A True Tale of the Moonwatch

The 1950’s were a period of great accomplishment for mankind. In 1957 however, at the time in which the first Omega Speedmaster was presented, the term “Moonwatch” simply held no meaning. Back then, it was inconceivable that an individual would ever step foot on the surface of the moon. The first Speedmaster was not created as an astronaut watch, but as a robust sports and racing chronograph. Auto racing enjoyed increasing popularity during the late 50s and the goal of Omega was to become more engaged with clientele highly engaged in motorsports.

The very first Speedmaster (Ref. CK2915) was created to meet the style-conscious needs of race car drivers and motorsport enthusiasts, and indeed, the design and functionality of the watch highly demonstrates the prominent position of the manufacturer in the watchmaking industry. The Speedmaster is considered to be the first timepiece in which a tachymeter scale was shifted from the dial of the watch to the bezel of the watch in order to assist in measuring speed. Thanks to this new design, the dial of the watch gained clarity and the overall legibility of the display was improved. Considering 1950s style inclinations, the size of the Speedmaster was comparatively large with a steel case measuring 39-millimeters.

Connoisseurs distinguish the very first generation of the Speedmaster based on two characteristics: the first being the “Broad Arrow” shape of the hands and the second being the stainless steel bezel. When it comes to most successor models – and thus the later Moonwatch model – the original bezel and broad arrow hands were replaced with an aluminium bezel and baton hands. Omega clientele delightfully received the initial “pre-moon” Speedmaster, but the big breakthrough of the watch was yet to come.

1961 marked the year that the charismatic John F. Kennedy roused faith in the hearts of men. It was not only citizens of the United States of America who were moved by the words of the president. The hearts of individuals around the globe, curious of such an exhilarating and daring adventure, were enthused by the unprecedented and courageous goal of man venturing to the distant moon and back.

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.

– John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961

In preparation for the Gemini and Apollo missions, NASA engaged in a search for a watch that could function precisely whilst withstanding the extreme conditions of outer space. It is here that watch fans argue upon whether NASA called for watch brands to submit their timepieces for testing or whether NASA independently preselected watches of their own accord for testing.

The latest version of the story has it that NASA employee James H. Ragan officially solicited bids to several brands in order to have them submit timepieces that would thereafter be tested for specific qualifications. Once timepieces were procured from several different brands, they underwent rigorous testing. NASA tested functionality in zero gravity, shock resistance, and a resistance to magnetic fields among several other competencies. There was only one model that could surpass the rigorous and exacting test of NASA however, and that was the Omega Speedmaster.

On October 3, 1962, the Speedy ventured into space for the first time as the astronaut Walter Schirra wore his personal wristwatch aboard the famous Mercury Atlas 8 spacecraft. It wasn’t until three years later in March of 1965, that the Speedmaster met the extensive requirements of the space agency and gained the official status of a NASA watch – worthy of being strapped on the wrists of all astronauts attempting NASA space missions. That same month, the Speedmaster found itself aboard the Gemini 3 mission.

On July 3rd, 1965, the subsequent Gemini 4 mission took place, which became famous for the first American space walk. Ed White, one of the astronauts aboard the mission, ventured out of the spacecraft and floated freely in the atmosphere of outer space. Photographs of White made history and strapped across his left arm is the incomparable Omega Speedmaster.

In order to highlight the official usage of the timepiece in space and the excellent performance of the Speedmaster, Omega incorporated the word “Professional” into the Speedmaster name starting in 1966 onwards. Since then, the name “Speedmaster Professional” has adorned the dials of the timepieces.

That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

– Neil Armstrong, July 20, 1969

The Apollo 11 mission was a critical milestone for the civilization of mankind. On July 16, 1969, the Saturn V rocket launched the mission from the Kennedy Space Centre with the aim of landing the first men on the moon. The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael Collins – all of whom were equipped with the reliable Omega Speedmaster.

On July 20th, 1969, the Lunar Module Eagle made history and landed on the surface of the moon. Six hours later, Neil Armstrong stepped out onto the lunar surface. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!” – this is a phrase that is widely familiar to most. But what some watch lovers may not know is that Armstrong, who was the first astronaut to step foot on the surface of the moon, left his Speedmaster (Ref. ST105.012) behind in the Lunar Module. Therefore, the first watch worn on the moon was strapped around the arm of Aldrin.

Following the safe landing of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong and Aldrin became international heroes and along with them, the Omega Speedmaster became an iconic timepiece. Following the mission to the moon, the Speedmaster began to be referred to as the Moonwatch and not surprisingly, became a timepiece of immeasurable prominence. Since then, the phrase “First Watch Worn On The Moon” has been engraved into the case back of the Speedmaster Professional “Moonwatch”.

Just like the moon landing, the Moonwatch is shrouded by myth and there are many legends surrounding the timepiece worn by Aldrin. Unfortunately, upon its return from the moon, Aldrin’s Speedmaster was eventually lost en route to the Smithsonian Institution.

The Aldrin timepiece is considered the Holy Grail in the world of watches and for many years, vintage watch enthusiasts have been arguing over the possible location of the watch and what specific reference number was assigned to the watch. Was it the ST145.012 or the earlier ST105.012? According to the latest findings, it seems to have been the reference ST105.012 although the search for the original Moonwatch continues.

Although the Speedmaster had already passed demanding NASA testing, the greatest challenge awaited the dependable timepiece. In 1970, the Speedmaster faced its biggest test during the emergency landing of the Apollo 13 mission.

Failure is not an option.

– Eugene F. Kranz, NASA-Flugdirektor, 1970

More than three-quarters of the way to the moon, a debilitating explosion of a Service Module oxygen tank left the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission in a state of life-threatening crisis. “Houston. We have a problem.” – Jim Lovell proclaimed the legendary statement to mission control on April 14th, 1970. With limited power and resources, the mission to the moon was abandoned and the space crew had to quickly determine a plan of action to safely return to Earth. The astronauts on board decided upon a rescue plan within a very short period of time with the help of the supporting crew back at the Mission Control Centre in Houston, Texas. The Command Module was completely dead and due to scarce energy supplies, the Lunar Module was almost altogether powered down so that communications systems could remain viable. Therefore, the gravitational pull of the Moon was utilised so that the spacecraft would orbit around the moon in power reserve mode and continue on a path back to Earth. Once the spacecraft had completed its loop around the moon, it could safely return to earth.

However, the spacecraft needed to make two course corrections on the way back to mankind. Since the power of the Lunar Module had to be preserved and on-board electronics could no longer be utilized, it was here that the Omega Speedmaster engaged in a lifesaving role. Jack Swiggert used his mechanical Speedmaster to measure the precise second in which to ignite the engine of the flight and correct its earth-bound path. A mere 14 seconds were needed to ensure proper trajectory and consequently, land safely back on Earth.

The Speedmaster demonstrated the unconditional strength of mechanical watches and more importantly, was a reliable instrument that ensured the safe landing of the Apollo 13 mission.

Thanks to the brilliant performance of the Speedmaster Professional during the Apollo 13 mission, it was presented with the Snoopy Award – an honour awarded by NASA for outstanding achievements in relation to human flight safety or mission success. Omega has since celebrated this special award with the launch of Omega Speedmaster special editions, such as the Speedmaster Apollo 13 Silver Snoopy Award. The cooperation between Omega and NASA continues to stand strong to this day and the Omega Speedmaster Professional remains among the official equipment utilised by NASA astronauts.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional is a highly sought-after timepiece and has remained an integral part of the Omega collection for decades. Furthermore, Omega does not risk making significant changes to its flagship model: to this day, the Speedmaster Moonwatch has remained a hand-wound timepiece that comes equipped with a Hesalite glass and a diameter that measures 42-millimeters.

While no external modifications have been made to the Speedy, the inner workings of the watch have experienced some changes. The very first Speedmaster was fitted with a Calibre 321, which was developed by Omega in cooperation with Lemania. The powerful Calibre 861 replaced this movement in the 60s. Omega then began to manufacture its own in-house movements in the 90s and consequently renamed the movement fitted in the Speedy as the Calibre 1861 – a movement that powers the collector’s timepiece to this day. In models equipped with a transparent case back ticks the rhodium plated Calibre 1863. Throughout the history of the Speedmaster Professional, only what can be deemed as necessary changes have been made to the movement. In this way, the movement that beats at the heart of today’s Speedy highly resembles that of the original Moonwatch.

If Omega were to make drastic changes to the Speedmaster Professional, it is not only us watch lovers who would be discernibly upset. The legendary Moonwatch is famous around the globe and is an indispensable part of history. This watch is a representation of man’s ability to bravely seek the unknown and risk it all for the sake of wisdom, progress, and development.

Image Sources: NASA, CHRONEXT AG