Monthly Archives: March 2014

Press Release – Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary 311.62.42.30.06.001

Omega Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary 311.62.42.30.06.001

In July of 1969, two NASA astronauts became the first human beings ever to set foot on the surface of a celestial body. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the Moon, they had met the challenge delivered only a few years earlier by President John F. Kennedy. The feat has been described as one of mankind’s crowning technological achievements and OMEGA was literally on hand on this historic occasion.

March 27th 2014 – read more below the gallery

Strapped around his spacesuit, Buzz Aldrin had an OMEGA Speedmaster Professional chronograph. Neil Armstrong had left his own Speedmaster aboard the Lunar Landing Module as a reliable backup to the electronic timekeeping system.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch commemorates the first lunar landing and celebrates its link to the iconic chronograph that was part of the adventure.

Recalling the colours of the moon and the Apollo 11 lunar and command modules, the Limited Edition timepiece features a grey, completely brushed 42 mm grade-2 titanium case with a touch of gold.

The black PVD dial, with its 30-minute and 12-hour recorders and small seconds sub-dial, has been produced using a special laser which creates the design elements on the watch’s face by removing the material surrounding the name, sub-dial numerals and hour markers. The indexes and hour, minute, seconds and sub-dial hands are crafted from 18K red gold and the central chronograph hand is red gold-plated. Super-LumiNova coating the hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands as well as the hour markers and two dots at 12 o’clock emits a green light. A box-form scratch-resistant sapphire crystal coated with anti-reflective treatment on both sides protects this impressive dial. The 18K OMEGA Sedna™ gold bezel is enhanced by a matt black ceramic ring with a tachymeter scale, a defining design element of the Speedmaster collection.

The screw-in caseback is embossed with the iconic Seahorse emblem and the outer circle is engraved in black with “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”.

Another striking feature of the Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition watch is the NATO-inspired fabric strap. The original NATO straps were created by the British Ministry of Defence in 1973 and OMEGA’s updated version is made from a particularly high-quality material and a new design for additional wearing comfort.

The timepiece has been created in an edition limited to 1,969 pieces. The limited edition number reflects the significant year that the first humans walked on the moon. The Speedmaster Professional Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch is fitted with the calibre 1861, a manual-winding chronograph movement, and offered with a two-year warranty. It is water resistant to 5 bar (50 metres / 167 feet). The watch is delivered in a special presentation box along with its Certificate of Authenticity.

Editors note: find the price at our other posting

Press Release – BASELWORLD 2014 – Omega Speedmaster Mark II

Omega Speedmaster Mark II Co-Axial 327.10.43.50.06.001

Omega Speedmaster Mark II Co-Axial 327.10.43.50.06.001

1969 was a memorable year for humankind. For the first time, we broke our terrestrial bonds and set foot on another world – and the astronauts who took those first steps on the lunar surface were equipped with OMEGA Speedmaster Professional chronographs.

March 27th 2014 – read more below the gallery

The same year, OMEGA introduced the new-look Speedmaster Mark II, a timepiece with a streamlined case that was powered by the same space-tested, hand-wound calibre 1861 found inside the Moonwatch”.

In 2014 OMEGA has reintroduced this classic Speedmaster Mark II and updated it to include an automatic movement and tachymetric scale that is visible in the most limited light – a first in the iconic Speedmaster family.

The polished and brushed stainless steel case is barrel-shaped and has a polished crown and pushers. A date corrector is located at 10 o’clock on the case. The dial is complete with the three recognisable sub-dials: a 30-minute recorder at 3 o’clock, 12-hour recorder at 6 o’clock and small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. A flat scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the matt black or grey dial.

The transparent tachymetric scale on the sapphire crystal is illuminated from beneath by an aluminium ring filled with Super-LumiNova. The varnished white and black hour and minute hands are coated with Super-LumiNova as is the central chronograph hand.
For OMEGA fans and Speedmaster fanatics who are looking for an iconic design with a bit of colour, the Speedmaster Mark II with the grey dial features a fluorescent orange central chronograph seconds hand and a matching minute track.

The case is fitted with a brushed stainless steel bracelet, complete with OMEGA’s patented extendable foldover rack-and-pusher clasp. The watch is presented with a tool that makes adjusting the date quick and easy.

Distinguishing the new Speedmaster Mark II from the 1969 watch that inspired it is the Co-Axial calibre 3330, a self-winding movement equipped with an Si14 silicon balance spring and a column-wheel chronograph mechanism.

The new OMEGA Speedmaster Mark II is water resistant to 10 bar (100 metres / 330 feet) and is delivered with a full four-year warranty.

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

For the first time -Alaska project prototypes aside- Omega has created a Speedmaster Professional with handwound movement in titanium. And wow – can you spell STUNNING?

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th anniverary Ace Jewelers (1)

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

The titanium case works wonderful with the matte grey dial. The tone-on-tone print gives this Speedmaster a very unique look. The Sedna gold bezel ring and details on the dial add a touch of warmth to a otherwise monochrome design. The overall design is very well-balanced. While staying true to the classic looks of the Speedmaster Professional, the Apollo 11 45th Anniversary has an avant-garde touch. The bezel inlay on this Speedy is ceramic by the way.

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

BaselWorld 2014 Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary

Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition

  • Case: Titanium /Sedna gold
  • Strap: NATO
  • Diameter: 42mm
  • Movement: Caliber 1861
  • Misc.: limited to 1969 pieces
  • Reference number: 311.62.42.30.06.001
  • Pricing indication: Check at Authorized Dealer