Omega Speedmaster Professional: ‘The Moonwatch’

On my previous post I briefly talked about the history of Omega as a storied Swiss watchmaker. The Omega Seamaster Aquaterra was the first Omega watch that I ever own. I loved it so much that I went to buy my second piece, which is none other than the Speedmaster Professional.

Birth of an Icon: A pioneer in space exploration

The Speedmaster professional was born in 1957 as part of its ‘professional’ line. Two other professional lines were the Seamaster 300 and Railmaster. Originally it was not designed to be used in space. Rather, it was targeted for race car drivers and engineers who could use its chronograph function and tachymeter scale to calculate speed.

In the early 1960s, NASA began searching for a reliable chronograph for its astronauts on the Gemini and upcoming Apollo missions. They anonymously purchased chronographs from several brands for testing. These watches were subjected to a series of extreme tests, such as high and low temperatures, G-forces, impacts, vibrations and vacuum conditions. Lo’ and behold, the only watch to pass a battery of tests designed by NASA was the Omega Speedmaster. It was soon declared as ‘Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions’.

The watch was also known soon after to be part of the first spacewalk, performed by Ed White, who wore his Speedmaster during the first American spacewalk on the Gemini 4 mission in June 1965.

In July 21 1969, Neil Amstrong was first to step onto the Moon, but he left his Speedmaster inside the Luna Module as its mission time had malfunctioned. Buzz Aldrin, however, wore his Speedmaster when he walked on the lunar surface, making it the first watch worn on the Moon.

During Apollo 13, in 1970, the Speedmaster played crucial role in the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew. The watch literally saved the lives of those astronauts of that mission.

Why I bought this watch

With such a storied heritage, a watch that was witness to a crucial time in space exploration and technological prowess that humankind had to offer, it is very humbling to own a piece of history and no other watch (in my eyes) does this. The 2024 whit dial Speedmaster Professional that I got is a fantastic piece that combines the unparalleled heritage with a modern twist with an eye-catching aesthetic. The white dial offers a very distinct personality within the Speedmaster family, often seen as a bit more ‘summery’ or ‘technical’ depending on the execution.