Thursday, September 10, 2015

The ‘First Omega in Space’ Speedmaster Chronograph


This Omega Speedmaster Chronograph is modeled after the first Omega watch that went into space and would soon become known as the “Moonwatch.”

On October 3, 1962, astronaut Walter "Wally" Schirra wore his personal Omega Speedmaster onboard the “Sigma 7” spacecraft of the Mercury program that orbited the earth six times. It marked the start of a long history of space exploration for the Speedmaster Chronograph as the official watch for all NASA manned missions and marketing gold that the Swiss watch brand has mined for more than 50 years.

Named “The First Omega in Space,” the look of this watch includes many of the original Speedmaster’s details along with some new touches. It is driven by the Omega caliber 1861, the same movement used in the Moonwatch.


The updated 18k Sedna gold case is based on the original “pre-professional” Speedmaster, with symmetric lugs and a 1962 Seahorse medallion on the caseback. Sedna gold is an alloy created by Omega.

On its face, the timepiece features a brown polished ceramic bezel ring and a matt chromium nitride tachymeter scale. The same brown color is included on the PVD subdials and minutes track that encircle the opaline silvery dial. Along with the applied indexes, the hands are all made of 18k Sedna gold and contain a mix of “Alpha” and “Baton” designs.

Each watch is numbered and the caseback has an engraving that reads “The First Omega In Space, October 3, 1962.”

The finishing touch is a vintage looking brown leather strap with beige stitching. 

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