Watch this Space
One small step for man, one giant leap for watch-kind. Nicolette Wong explores the history and evolution of the legendary Omega Speedmaster
The year was 1969, and history had just been made. Amid the powdery dust on the surface of the moon was a solitary footprint, marking the pinnacle of human engineering ingenuity. We had made it to the moon. Among the towering masses of rockets, engines and modules on the Apollo 11 mission lay a comparatively miniscule piece of equipment that would become a legend unto itself—the Omega Speedmaster. Nicknamed Speedy, the Speedmaster most famously graced the arm of astronaut Edward “Buzz” Aldrin when he descended from the lunar module to join compatriot Neil Armstrong to be the first men to ever walk on the moon. Despite the Speedmaster’s interstellar reputation, it didn’t begin life as the “Moonwatch”. The Speedy was originally released in 1957 as a racing watch, designed to allow race car drivers to determine their speed and distance travelled before the age of computers. Drivers used the chronograph complication and tachymeter scale to mentally calculate their essential on-road statistics—in fact, the Speedmaster was the first-ever chronograph wristwatch to have the tachymeter scale engraved on the bezel rather than printed onto the dial. That original 1957 Speedmaster “Broad Arrow”—so named for its distinctive hands—is highly sought after by collectors, since it’s the primogenitor of the Speedmaster’s legendary family tree. The Speedmaster family evolved and grew over the years, with many milestone moments. In 1959, Omega swapped out the steel bezel for a black one made from anodised aluminium, and the broad arrow hands gave way to pointed triangular “alpha” hands. This watch, coincidentally, was the first Omega to make it to space, on the wrist of Walter Schirra on the 1962 Sigma 7 mission of the Mercury programme. It was his personal timepiece and hadn’t yet been certified for space flight. That certification would come
in 1963, when the Speedmaster was the only watch among other contenders that survived Nasa’s rigorous testing for flight qualification. For the Speedmaster, 1965 was the true landmark year. Astronaut Ed White kicked off Omega’s reputation as the space watch when he wore a certified Speedy strapped to the outside of his spacesuit during the US’ first space walk during the Gemini 4 mission. Omega also launched the first Speedmaster Professional, which featured a number of design changes, including the word “professional” printed on the dial and an asymmetrical case to protect the crown and pushers. The alpha hands were also swapped out for baton hands, and the lugs were given their signature twisted shape. This watch would become the archetypal Speedmaster, and these elements would remain the defining characteristics of the line even up to today. Why? One of the reasons is that this model (the ST 105.012 ) is the Moonwatch, the one that would make it to the moon in 1969. It’s 1968 successor, the Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Chronograph is the watch that we all know and love today. It bore all of the same design features but swapped out the calibre 321 for the then-new calibre 861 and, post-1970, added a new element: the words “Flight-qualified by Nasa for all manned space missions”, and “The first watch worn on the moon” engraved on the caseback. Developments following the 1968 Speedmaster Professional were largely variations on the same theme. A self- winding movement was introduced in 1971, COSC certification in 1973, and Omega’s famed Co-axial escapement in 2005. All of these features were introduced as new editions, but the 1968 Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch remains untouched (save for the use of a new movement, calibre 1861). This isn’t to say that there haven’t been many Speedmasters introduced since, on the contrary. But it shows how beloved the Moonwatch is, that it stands as a pillar among its varied siblings. And yes, astronauts are still wearing it in space today. Since 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the Speedmaster line, it seems appropriate that Omega should choose to pay tribute to the first Speedy ever made by releasing a modern edition of its vintage 1957 ancestor. When said progenitor was launched, it was as part of a trio alongside the Railmaster and Seamaster. This year, the Speedmaster is once again paired with its siblings in a trilogy of watches that were faithfully replicated for this occasion. Omega used special X-ray scanning technology called tomography to map out the exact layout and dimensions of the original watches, and those scans were used as the blueprint for the 2017 Trilogy timepieces. The design of the Speedmaster Trilogy is faithful to the 1957 original, down to its 38.6mm case, steel tachymeter bezel, broad arrow hands, and the black “tropical” dials with the vintage beige indices. The indices have been brushed with Superluminova and the stainless steel bracelet has been updated for greater strength, but it’s otherwise a near-replica of the original.