2019 marks a turning point for all watches and history enthusiasts. Indeed, in a few months, on July 21, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human establishment where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin fulled the lunar soil, an Omega Speedmaster on the wrist.
A little story ...
Omega in 1957, proposed his first Speedmaster chronograph under the reference CK2915, same year of birth as the railmaster and the Seamaster 300.
As early as 1962, NASA acquired several chronographs from famous factories such as Rolex, Hamilton, Longines and, what interests us for our words, Omega. It was only two years later that an official tender was launched. Having become the symbol of the conquest of space, the choice of speedmaster was therefore the result of a long reflection and a heavy specifications of NASA.
Appeared in 1964, the reference ST 105.012 has an asymmetrical case to protect the pushers and the crown against any possible hung. She benefited from the path drawn up by her elder the reference 105.003, because it was the latter who had to pass all the tests required by NASA.
If we can say for sure that it is an Omega Speedmaster 105.012 that was carried by Neil Armstrong. On the other hand, doubt still hovers on the reference of Omega to the wrist of Buzz Aldrin. It may have had the reference 145.012, which appeared later, in 1967. No matter .... it is an omega and it is a speedmaster.
As if the speedmaster had not yet acquired enough letters of nobility, the story would like that during a dash clock failure in the device, Armstrong would have palliated the incident using a speedmatster. As for whether it was his own or that of Aldrin, the mystery remains.
All these events have therefore contributed to the reputation and prestige of the famous speedmaster, of which we present two different references to you, the first vintage and the second modern.
1969 - Vintage speedmaster
Our reference is a 145022-69 dates from the same year as the establishment, 1969. We find the classic round steel box 42 mm in diameter with the black epoxy telescope, but unlike the references of the famous astronauts, it has protective shoulder for the crown. Its mechanical movement with manual reassembly is equipped with an 861 caliber.
The particularity of our watch is its very beautiful chocolate patinated dial with tritium indexes, hence the warning at 6 am "T Swiss Made T". This time patina marks a single imprint.
2005 - Modern speedmaster
In contrast, on our 2005 model, the box background is different: there is the famous inscription "The First Watch Worn on the Moon". Indeed, since the establishment, Omega has engraved this formula on its speedmaster. On the dial, the indexes have been in Luminova since the prohibition of the use of tritium in the 1990s. The consequence is that these reflect the light longer and more intensely, but that they no longer benefit from the patina of time. The movement, still as reliable, has the famous 1861 caliber.
He is one of those objects that participate in historical events become icons and this is the case of Speemaster. Do not buy a watch, treat yourself to a legend!
Flash Match: Speedmaster 1969 vs 2005
2019 marks a turning point for all watches and history enthusiasts. Indeed, in a few months, on July 21, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human establishment where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin fulled the lunar soil, an Omega Speedmaster on the wrist.
A little story ...
Omega in 1957, proposed his first Speedmaster chronograph under the reference CK2915, same year of birth as the railmaster and the Seamaster 300.
As early as 1962, NASA acquired several chronographs from famous factories such as Rolex, Hamilton, Longines and, what interests us for our words, Omega. It was only two years later that an official tender was launched. Having become the symbol of the conquest of space, the choice of speedmaster was therefore the result of a long reflection and a heavy specifications of NASA.
Appeared in 1964, the reference ST 105.012 has an asymmetrical case to protect the pushers and the crown against any possible hung. She benefited from the path drawn up by her elder the reference 105.003, because it was the latter who had to pass all the tests required by NASA.
If we can say for sure that it is an Omega Speedmaster 105.012 that was carried by Neil Armstrong. On the other hand, doubt still hovers on the reference of Omega to the wrist of Buzz Aldrin. It may have had the reference 145.012, which appeared later, in 1967. No matter .... it is an omega and it is a speedmaster.
As if the speedmaster had not yet acquired enough letters of nobility, the story would like that during a dash clock failure in the device, Armstrong would have palliated the incident using a speedmatster. As for whether it was his own or that of Aldrin, the mystery remains.
All these events have therefore contributed to the reputation and prestige of the famous speedmaster, of which we present two different references to you, the first vintage and the second modern.
1969 - Vintage speedmaster
Our reference is a 145022-69 dates from the same year as the establishment, 1969. We find the classic round steel box 42 mm in diameter with the black epoxy telescope, but unlike the references of the famous astronauts, it has protective shoulder for the crown. Its mechanical movement with manual reassembly is equipped with an 861 caliber.
The particularity of our watch is its very beautiful chocolate patinated dial with tritium indexes, hence the warning at 6 am "T Swiss Made T". This time patina marks a single imprint.
2005 - Modern speedmaster
In contrast, on our 2005 model, the box background is different: there is the famous inscription "The First Watch Worn on the Moon". Indeed, since the establishment, Omega has engraved this formula on its speedmaster. On the dial, the indexes have been in Luminova since the prohibition of the use of tritium in the 1990s. The consequence is that these reflect the light longer and more intensely, but that they no longer benefit from the patina of time. The movement, still as reliable, has the famous 1861 caliber.
He is one of those objects that participate in historical events become icons and this is the case of Speemaster. Do not buy a watch, treat yourself to a legend!