omega speedmaster moonwatch story

omega speedmaster, the nasa's apollo mission chronograph

Manufactured by Omega in 1957 for racing drivers or motor racing enthusiasts, this chronograph fitted with a tachymeter was one of the two watches selected in 1965 by NASA to accompany astronauts on the Moon. (the other model selected being a Bullova equipped with a piezoelectric movement: a model called Astronaut). This watch, equipped with a movement resulting from the collaboration between the omega brands and the lemania manufacture, is a seventeen-jewel movement produced between 1946 and 1968 referenced at lemania caliber 2310. it operates at eighteen thousand vibrations per hour, is equipped with a central wheel with columns and having a power reserve after complete winding of forty-two hours.

The Moonwatch Legend

It is difficult to evoke the American conquest of space without mentioning the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph, approved and selected by the NASA teams for the manned space flights of the Gemini and Apollo missions, then the Skylab-Apollo-Soyuz missions and later the missions assigned to the shuttles spatial. This famous chronograph, baptized Moonwatch, has undergone several internal evolutions from the 321 movement of its origins to the current models equipped with the caliber 861 without changing its appearance.



Variants and evolutions

Propelled to the top positions in watch sales in the 1970s, Omega attempted to extend the success of its Speedmaster Moonwatch by subjecting it to both material and aesthetic changes: In the 1970s a Speedmaster model designated Mark 2 was created, with round shapes adapted to the Space-Age and integrating perfectly into the Op-Art universe of these post-Vietnam War years. Later, the Speedmaster will be available in a smaller size and equipped with an automatic movement to satisfy an 80s clientele more attracted to this type of caliber. Today, a Dark-side of the Moon version embellished with a co-axial movement completes the range of the Speedmaster at the top of the range.

Vintage or Modern

Initially, the Omega Speedmaster three-counter chronograph will compete with a major competitor…. The Rolex Cosmograph… commonly called Daytona, but quickly handicapped by its high-end positioning and its image associated with the world of luxury and Jet-Set spangles, the famous three-counter chronograph from Rolex will be left behind in the NASA selections. It is finally with the Speedmaster that Armstrong will land on the Moon on July 21, 1969.



Quickly, it became obvious for the brand to decline the original model in very limited series, watches that have since been highly sought after by collectors. Among its editions in addition to the Gemini and Apollo mission models, the skylab, Japan, snoopy award models, and recently with the Speedy-Tuesday editions which gave birth to the Tintin, Ultra-Man and True Blue versions.

A record investment with potential comparable to the Rolex Daytona

In 2002, a speedmaster from the 1960s with the caliber 321 traded around 1300 euros, today, for the same model, it is not common to find that it is impossible to find a model in good condition. conservation below 15,000 usd.

With an international rating comparable to flagship rolex models such as the submariner, the cosmoghraph daytona, the sea-dweller or the sky-dweller, the omega speedmaster, strong in its years of nobility, is increasingly carving out the lion's share of sales. at auction as its success and notoriety is increasing among collectors and the public.