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Omega Speedmaster

Posted 27th Apr 2011

The Omega Speedmaster is steeped in history, and its journey to the moon is a well-documented, often recounted story. Its ascension to becoming NASA’s choice watch didn’t happen over-night however, and wasn’t ever the original intention by Omega.

Omega has deep ties with sport and timing, and is the only ever official timekeeper for the Olympic games. The Speedmaster was introduced in 1957 to coincide with this timekeeper reputation, its numbered tachymeter bezel and chronograph function laid out over a clear, plain dial that allowed quick and easy use. It was originally launched with chunky broadarrow hands, which were swapped to alpha hands in 1959 and then again to the traditional baton hands. It was powered by the Calibre 321, a development of the hand-wound chronograph movement produced by Lemania, who were taken over by Omega’s parent company in 1932.

In 1962, the Sigma 7 spacecraft orbited Earth six times, with astronaut Wally Schirra at the helm. Wally had taken with him his own personal Omega Speedmaster, so when NASA gathered together a selection of watches for flight-testing, it came already recommended. Amongst the brands chosen for testing were Hamilton, Longines and Rolex. The challenges the watches undertook pushed them to the very limits, including testing at high and low pressure, temperatures from as low as -18° C to as high as 93° C, both in and out of water, 40G shock testing, vibration testing and noise testing. The only watch left standing was the Speedmaster. NASA’s only request was for a hesalite crystal rather than sapphire to prevent it shattering in an impact.

The Speedmaster was inaugurated after becoming ‘officially flight qualified for all manned space missions’ on the Gemini 3 mission, on the wrists of astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young in 1965. A year later, the Speedmaster faced its next trial – a stint around the wrist of G4C space suit, worn by Ed White on the first American space walk. The watch was in use by all Gemini astronauts until the end of the program in 1966. The word, ‘Professional,’ was added to the dial.

The Apollo missions continued the use of the Speedmaster, including both the Apollo 11 moon landings, and the lucky escape of the Apollo 13 crew. In 1969, the Speedmaster MkII was introduced, with a revised case, bracelet and crystal. An automatic movement was developed for the Speedmaster MkIII and MkIV in 1971 and 1973, and various complications were also available. The Speedmaster name was also used for watches with tuning fork and LCD quartz movements. The most recent model – and another watch used by NASA – was the Speedmaster X-33, an ana-digi watch used on board both the MIR and International Space Stations.

The Speedmaster name will always be synonymous with space, but its origins and development shows that it is so much more than a marketing gimmick. After all, NASA would only use and continue using the very best technology it could get hold of, and the continuing success of its missions proves that. Omega really is the very best thing in time and space.