At first glance the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing may not have much to do with fashion (except for those super-chic spacesuits of course), but aside from all their tech gear, telescopes and research equipment, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong both brought their Omega Speedmater Professional timepieces with them. In a tale that seems better suited for the pages of a children’s story than a fashion magazine, two astronauts took off on an interstellar space mission and kept their wristwatches with them as backup timekeeping systems. To celebrate their first steps on the moon, Omega has released the Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch to commemorate its part in the astronomical event.
Imitating the color spectrum seen on the Apollo 11 lunar modules and the surrounding terrain, the Omega Speedmaster features a grey, brushed-titanium, 42 mm casing surrounded by an 18 karat gold, Omega Sedna gold bezel and matte black tachymeter scale. Super-LumiNova lights up the 18 karat red-gold hands and indexes on the watch face, white two small dots at the 12 o’clock hour emit a green light for maximum visibility—even in the darkness of space. Three sub-dials sit on the black face: a seconds hand, 30 minute recorder and 12 hour recorder, all encased within a scratch-resistant, anti-reflective, sapphire crystal enclosure.
On the watch face sits the name Omega Speedmater Professional, carved in a type of etching with a special laser (very space appropriate) which “removes the material surrounding the name.” The case back also holds a momentous note stating: “Flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions,” “The first watch worn on the moon,” and “Apollo 11, 45th anniversary, limited edition, 0000/1969.” Each watch is numbered and the collection is limited to 1,969 pieces to honor the year of that unforgettable mission.
