From SwissWatchExpo…
Watch History.
Omega Speedmaster.
From Race Track to the Moon.
When the Omega Speedmaster was launched in 1957, no one imagined that it would accompany
space pioneers to their missions, much less make history as the first watch on the moon.
Originally launched as a racing chronograph, the Speedy was made to measure different speeds,
but it turned out to be capable of so much more.
Here are key dates on its journey to the moon.
1957.
The Omega Speedmaster CK2915 was launched as a racing chronograph, to complement Omega’s
position as the official timekeeper of the Olympics.
Later relaunched as the Omega Speedmaster ‘57, the watch featured some of the Speedmaster’s
hallmarks: high-contrast markers, domed Plexiglas crystal, and the triple register chronograph
layout.
It had “Broad Arrow” hands ran on Calibre 321 that would change later on.
It was in 1962 that the Speedy would begin its journey to the moon.
Astronaut Walter Schirra used his personal Omega Speedmaster CK2998 on a mission to Mercury.
This means Omega has been in space before it was certified by NASA.
While it had no direct influence on procurement of watches later on, it helped initiate talks
of having an official watch worn during space missions, as using private items can pose
dangers.
In 1964, NASA finally began testing chronographs for official use in space.
They decided to procure watches from several brands such as Longine, Rolex, and of course,
Omega.
Through NASA’s Deke Slayton, distributors of the brands were asked to submit watches,
which were then subjected to a series of 11 intense, operational and environmental tests.
The watches’ headquarters were not made aware of these tests.
And in 1965, after several months of testing, only the Omega Speedmaster passed.
NASA declared it flight certified, and qualified for space exploration.
Reference 105.003 is the reference tested by NASA for use in space.
Together with the 105.002, this model changed several aspects of the Speedy, such as the
hands and simple white batons, that are still being used today.
The Omega Speedmaster has since been part of astronauts’ official instruments, but,
Omega would only find out during America’s first spacewalk mission – the Gemini 4,
where astronaut Ed White wore the Speedy on his wrist.
On July 20, 1969 the Apollo 11 embarked on the first manned lunar landing.
Per NASA standards, all astronauts were equipped with Omega Speedmasters.
Neil Armstrong becomes the first to step on the moon’s surface, but left his watch aboard
the spacecraft as a back-up.
Buzz Aldrin follows him, wearing his Omega Speedmaster.
The Speedy would then become the first watch on the moon, and officially known as the MoonWatch.
The Apollo 11 crew were wearing reference 105.012, which is also the model that most
influenced the Speedy as we know it today.
There’s the 42mm case, the Professional wording under the logo…
And, added post lunar mission, the words: “Flight-qualified by NASA for all manned
space missions.
The first watch worn on the moon.”
After the historic landing on the moon, the Speedy wasn’t done proving itself yet.
In 1970, the Speedmaster became a crucial part of the Apollo 13 mission.
This next lunar mission was meant to explore a certain area of the moon, but an explosion
on board threatened the operation – only getting 200,000 miles from Earth.
Its pilot Jack Swigert, relied on his Speedy to precisely calculate the crucial 14 seconds
of engine boost that the shuttle needed for its re-entry into the earth.
The Speedy would be awarded the Snoopy Award for this important contribution.
Space exploration would continue to flourish, and the Omega Speedmaster will be subjected
to a new series of tests, which it would pass successfully.
It would become the most tested watch in the world.
The reference 145.022 also became a turning point for the Speedy.
It was the last one to run on the Calibre 321 movement.
The quartz crisis of the 1970s, and the mainstream production of the Speedy, would prompt it
to use the simpler and less expensive Calibre 861.
This would mean the end of vintage Speedmasters, but also the start of the Limited Edition
era.
Since 1994, Omega has released a limited edition Apollo 11 anniversary Speedmaster every 5
years – a fitting tribute to one of the greatest moments in science, and to the wristwatch
that was a part of the adventure.
Since the historic 1969 moon landing, the Speedy has not lost an inch of its gravitational
pull - and remains an icon until today.
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