THE Omega Speedmaster: Everything You Need to Know

hello watch lovers now this video is going to be a little different often on this channel we aim to show and inform you about as many watches as possible because the world of watchmaking is deep and wide with so many pieces to admire learn about and hey maybe even purchase occasionally if you're lucky and so sometimes we have to move quickly to fit it all in well we're not doing that today because today we're talking about just one watch The Omega speed master a watch that has lived life most of us can only dream about it's been tested to the edges of space survived Moon missions and yet still is a confidently casual pick for the coffee shop so buckle up speed freaks because we're unpacking one of the greatest watchmaking stories ever told this is everything you need to know about the Omega speed master the original speed master appeared in 1957 and it released alongside the rail master and the Sea Master 300 but I think if Omega knew what was in store for this now iconic chronograph it might well have named it the moon Master alas NASA hadn't even been founded in 1957 and its first space flight was still several years away and as with most chronographs of the era the speed master was initially intended for sports timing specifically Motorsports which were growing in popularity faster than Elvis's waistline sorry too soon the first generation model the reference CK 2915 was a little bit different to the speed master we know and love today although it featured the customary three register black dial it came with a military style broad Arrow handset and a Teter scale on a plain steel bezel unlike the one with an aluminium insert that arrived later powering the watch was the caliber 321 this manually wound movement is found in all the speed Masters worn by astronauts that made it to the moon and to this day no Omega caliber besides the 321 has graced the lunar surface the speed Master's first trip into space came in October 1962 when a similar watch the reference ck2998 was worn by NASA astronaut Wally shirah as he orbited the Earth in the oneman sigma 7 spacecraft as part of the Mercury Atlas 8 mission unfortunately as this was 2 years before NASA's official adoption of the speed master shirat didn't get a freebie from his employer and had to buy the watch with his own hard-earned money a few years later in 1965 after surviving a barrage of brutal tests that made Navy Seals selection training look like a sports day for frail old people the speed master was selected by NASA as its official time piece beating out chronographs from the likes of Rolex and lene and that same year saw the speed master embark on its first official NASA Mission this was the Gemini 3 space flight the first mission involving more than one astronaut and then months later Ed White made history when he became the first American to perform a space walk with his trusty speed master proving up to the task and yet the event that would anoint the speed master with Legend status came in 1969 when it was worn by the crew of Apollo 11 on its moon mission and when they got up there Neil Armstrong left his speed master behind in the Landing module as backup and so it was down to Buzz Aldren to ensure that Omega would have the ultimate bragging rights over its watchmaking Rivals for years to come but the greatest test of the speed Master's dependability in space was still yet to come during the Apollo 13 mission of 1970 an exploding oxygen tank threatened the lives of the three-man crew who were on route to the Moon forced to abort their mission and conserve energy they Switched Off Their digital timers leaving them to rely solely on their wristwatches to ensure their spacecraft re-entered the Earth's atmosphere at the correct Angle an exact 14se second burn of fuel was needed this was timed by Jack sart's speed master while his colleague James lvll used the Earth's Horizon to safely guide the craft to splash down in the Pacific Ocean as gratitude NASA awarded Omega its silver Snoopy award one of the highest honors within the organization ation and if you're wondering what Charles schulz's Plucky cartoon beagle has to do with space travel it's because NASA was Keen to adopt a symbol that the US public could identify with and everyone loves Snoopy don't they thus from 1968 a Snoopy pin badge was awarded by the astronauts to outstanding NASA employees and contractors and there are now several silver Snoopy versions of the Omega speed master and each one is highly sought after by Omega devotees over the years many speed Masters have come to be known as Moon watches but in reality few of these would meet NASA's stringent Demands a true Moon watch one capable of surviving NASA's tests must tick a few vital boxes these include a hesite crystal rather than a sapphire one as it's less prone to shattering no astronaut wants his space suit punctured by a glass Splinter or indeed to bite down on one that's landed on their freeze-dried space sausage and there can be no glass in the case back either which must be plain steel for anyone seeking a speed master Moon watch today the variations are endless we're talking dozens of limited editions celebrating various anniversaries from moonlandings to Ed White space walk as well as Snoopy models and fancy precious metal versions for the more affluent wannabe astronaut indeed there might be more variations of the moonwatch these days than there are actual craters on the moon compare the 1957 speed Mar Master with the Contemporary model equipped with the latest 3861 movement and you'll find that they are recognizably the same watch the dial layout has never changed with the chronograph registers staying in the same positions and the only thing that's significantly different about the bat and hour markers is the loom which used to be tritium but is now super luminova meanwhile pencil style hands have long replaced the broad arrow and Alpha hands found in early generation models for the Mavericks who love the speed master but hate Conformity you can now get an allwhite dial version as debuted by Daniel Craig earlier this year if proof was needed that the actor's time as bond is over it's photos of him wearing a speed master and not the sea Master he's been contractually handcuffed to since Casino Royale what a trooper that must have been tough as for the case the original speed master was a modest 39 mm but the moonwatch has been a consistent 42 mm for decades now and while there has been some changes in dimension and shape it's been so subtle that you really need to look at the different versions side by side to even notice unlike some Modern versions of vintage chronographs the moon watch has retained its retro style mushroom pushers while on the case back you'll find everything from Engravings to Snoopy animations the water resistance is 50 m which if you think about it is more than adequate for a watch that's mostly famous for being worn in a place with less diving opportunities than the goby desert the Sea of Tranquility is a really misleading name and then over the decades Omega has incrementally improved the bracelet on the moon watch and it's now better than ever what started off as a jingly jly three-link bracelet with flat links is now more rounded with a reassuringly solid feel on the wrist better still the latest version that comes with this standard Omega speed master professional Moon watch features an easy adjustment clasp for the perfect fit of course if you really want to adopt the astronaut look you'll put it on a velcro strap and wear it over the sleeves of your puffer jacket in 1968 Omega began to fit speed masters with the caliber 861 instead of the 321 this movement did away with the column wheel control of the chronograph and replaced it with the less traditional cam actuated version and it's a descendant of this movement the 3861 that is found in the latest speed master Moon watches while unlike the 321 the 3861 doesn't have any moonlanding bragging rights but it more than makes up for it by boasting George Daniel's co-axial escapement which can now be found in most modern omegas it's also certified as a chronometer by cque before being cased and tested again by metas this ensures that the accuracy is guaranteed to be between plus 0 and plus 5 seconds per day on average the movement's also plated with omega's moonshine gold it's paler than standard yellow gold and is a magnetic to 15,000 G which comfortably trumps the Rolex milous which might be why Rolex deleted it as for the caliber 321 this made a welcome reappearance a few years ago when Omega Faithfully reproduced it and used it in a replica of the speed master warn by Ed White on his space walk and jeene cernon on the last ever moon walk in 1972 the moon surface has since remained Untouched by human Footprints with no missions planned until 2026 at the earliest so when it comes to Great Value it's hard to knock the standard 7 and 1/2 Grand Moon watch especially when compared to other iconic chronographs at £1 13,200 a steel Rolex Daytona is almost twice the price and you'll pay a good chunk more for any Zenith chronograph but you'll find tag Hoya chronograph collections be it the Monaco or the Carrera far more in line with moon watch prices that said all these watches have automatic movements while the speed master moonwatch is famously powered by the manual wind variety and moonwatch fans are the kind of people who love to engage with their watch giving it the kind of attention normally reserved for their pet cat or a Tamagotchi or maybe even an excellent succulent because winding the crown every few days to Power It Up is always a pleasure and never a chore and the moon watch is one of the few contemporary luxury chronographs to use a manually wound movement at least in this price range as a decent alternative you could plump for brightlings Premier Heritage with its B 09 manual wind caliber which you can buy for around the same price as the speed master beyond that prepare to enter the world of pect Philipe fashon Constantine and aranga and Zona o meanwhile at the lower end of the price Spectrum are independent micro Brands like Nevada grin and man which tend to use manual wind celita chronograph movements due to the last manual wind ETA chronographs the 7750 and 7760 being phased out years ago this is all well and good but none of the above has ever been to the Moon nor do they feature omega's genius co-axial escapement reducing all that friction and lessening the need to send your watch off to the bins at the service center every few years all of which makes the Moon watch seem more appealing than ever so there you have it there are very few other watches out there that can boast what the Omega speed master can iconic style Innovative engineering and a storied history involving various trips to the moon it's why the speed master has been consistant popular for nearly 70 years and arguably one of the greatest watches ever made but what do you think is the Omega Speedmaster the best ever wristwatch around let me know in the comments below and if you would like an Omega Speedmaster Moon watch of your very own or indeed any other luxury watch then why not head over to watchfinder tocom where you'll find hundreds of pre-owned luxury watches check it out and I'll see you next time goodbye