The Omega Speedmaster

The Omega Speedmaster is one of the most iconic and important watches of the 20th century. Ever since its introduction in 1957 the Omega Speedmaster Professional has been a staple in the watch industry because of its classic and original design. This amazing design combined with its robustness makes for a very special watch.

The history of the Omega Speedmaster

First introduced in 1957 the Omega Speedmaster was designed to be a reliable chronograph with a robust case while still being legible. One of the features that made the Speedmaster Professional more legible was the introduction of a tachymeter scale on the bezel, creating the iconic look of the Speedmaster watches.

The Ed White Speedmaster

This first Speedmaster was also called ´Ed White´ because of its connection to astronaut Ed White. This special watch also featured the illusive 321 Omega caliber. Nowadays these pre-owned Ed White Speedmasters are very rare and quite valuable!

NASA request

In 1963 NASA requested Omega to make a watch that could withstand the pressures of space and would be able to go on space missions. Omega did not disappoint a made the famous Speedmaster professional moonwatch which was the first official flight-qualified watch of NASA.

First watch worn on the moon

After a few versions of the Speedmaster it was finally time for its first spaceflight. In 1969 when Apollo 11 made contact with the moon and placed the first foot on the moon in human history while wearing an Omega Speedmaster professional. Ever since that moment the name Moonwatch was born.

Modern Speedmasters

In more recent years the Omega Speedmaster has seen many different designs and features. These new Speedmasters make use of modern technology making them even more robust and reliable. Some examples of more modern technology used are the addition of the co-axial escapement, sapphire crystal and the introduction of the master chronometer rating.

Special Speedmasters

Some Speedmasters even have different finishes and coatings like the Dark side of the moon Speedmaster which was a limited edition. There are many other limited editions like the X-33 Speedmaster or the Speedmaster racing dial. These limited editions make the Omega Speedmaster a very versatile design with many interpretations!