The History of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch
Omega Speedmaster ref. 145.014 / Credit: Kyotoya Pawnshop
The Omega Speedmaster, also known as the 'Moonwatch', is widely revered even outside of the watch community. From the Speedy Tuesday hashtags to the ad campaigns with John F. Kennedy, the Omega Speedmaster has become a staple in Western culture and a reference point in horology. But how did it go from astronaut equipment to cultural icon?
The first Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch was released in 1957 as part of Omega's ‘trilogy’ of tool watches (the other two being the Seamaster and the Railmaster). The Speedmaster quickly became popular for being the first chronograph to host a tachymeter scale on its bezel. The watch's popularity increased when it was chosen by astronaut Walter Schirra as his personal timepiece for the Sigma 7 mission in 1962. It was by seeing astronauts like Schirra bring their personal watches on missions that NASA recognized the need to include a timepiece as part of their official equipment. NASA declared the Speedmaster to be “flight qualified for all manned space missions” for its first official voyage on March 23rd, 1965; its second mission would be on board the famed Apollo 11 in 1969.
Apollo 11 is what really propelled the Omega Speedmaster into stardom; 600 million people were watching when Buzz Aldrin, wearing the Omega Speedmaster, joined Commander Neil Armstong on the surface of the moon (which is where the 'Moonwatch' moniker comes from). The following year, during the problematic Apollo 13 mission, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch saved the lives of the crew when, due to an equipment malfunction, Commander James Lovell was forced to use the chronograph to time the ship’s re-entry rockets, allowing them to safely descend into Earth’s atmosphere. That resulted in the Speedmaster being presented the Snoopy Award by NASA, which is where the Snoopy special edition Omega Speedmaster comes from.
Since then, the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch has cemented itself as the timepiece of choice for astronauts, including from other space agencies. Its deep connection to space history is largely what has boosted its standing amongst watch collectors over the years.