wolf, a historically interesting diver’s watch, is already a surprising platform to use because its variants are much more affordable than any other watch in this article. The Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Meteorite is limited to 182 pieces. It comes with a dial showing a fragment of the Muonionalusta meteorite, which crashed down approximately 800,000 years ago in the Norrbotten region of Sweden. The dial also suits the “space gray” DLC-coated case and bracelet perfectly. The original price of this collaboration watch was US$1,795 when it came out and sold out very quickly.

While this collaboration watch is almost impossible to find nowadays, there’s another meteorite-dialed Zodiac that’s easier to spot. The reference ZO9292 is not a collaboration. This Zodiac Super Sea Wolf Meteorite version shows no orange on the dial or gray bezel. Three reasonably priced examples are currently available on Chrono24.

Meteorite love with Louis Moinet

Before I tell you about my favorite meteorite-dialed watch, I must mention an exclusive and independent Haute Horlogerie brand that is mad about meteorites. Well, it’s not the brand, per se, but its owner, Jean-Marie Schaller. The man is a veritable harvester of meteorites. There’s a plethora of watches in the Louis Moinet collection featuring space rocks. For example, check out the recent Starman Flying Tourbillon, which has a slice of the Gibeon meteorite for the main dial. This meteorite fragment is dyed blue to mimic the night sky. Then, at the top of the dial, there’s a small circle crafted from the nearly black Jbilet Winselwan meteorite. Fun fact about this meteorite: it contains amino acids, a basic building block of life. This price-on-request 47.4mm gold watch is impressive but not the one I want to highlight. That would be a record-breaking one.

The most meteorites in a watch

With the Cosmopolis, the small independent brand Louis Moinet set a world record. The 12 heavenly treasures on the dial of the Louis Moinet Cosmopolis mean that this watch received a Guinness World Records title for the “most meteorite inserts in a watch.” It’s also the only watch of its kind since it’s a unique piece. Placed in the center of the dial is the rarest piece of space rock, a shimmering lunar meteorite.

I called Louis Moinet owner Jean-Marie Schaller a “meteorite harvester” earlier, and this quote is why: “I’ve been collecting exceptional meteorites for twenty years. Each has its own story. My collection contains rare pieces, like the lunar meteorite Dhofar 461, known for its white-speckled interior. And I have a valuable meteorite from Mars that is one of 300 samples identified today. I also have the famous Allende, the oldest rock in the solar system, and Erg Chech, the oldest magmatic rock known, which comes from a protoplanet that vanished at some point. As for the Jbilet Winselwan, what makes it remarkable are the traces of amino acid, which might well be the first signs of life in the cosmos.”

Picture: Ineichen Auctioneers

My favorite meteorite-dialed watch is…

It is not the most subtle choice, I grant you that, but the heart wants what the heart wants, and that’s a Rolex GMT-Master II in white gold with a ceramic Pepsi bezel on an Oyster bracelet with a light meteorite dial. I didn’t even know this was my favorite meteorite-dialed watch until I tried it on. But it became very apparent that this was the otherworldly watch for me when I got the chance to put it on my wrist and wear it for a little while.

The Rolex did have a little skirmish inside my head with the platinum Speedmaster Professional Calibre 321 ref. 311.93.42.30.99.001, though. Not only does this Omega have an astonishing pitch-black onyx dial, but it also features pieces of lunar meteorite for the three sub-dials — how appropriate for a Moonwatch. The watch is a subtle combination of iconic functionality and ultra-luxury. You have to look twice to see that the black dial is more than just a black dial. The gray sub-dials have that color because of the material they’re made of, and the shine of the case is just too lustrous to be ordinary steel. When you hold the watch, that also becomes very clear. This Speedmaster is under-the-radar chic, exclusive, and subtly stunning. Plus, its €72,300 price is no joke.

Pepsi from heaven

In the end, Rolex won the short imaginary fight and put the Omega in second place on my meteorite list. It wasn’t because of its lower price of €46,250 but because it shows more meteorite. It’s a light dial with just a bit of texture at a glance, but a close look sends you on a mental trip across the universe. The combination of a light dial with the blue and red bezel works for me because it doesn’t make the watch look like your average Pepsi. And putting an Oyster bracelet on instead of a Jubilee is also a clever move. The instrumental and functional look of the sporty bracelet doesn’t draw any unnecessary attention to it and will keep you gazing at something that fell from the heavens.

Do you have a thing for meteorite dials? Any favorites? Let me know in the comments below.

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Meteorite Monday Is A Thing: Otherworldly Meteorite-Dialed Watches From Omega, Rolex, Zodiac, And More

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JC
EdipisReks says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 11:03

Good article! JLC also has some beautiful meteorite dialed references that deserve consideration, especially the previous version of the triple calendar.

Reply
1. GP
  Skip72 says:
  
  Oct 24, 2024 at 13:37
  
  That is my favorite. I have debated buying one, but I know I will need to sell many watches if I do, plus obtain spousal permission before hand. My only reservation is the cost and hassle of servicing a JLC.
  
  Reply
FateAmenableToChange says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 12:33

Almost all precious metals on the planet are the consequence of a meteorite impact. It’s just that it happened 200 million years ago, and they got buried in the earth’s crust. In fact, the earth core consists of rather large amounts of iron and precious metals, which got there when cosmic matter started coagulating some 4.5 billion years ago. Summary: All minerals and metals on the planet come from space.

I’m just trying to say that the marketing stories around “Meteorite” dials are very hyped up. Most “meteorite” dials are made from iron meteorites, and are composed of 90% Iron. The irregularities you see in the dial are nickel, chrome, iridium and other deposits, which the steel industry would see as impurities. It’s neither rare nor particularly exotic material. I wish we’d stop hyping this as “otherworldly”. If it had impacted another world, we’d not be getting it rained down on our heads.

So while I applaud anyone’s enjoyment of their meteorite dialled watch, let’s not hype it up into a “thing”, please. There’s already too much hype in the watch industry as it is.

Reply
1. Gefraz says:
  
  Oct 21, 2024 at 13:36
  
  You must be great fun to hang around with at parties. 🤣
  
  I like the looks of meteorites, so I applaud the brand for putting them in watches. Omega’s Moonshine Apollo 11 model had a (non)iron meteorite for its case back.
  
  Reply
  1. FateAmenableToChange says:
    
    Oct 21, 2024 at 13:55
    
    Hey man, I don’t go to parties much. Rub it in why don’tcha? 🙂 All jokes aside, as I said, I have nothing against enjoying a Meteorite Dial watch, just like I don’t have anything against a garnet, onyx, silver or mother of pearl dial. The more the merrier, I say! Bravo!
    
    But I’m just tired of hyped up marketing BS, that’s all. The dial looks good enough without the hyperbole around it, wouldn’t you say? The life of a watch collector is beset on all sides by overzealous marketeers.
    
    Reply
2. Jonny says:
  
  Oct 21, 2024 at 13:45
  
  Whilst I share your view that when viewed on a large enough time-space scale, meteorites aren’t especially rare or special in terms of their composition. Indeed, lot’s of concepts become abstract/irrelevant when considered at universal spatio-temporal scales.
  
  The unique/rare thing about iron meteorites is the Widmanstätten pattern, formed during slow cooling in the vacuum of space. It’s this coarse crystalline metal structure that makes meteorite dials special.
  
  Reply
3. DG
  soboy says:
  
  Oct 21, 2024 at 15:57
  
  Very well said. They are not rare and I don’t find them particularly attractive, either.
  
  Reply
4. Jens says:
  
  Oct 21, 2024 at 18:18
  
  What’s hype about the marketing for meteorite dials? At least with meteorites, there is some intrinsic value and rarity like there is with precious metals, and the patterns are naturally formed and not man-made.
  
  A true example of hype-marketing is how Grand Seiko advertise their “zaratzu” polishing, which in reality is no better than the finshing of any other brand in the segment that involves some some lower-skill worker holding a machine-made case against a rotating wheel.
  Or the Grand Seiko dials, where an unattractive pattern is inexpensively stamped onto the dial and then marketed as “birch” or “bark” or whatnot.
  Or Spring-Drive, where quartz time-keeping is disguised as mechanical time-keeping.
  So while I commiserate with anyone who picked a Grand Seiko due to the unavailability or price of better watches, let’s not forget their hype marketing to luxuriate what is just an economy product. There’s too much of that already in the industry.
  
  Reply
  1. Gary Baptiste says:
    
    Oct 21, 2024 at 22:20
    
    Tough crowd ! I think the biggest hypemeisters must be omega with the flogging the speedmaster to death regarding the moon. I suspect any decently made modern day watch would survive the rigours of space now.
    
    Reply
  2. RDP says:
    
    Oct 22, 2024 at 00:11
    
    Totally agree. I’m glad someone finally said it about Grand Seiko…
    
    Reply
  3. Lightspeedy says:
    
    Oct 22, 2024 at 00:33
    
    Whether it’s because of the Zaratzu polish or not, the Grand Seiko watches have an outstanding finish. On the case as well as on the indices and hands.
    The Spring Drive with its ingeniously designed Tri-Synchro system, which regulates the rate of a fully mechanical quality movement, is much more than a quartz-controlled stepper motor. Only Seiko offers this and it really does combine the best of both worlds. Just as Seiko marketing promises 😊
    Next to my GS Spring Drive Chrono, even my Moonwatch and Daytona look pale. But they have other advantages. But they are all hyped – we as luxury watch lovers consciously accept this. And the higher the price range, the bigger the hype, right, PP and A. Lange?
    
    Reply
  4. FateAmenableToChange says:
    
    Oct 22, 2024 at 07:47
    
    Funny you would bring that up with such zeal. Got four of those at the moment, and I will say there is nothing on the market at the 5000-8000 euro price point that can even hold a candle to the Shunbun, just to name one of them.
    
    The spring drive movement is superlative, the high intensity titanium case is so solid that I can literally use it to carve my name in other watch cases, and the dial with its real estate sparkle like nothing else on the market unless you end up at players like Lange or JLC.
    
    So your view is noted, and you’re welcome to it, but something tells me it is not informed by actual experience with the watches themselves. Unless, and these people exist, you’re not detail oriented. Then those watches are moot, aside from their bomb proof construction.
    
    Reply
    1. Jens says:
      
      Oct 22, 2024 at 12:55
      
      Looks like you got really duped by the hype marketing of Grand Seiko, your opinions sound like their ad-copy. But that happens when your knowledge is pretty limited, as evidenced by how you put Lange and JLC at the same level.
      Four of them was it? My condolences.
      I don’t need you tell me that you have no experience with the meteorite GMT or platinum Speedmaster, or been in the same room as one of those watches, that’s crystal clear. While you’re still welcome to your opinion on them, and you probably think there are people who care to listen to it, but I’m not sure those people exist.
      
      Reply
      1. GP
        Skip72 says:
        
        Oct 24, 2024 at 14:03
        
        I have tried on GS and JLC gold cased watches one after the other, and I am not seeing any obvious case differences. I tried on a triple calendar moonphase and whatever random gold Grand Seiko was there. JLC movements are always a joy, but I could not discern meaningful differences in the case. What should one be looking for to see the differences in construction and finish?
        
        That segment is a solid tier or two above where i usually shop. I have often debated whether to sell off some of my watches and buy a nice gold piece, such as a JLC master calendar moonphase. My goal changed to an FP Journe Chronometre Blue ,but by the time I could buy it the cost increased beyond my means. That said, even when presented with that JLC I wanted in gold, I just could not pull the trigger. What am I missing?
        
        I am not a movement person (I am actually the only watch guy who loves quartz), but I am always up for remedying my own ignorance. I never saw JLC as having superior cases in the same way that say AP has a reputation for. Personally, FP Journe and Laurent Ferrier cases get me going more than anything else.
        
        Do you have any tips or references regarding JLC cases, or perhaps understanding JLC’s case construction quality? I have career experience with metals in general (mostly stainless steels and titanium), so my mind might have biases that are blinding me. I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on how to appreciate differences in gold finishing that I am missing.
        
        Reply
      2. FateAmenableToChange says:
        
        Oct 25, 2024 at 12:02
        
        You assume too much, sir. I’ve handled more than a few Lange’s, JLC’s and indeed a Rolex GMT with a meteorite dial, and the latter material is just not for me. In fact, modern GMT’s are not for me, because to my taste anything newer than a four digit is gauche. But that’s beside the point.
        
        Likewise, I feel platinum is a silly material for watches. It makes them needlessly heavy without adding any visual interest, so as far as precious metal goes I’m in the camp that would say go rose gold or go home.
        
        I will give you that I have not handled platinum speedmasters with a meteorite dial, but then I also refuse to. I am a total puritan in that regard. Speedmasters should come in black, black, black, or black, and the biggest modification to the original design I will accept is a sapphire sandwich and a NATO strap on a hot day.
        
        All of the above is a simple matter of taste. While we can debate our likes and dislikes, the fact that you feel an instinctive need to trash talk a random stranger on the internet because they like something else than you says more about you than about me, or the watches I bought.
        
        I am amazed the moderators at Fratello allow this tone of voice, really.
        
        Reply
5. GP
  Skip72 says:
  
  Oct 24, 2024 at 13:47
  
  I think the hype around mechanical movements is worse. A meteorite dial is actually a unique aesthetic enhancement. The hype problems mostly center around fake “technology” in watchmaking. It is completely normal for jewelry to be organized and marketed around how attractive it looks or how distinctive. Enamel dials, lacquer dials, new luminescent paint, these are legitimate, understandable aspects of a watch or similar jewelry.
  
  A silly, ridiculous hype characteristic would be Omega’s ridiculous marketing around its coaxial escapement, or other “movement technology.” The meteorite dials are infinitely more relevant that pure marketing hype, such as calling jewelry a “tool.” The worst marketing hype machines are the simpletons parroting movement hype from Swiss megacorporations. Do not get me wrong, I love the look of a beautifully finished movement, but I am not so brainwashed as to imagine that these pieces of jewelry are “tools” like a military-issue g-shock.
  
  If you are concerned about hype, perhaps focus on the actual hype, not value decorative elements of the watch segment in the jewelry industry.
  
  Reply
  1. FateAmenableToChange says:
    
    Oct 25, 2024 at 12:07
    
    Quite right. The best movement currently in production on the planet is the Citizen 0100 caliber, which does a solar powered accuracy of +/- 1 second per year, while being superior in terms of shock resistance and anti-magnetic properties.
    
    Anything that measures accuracy in gains or losses per day is woefully inept at measuring time, and can be seen as an steampunk-like oddity for hobbyists.
    
    That said, I get a kick out of these little anachronistic machines. And they’re cool to tinker with, if you buy some tools and a cheap movement from somewhere. Very therapeutic.
    
    Reply
    1. GP
      Skip72 says:
      
      Oct 25, 2024 at 22:33
      
      I agree wholeheartedly. I sold a chronograph pocket watch years ago, and I have missed it more than any other watch. I have an old JLC alarm clock that I get a kick out of as well. As vintage watches become ever more out of reach, I find myself drawn to clocks and pocket watches
      
      Reply
PB
Paul_B says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 13:26

My meteorite watch which I can warmly recommend, coming from a brand actively ignored on mainstream horology sites (I assume out of cultural racism), is Wise Adamascus AD9M Meteorite. A well designed and executed affordable everyday sporty-dressy watch.

Wise is a microbrand from Thailand.

Reply
1. TW
  Berlin_Tony says:
  
  Oct 22, 2024 at 01:34
  
  I just googled Wise Adamascus AD9M Meteorite & yes, that is a very handsome looking watch
  
  & at an astonishingly low price too
  
  Reply
2. AF
  Freeza says:
  
  Oct 22, 2024 at 12:51
  
  Seen a few of their watches reviewed on an Aussie watch YouTube channel.
  
  Always been pretty impressed with the quality vs price aspect.
  
  Reply
MG
maciej-g says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 14:12

My thoughts always are–how many meteorites have we collected that we keep slicing them to make watch dials…? Should we not protect them? Or do we really have plenty?

Reply
1. DavidS says:
  
  Oct 21, 2024 at 15:52
  
  ….And what other things are meteorites used for?
  
  Reply
  1. MG
    maciej-g says:
    
    Oct 21, 2024 at 16:12
    
    Ha, well, perhaps you’re right… perhaps they came down for watch brands to make dials…:-)
    
    Reply
2. FateAmenableToChange says:
  
  Oct 22, 2024 at 07:50
  
  From my perspective we should rather stop strip mining our lovely little earth. So if something falls down on us that we can just pick up and use, go for it.
  
  There is infinite matter in the universe. Smoke it while you have it.
  
  Reply
  1. MG
    maciej-g says:
    
    Oct 22, 2024 at 09:35
    
    Well, you do have a point.
    
    Reply
xbarx1 says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 15:55

Anything that was flying around in space for millions of years and then crashed to Earth is special. The universe has provided us with a planet and keeps on giving. That’s some big picture cool stuff right there.

Reply
DM
TacoPants says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 16:28

Man, that “Pepsi from heaven” is the ultimate guilty pleasure watch. I’d wear the crap out it around the house. I’d never stop starting at it. My face would hurt from grinning. But I’d feel ostentatious wearing it to the office or out with friends… But as a thing solely for my eyes, it’s soooo good

Reply
TW
Berlin_Tony says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 17:10

Meteorites are magnetic – how are these dials de-magnitzed before use?

Reply
1. Enuona says:
  
  Oct 22, 2024 at 02:07
  
  That`s how they attracts buyers – magnetism 😉
  
  Reply
AF
Freeza says:

Oct 21, 2024 at 22:27

Hodinkee did a Zenith triple calendar in meteorite just the other day.
I thought the press photos looked ordinary.

But some later real life photos showed how nice the watch looked.

Reply
FB
FBCello says:

Oct 23, 2024 at 01:36

Rolex used to do Meteorite dials in Steel.
I love my wife Meteorite Steel Oyster date in 31
Of course now, only precious metal deserves That dial for some reason…. ($$$$)

Reply
GP
Skip72 says:

Oct 24, 2024 at 13:36

I have wanted a meteorite dial watch for ages. I simply cannot obtain one. Every time I see one I want and can afford, they are sold out. I love that Speedmaster, but there is no way I could swing the price. I have tried Zelos, Formex, but I simply cannot win. I am half tempted to buy a meteorite mod dial and build one myself.

Reply
1. PB
  Paul_B says:
  
  Oct 25, 2024 at 00:24
  
  Again: Wise Adamascus AD9M.
  
  Reply