Omega has unveiled a stainless steel Speedmaster to mark the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission that first saw man set foot on the moon.
It joins a limited edition re-issue of a Speedmaster in gold with burgundy accents that was given to members of the moon landing team in 1969.
That gold and burgundy version was introduced earlier this year, and its production run of just 1,014 pieces is reportedly already sold-out.
Omega’s black, grey and gold stainless steel model is also described as a limited edition, but there will be 6,969 made. It will launch in September priced at £7,370 but pre-orders with 100% deposits are already being taken at Omega stores to secure one.
The watch’s dial is made up of a varnished grey centre and black outer ring. Omega’s trademarked 18ct Moonshine Gold is used for the indexes, hands and a vintage Omega logo.
Eagle-eyed customers will notice that the hour marker at 11 o’clock is the only one presented as a number, a reference to the Apollo 11 mission.
More obvious when it comes to the moon landing reference is the 9 o’clock sub-dial that features the famous image of Buzz Aldrin climbing down the ladder onto the lunar surface in gold on black.
Turn the watch over and an astronaut’s footprint on the dusty surface of the moon is recreated along with inscription “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind,” a linguistically-corrected version of Commander Neil Armstrong’s famous first statement back to earth.
Omega has used its new calibre 3861 for the watch, a successor to the calibre 1861 that has been upgraded with a co-axial escapement and Master Chronometer tested to an accuracy of +/- 5 seconds per day.
It is sold on a steel or black leather strap in a NASA-style presentation box with the watch mounted on its very own lunar lander. This is one watch where you will not want to lose the box and papers.
