To commemorate the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission to the Moon, Omega has released a limited edition remake of a watch presented to astronauts, NASA personnel, and president Richard Nixon himself.
In July 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin launched aboard a Saturn V rocket bound for the moon. On each astronaut’s wrist was the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph. The watch has since, unsurprisingly become known as the Moon Watch.
Following the success of the Apollo 11 mission, Omega produced 1,014 commemorative gold Speedmaster watches with, “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.” inscribed on the back. These watches were presented to Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin, NASA personnel and the president, Richard Nixon in November 1969. Due to White House protocol, however, Nixon was unable to keep his.
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, Omega has released a new gold Speedmaster. Like its predecessor, only 1,014 of the watches were produced. If you’re lucky enough to get to but one, it’s going to set you back £25,600. Due to their historical significance and limited nature, however, the watch will likely be worth significantly more than the price tag almost instantly.
Although a remake of the original, Omega has updated much of the design and mechanics of the watch. The most notable difference between the two is the remake’s use of what Omega calls “Moonshine Gold”. The proprietary gold alloy incorporates palladium to 18k yellow gold resulting in a paler hue. The new paler gold colour is perfectly accented by the scratch-resistant ceramic burgundy bezel and black hands and hour markers.
