OMEGA and the world of space exploration

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OMEGA AND THE WORLD OF SPACE EXPLORATION

The OMEGA Speedmaster has been the choice of astronauts and space agencies for more than half a century. In fact, it has been associated with some of humankind's greatest extra-terrestrial adventures and has been one of the most famous chronographs in the world ever since it became the first watch worn on the Moon in July of 1969.

SPEEDMASTER IN SPACE: THE MISSIONS

“The OMEGA Speedmaster’s legacy was ensured when, on July 21, 1969, it was the first watch worn on the Moon"

THE STORY OF THE MOONWATCH

The Speedmaster was launched in 1957 but its official space legacy started in 1965, when NASA qualified it for use on its piloted missions. Since then, it has been worn on all six lunar landings and earned the nickname “the Moonwatch”.

Timeline of an icon

1962

First mission
Wally Schirra wore his own Speedmaster on his Mercury mission on October 3, 1962. It was the first OMEGA in space.
1964

NASA's request
NASA requested quotes for wrist chronographs. OMEGA was one of four companies that submitted watches for testing.
1965

It's official!
NASA declared the Speedmaster "flight-qualified for all manned space missions" in 1965, first launching with Gemini 3 on March 23.
1965

A walk in space
Only three months later, Edward White wore his Speedmaster on America's first spacewalk on his Gemini 4 mission.
1969

The Moonwatch
On 21 July, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the lunar surface, the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch.
1970

Successful failure
In April, the Apollo 13 astronauts used their Speedmasters to time critical engine burns that led to their safe return.
1972

Lasting impressions
As part of Apollo 16, Charles Duke left a photo of his family on the moon, while the Commander of Apollo 17, Gene Cernan, left the last lunar footprints in history.
1975

Space handshake
In July, the American Apollo rocket docked with the Soviet Union’s Soyuz in space. All the spacemen wore Speedmasters.

TESTING THE SPEEDMASTER

The tests that NASA performed on the chronographs that were submitted to the agency in 1964 were designed to destroy the watches. In the end, only one watch survived: the Speedmaster.