Omega Speedmaster: Six Decades Beyond Earth
This article reflects on the Omega Speedmaster's six-decade history with NASA, highlighting its pivotal role in space exploration and its enduring legacy as the "Moonwatch." It traces the evolution of the Speedmaster from its 1957 origins as a racing chronograph to its qualification for spacewalks and its iconic status in human history.
- First watch worn on the Moon
- Only wristwatch NASA has qualified for spacewalks
- Original Speedmaster CK2915 introduced in 1957
- Speedmaster Professional is known as the Moonwatch
The original 1957 Speedmaster CK2915 featured a tachymeter scale engraved on the bezel, broad arrow hands, and a high-contrast dial for legibility.
The CK2915 was unusually large for its time at 38.5mm and was the first of four straight-lug Speedmaster references before the introduction of the asymmetrical case.
The Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy Award" 50th Anniversary features a silver dial with an embossed Snoopy medallion, a micro-structured metallization on the caseback depicting the far side of the Moon, and a rotating Earth disk.
The Gray Side of the Moon utilizes plasma-treated gray ceramic with a metallic appearance, achieved by chemically modifying the zirconia surface, offering scratch resistance and low weight.
The Speedmaster's journey began as one of three purpose-built instruments in Omega's 1957 trilogy, alongside the Seamaster 300 and Railmaster, intended for motor racing.