Apollo Reloaded

The new generation of the OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch

The OMEGA Speedmaster’s history with space exploration has a legacy that spans over 50 years. Myriad stories have been told and retold ,from the first American spacewalk to the first moon landing, the Apollo 13 rescue and the consistent lunar returns in the early ‘70s. Space exploration, then, was a hot trend, if one may so bold ly claim.It was a decade of curiosity, awareness, and action. Nations were putting the ill era of wars behind them and were heading towards a road of resetting and recovery.It was also a time when advanced technology was just starting to see the first rays of sunlight and man was eager to get their gears on overdrive. For this year’s new generation of moon watches, they’ ve taken after their famous predecessor, specifically the ST 105.102 that took off on the legendary Apollo 11 spaceflight.It’s no easy feat to create a new timepiece in the name of something as storied as the moonwatch of ‘69.I t’s not meant to be a mere reiteration, and neither should it deviate from how it was supposed to be. As Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, put sit, “When updating a sacred timepiece like the Speedmaster Moonwatch, every detail must be true to its original spirit. This chronograph is recognised the world over, so we’ve approached its design with the most sincere respect, while taking its movement to the next level.” The movement in question is the arrival of calibre 3861,a Master Chronometer-certified movement indicating its exemplary standard of precision and performance.It’s a significant step up from the previous generation of timepieces, with the addition of a co-axial escapement and an exceptional high magnetic resistance of up to 15,000 gauss. Keeping to a manual-winding movement, the watch is capable of running on up to 50 hours of power reserve.It’s also worth noting that Omega has come full circle with the METAS (Federal Institute of Metrology) stamp of approval; it was an OMEGA watch that was the first to receive the Master Chronometer certification in 2015.On the physical end, subtle design changes include a new minute track (with less divisions) and an updated five-link integrated bracelet that closes with a satin brush-finished clasp.The release includes versions in 18K Sedna™ gold,1 8K Canopus™ gold, and stainless steel. For a timepiece that has weathered the brutal conditions of outer space, one would have determined that its primary form, as it were in ‘69,was vindication enough to operate efficiently as the tool watch that it is.Do we really need to see it kitted out with a high-grade movement, encased in proprietary gold, barely-there facelifts, and straps that have us spoilt for choice? Yes, yes we do.For as long as OMEGA stands and the legacy of the moonwatch continues to reap, its evolution is bound for infinity—and beyond.

For as long as OMEGA stands and the legacy of the moonwatch continues to reap, its evolution is bound for infinity — and beyond.