Description

Not many know that the first Speedmaster (Ref: CK2915), when introduced in 1957, was part of the Seamaster collection, and was originally launched as a sports/racing chronograph to complement Omega’s position as the official timekeeper for the Olympics. It was also the first chronograph to display a tachymeter scale on the bezel.
The movement was the legendary Cal. 321, which was first introduced in 1942 as a joint project between Omega and Lemania. Also known as Lemania Cal. 2310, it was supplied to the likes of Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Breguet among others.

Now onto the evolution of this model and how it accompanied NASA on a ‘giant leap’ in mankind’s history.
Omega was already enhancing the Cal. 321 by adding shock-protection and resistance to magnetic fields. And when NASA, in the early 1960s, was preparing for the Gemini and Apollo missions, they anonymously purchased a few chronographs from different brands for testing against the harsh conditions of outer space. They were tested for extreme temperature, humidity, pressure, shock, acceleration, decompression, vibration and even acoustic noise.
Only the Omega Speedmaster came out of it alive.

A few years later, in July 1969, NASA’s Apollo 11 successfully put mankind on the Moon. Later that year in November, Omega launched the Ref: BA145.022 – a commemorative edition of 1014 pieces, out of which the first and second pieces were presented to the US President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew respectively, and about 50 more were handed out to NASA Astronauts, Swiss Watch Industry leaders and heads of states. The watches were made in solid 18K gold, featuring a 42mm case, burgundy bezel, black onyx markers, black varnished hands and a solid gold dial.

50 years on, and several anniversary pieces later, in 2019 Omega revisited the exact reference to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the historic mission by paying an honest tribute to the original commemorative model, with the launch of another 1,014 pieces limited edition.

We present to you this homage piece (reference 310.60.42.50.99.001) in its original condition.
The watch is crafted entirely in 18K Moonshine Gold, an Omega-Patented gold and palladium alloy promising resistance against the usual discoloration of 18K gold as it ages.

The 42mm case, bracelet, clasp, the crown and the chrono pushers, the vertical brushed dial – are all made from this gold alloy. The hour-markers are also in gold with black onyx settings, and the hours-minutes hands (gold again with black varnish) give the dial a sharp contrast.

Enhancing the overall beauty is the ceramic burgundy bezel with the tachymeter printed in Omega’s Ceragold.
On the inside (and visible through the sapphire caseback) is the brand new Moonshine Gold-plated manual-winding Master Chronometer Calibre 3861. A fine expression of Omega’s technical prowess, the movement features a METAS certified Master Co-Axial escapement with a silicon balance spring.

The case-back also has a cool touch to it in the form of a decorative ring with inscriptions “APOLLO 11 – 50TH ANNIVERSARY 1969-2019”, and “THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON”
Omega has gone into great detail to make this piece as ‘commemorative’ as possible, the ring also has a small cutaway of Earth in gold and blue that shows the Americas on one side and right across from ‘Earth’ is a Moon created using an inlay of domed lunar meteorite.

While all this detail sounds a bit overwhelming, it has been laid out in extreme neatness, complementing the overall look of the watch beautifully.

Book an appointment with us if you desire this piece of art (and history).

Omega – bio

Omega was established in 1848 by Louis Brandt in La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. The company has been at the forefront of technology and innovation from its early days. In 1947, Omega created the Calber 301 – the first wristwatch tourbillon caliber in the world. Omega made history in 1962 when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first watch to enter outer space. Omega’s Speedmaster became the official watch of NASA on the American space missions such as the Apollo 11 Moonlanding in 1967 and the Apollo 13 in 1970 where the watch played a crucial role in bringing the astronauts back home safely. The brand has also been the official timekeeper of the Olympics since 1932. Since 1995 it has been serving as a crucial tool for the British Secret Service agent “James Bond” when it was first endorsed by Pierce Brosnan in the movie GoldenEye.
These diverse associations make Omega one of the most popular and recognizable watch brands in the world.