The only watch with the honor to have been worn on the moon, the Omega Speedmaster, may well be the world’s most famous watch. Famous in the same way that the Mona Lisa is the world’s most famous painting, or Pele the most famous soccer player, Levis the most famous jeans and so on… Being famous implies something is a household name, and that regardless of who you are you’d likely be aware of that object’s existence and its iconic status. I think this terminology can safely apply to Omega’s flagship, the Speedmaster, which has the title of being the first watch worn on the moon. NASA was instrumental in taking what was a standard model, straight off the production line chronograph, launching it to the moon and landing it safely back to earth transformed into the “Moonwatch.”
Let’s take a step back to the late 50s and 60s when the political rivalry between the superpower allies, the United Sates and the Soviet Union was at high octane levels. Each of these ‘super-states’ possessed weapons of mass destruction and were capable of annihilating one another. Nevertheless, there was very little use for weapons on the battlefields during the Cold War era and what started as an Arms Race developed into a Space Race. The hostilities between the East and West were palpable but continued to be waged mainly on political, economic and propaganda fronts which lasted for decades to follow. It was against this backdrop, that a technological advantage (demonstrated by spaceflight achievement) was seen as necessary by both the United States and the Soviet Union for national security. This also became a strong part of the symbolism and ideology of the time.
Omega introduced its Speedmaster during this period, the first in 1957 the reference CK2915, it was the first chronograph to feature the tachymeter scale on the bezel and not on the dial, an influential innovation that would see many brands emulating this design feature in chronographs to come. It was also the first Speedmaster to use the Omega in-house 321 calibre movement, well regarded as a robust and accurate movement, precisely geared for race track use.
Prior to being selected as part of the official NASA astronaut kit, the high precision, water resistant, and easy to read Speedmaster had already travelled to space twice: in 1962, worn by astronaut Walter Schirra during the Sigma 7 mission, and in 1965, worn by astronaut Ed White during his spacewalk during the Gemini IV mission. As the space race gathered momentum, US president John F. Kennedy asked the US Congress to commit to the goal of “landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth” before the end of the decade.
It was deemed vital to equip the astronauts with a timepiece that could support their extravehicular activities and endure the extreme, and literally out-of-this world challenging conditions, that awaited them in space. Watches from ten brands were submitted and put through their paces, but only three were shortlisted, Rolex, Longines, and Omega. These watches underwent a series of gruelling tests, including severe temperature fluctuations, shock tests, high and low temperatures, and decompression simulations. Leaving its competitors in its wake, the Speedmaster emerged unscathed, demonstrating a level of resilience that made it the perfect candidate for space missions. On March 1 1965, NASA announced the Speedmaster as the official hardware for its astronauts.
The moon landing broadcast drew a record 650 million viewers around the globe. Both astronauts had been issued ref 105.012 Speedmaster models, but Neil Armstrong had been forced to leave his behind in the command module, piloted by Michael Collins, as a backup for a failing electronic timer. That left Buzz Aldrin’s Speedmaster, wrapped firmly around the outside of his bulky spacesuit, to become the first watch to be worn on the moon.
That day, the course of history and human achievement forever changed, and the fame of the Omega Speedmaster was justly earnt. Making it the most inspiring and historically significant story behind a watch of all time. It left for the Moon as a Speedmaster and retured safely to the Earth as the ‘Moonwatch’ forever more.
By Patricia Kontos, Senior Jewels & Timepieces Specialist
Top Image: American astronaut Neil Armstrong NASA Apollo 11 moon landing / Alamy
February 2025