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Planet Omega

Our space legacy

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 astronauts were our heroes. Our whole lives revolved around space and OMEGA was the watch that went to the moon.”

George Clooney

GEORGE CLOONEY REMEMBERS

George Clooney was 8 years old in 1969. He remembers gazing up at the moon, hoping to see the astronauts. By his side was his father, an OMEGA wearer, and that special moment cemented his love for space exploration and the Speedmasters that played a part.

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”.

A CHRONOGRAPH BECOMES THE MOONWATCH: TIMELINE OF AN ICON

The Speedmaster has been on some amazing journeys – here are 8 highlights

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.

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

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.

THEN AND NOW

In 1998, the MIR space station was used as an orbiting test laboratory for the Speedmaster X-33, which was presented to the world via a live satellite link-up. 2014 saw the launch of the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33. And the classic “Moonwatch” remains a constant companion to astronauts more than 50 years after it was first worn in space.

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THE 60th ANNIVERSARY

In 2017, OMEGA is proudly celebrating 60 years of the Speedmaster. First known for its precision, strength and reliability, it’s incredible to think that this sports chronograph has now evolved to become an icon of space exploration and style.

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THE MOONWATCH FOR A NEW GENERATION

Rhapsodized and romanticized, the moon, whose surface has been explored by only twelve human beings, continues to be magical and alluring. It was the adventures of the Apollo astronauts that inspired several versions of the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon, as well as the recent Speedmaster Moonphase Master Chronometer.

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Images Courtesy of NASA and ESA