Category Archives: Press Release

Press Release: Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary

It is now 50 years since mankind took its first daring steps onto the moon – a moment that changed history (and the limits of possibility) forever. On this golden anniversary, OMEGA is celebrating the occasion with a brand new Speedmaster that has a very special connection to the astronauts and the legacy of that Apollo 11 mission.

How OMEGA reached the moon

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface on the 21st of July 1969. Their moonwalk lasted just two and a half hours, but their achievements left a defining footprint on the history of space exploration.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional became the first watch worn on the moon.

It was during this iconic moment that the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional became the first watch worn on the moon. The Apollo 11 mission is certainly the most celebrated moment in OMEGA’s considerable space heritage. But the journey to reach that point began more than 10 years earlier, in 1957, when the very first OMEGA Speedmaster was launched.

Thanks to its robust, reliable and easy-to-read design, the Speedmaster became known as the “pilots’ choice” and was adopted by those in the U.S Air Force. Many of those aces became Mercury stronauts in NASA’s first manned space programme and, in 1963, one of those astronauts, Walter Schirra, took his own Speedmaster CK2998 on the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission. Orbiting the Earth six times, his privately-owned model became the first OMEGA watch worn in space.

By 1964, NASA’s space programme was accelerating rapidly and it officially went in search of one watch that it could rely on for all of its manned-missions. Flight Crew Operations Director, Deke Slayton, issued a request for wristworn chronographs from different watch manufacturers around the world. Several brands, including OMEGA, submitted their timepieces for the punishing tests – such as thermal, shock, vibration and vacuum examinations amongst others. Only the OMEGA Speedmaster survived these tests and, as a result, it was declared “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on the 1st of March 1965.

From that moment, OMEGA was the only supplier of watches for NASA’s Human Space Flight Program. It was trusted throughout the following Gemini Program, and, of course, the Apollo Program – which had its sights set on the moon.

James Ragan, the NASA engineer who qualified the Speedmaster in 1965 has spoken about the importance of OMEGA by saying, “The watch was a backup. If the astronauts lost the capability of talking to the ground, or the capability of their digital timers on the lunar surface, then the only thing they had to rely on was the OMEGA watch they had on their wrist. It needed to be there for them if they had a problem.”

With the eyes of the world on Apollo 11 in 1969, every piece of technology and kit had to be just right. There was no room for error. That’s why it is such an honour for OMEGA to look back and know that its watches were implicitly trusted by everyone involved. 50 years later, we are still incredibly proud to have timed mankind’s greatest hour.

Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition

Marking the golden anniversary of the first moon landing, OMEGA has produced a new Limited Edition Speedmaster of 1,014 pieces, delivered with a five-year warranty. Following the famous design of the Speedmaster BA145.022, this new chronograph has been crafted from an exclusive new 18K gold alloy and is powered by a brand new manual-winding Master Chronometer calibre 3861.

More info via our partners of WatchBase. For inquiries please contact Ace Jewelers!

Press Release: OMEGA releases the Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8

November 26th, 2019 – Marking the 50^th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission, history’s first ever journey toward the moon, OMEGA is proudly releasing its new Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 timepiece.

OMEGA has an unrivaled heritage within space exploration and its Speedmaster watches have been worn and trusted by astronauts aboard many of history’s greatest missions – including Apollo 8 in 1968. This crew were the first humans to ever see the far side of the moon and the legacy of that achievement is beautifully celebrated in OMEGA’s newest Speedmaster watch.

The unique design is instantly clear when you view the dial, which has been expertly skeletonized to reveal the blackened movement inside. The movement itself has also been laser-ablated to precisely decorate the bridges and main plate with realistic imagery of the lunar surface.

Just like the moon, the movement reveals two unique sides. The dial-side is a light shade to represent our view of the moon’s surface from Earth, while the back of the watch shows the dark side that only astronauts get to see.

Elsewhere in this new creation, OMEGA has embraced its popular “Dark Side of the Moon” innovation, producing the entire watch in black zirconium oxide ceramic. To contrast this dark tone, the brand has chosen chronograph hands that are varnished yellow, while the watch’s tachymeter scale and crown are filled with Super-LumiNova. The black and yellow theme extends to the perforated leather strap, which contains a section of yellow rubber through the middle.

On the caseback, the special words, “WE’LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE”, have been engraved. These were spoken by Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell on board the Apollo 8 mission at the start of the crew’s pioneering orbit to the far side of the moon. Seconds before the spacecraft disappeared beyond the range of radio contact, Lovell spoke these final reassuring words to ground control.

Few people will ever get to view the moon’s mysterious distant surface, but to wear the OMEGA Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon Apollo 8 is to make an authentic connection to space exploration history. Its blackened and decorated version of the Calibre 1861 – called 1869 as a tribute to the first moon landing – is a reminder of the original Moonwatch movement and OMEGA’s legendary story in space.

For more information, please visit:
https://www.omegawatches.com/watches/speedmaster/moonwatch/dark-side-of-the-moon-apollo-8/product

Press Release: Omega Watches Land On-Screen in Universal Pictures’ First Man

OMEGA WATCHES LAND ON-SCREEN IN UNIVERSAL PICTURES’ FIRST MAN

Bienne, October 8, 2018

On October 12 in the USA, watch fans, space enthusiasts and astonished audiences alike will be able to spot OMEGA timepieces playing a true-life role within the story of Universal Pictures’ First Man.

Following their six-time Academy Award®-winning La La Land, Oscar®-winning director Damien Chazelle and star Ryan Gosling reteam for First Man, the riveting story behind the first manned mission to the moon, focusing on Neil Armstrong and the decade leading to the historic Apollo 11 flight. A visceral and intimate account told from Armstrong’s perspective, based on the book by James R. Hansen, the film explores the triumphs and the cost – on Armstrong, his family, his colleagues and the nation itself – of one of the most dangerous missions in history.

OMEGA has an unrivalled legacy within space exploration and the team behind First Man has correctly placed the brand’s timepieces on the wrists of the Apollo astronauts and others.

Within its rapidly accelerating space programme in 1964, NASA went in search of one watch that it could qualify for all manned-missions. Many brands submitted their timepieces for the punishing tests, but only the OMEGA Speedmaster survived. As a result, it was declared “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on the 1st of March, 1965.

From that moment, OMEGA was the only supplier of watches for NASA’s Human Space Flight Program. Its use in space has extended through the final Mercury Missions and the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Apollo-Soyuz programs. The Speedmaster is still in use for space flight today and helps to keep track of time on the International Space Station.

Of course, as part of this history, the OMEGA Speedmaster became the first watch worn on the moon in 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission. For the production of First Man, OMEGA supplied period-correct Speedmasters and other watches of that era. The following model styles are featured in the movie:

OMEGA Speedmaster ST 105.003.

This timepiece is worn by Ryan Gosling during his character’s Apollo training at NASA. In real life, it would also have been the model that Project Gemini astronaut Ed White wore during the first American spacewalk on the 3rd of June, 1965.

[Ed. – this looks like a new piece based on the FOIS rather than an actual vintage watch? That would make for a cool LTD with these hands and plexi glass!]

OMEGA Speedmaster ST 105.012.

This famous Moonwatch is worn by the actors portraying Apollo 11 astronauts during their historic mission and lunar landing.

OMEGA wristwatch CK 2605

A timepiece from 1954, this is the wristwatch worn on-screen by Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong during the global hero’s daily life.

OMEGA Stopwatch

A 1960s stopwatch used on-screen by the NASA engineers during training. Through the brand’s role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games, OMEGA has an established and renowned history in sports and precision timekeeping devices.

New: Omega Speedmaster Professional Ultraman 311.12.42.30.01.001

A few moments ago Omega presented the second version of the Speedmaster Professional Ultraman. Inspired by the so-called Ultraman Speedmaster, an uncommon variation named after a Japanese television series, it features a striking orange second hand and various other unique features.

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Press Release: 1958 Omega Speedmaster Sells for World Record Price

26 October 262017 / Omega

A rare and very early OMEGA Speedmaster chronograph has been sold at Bukowskis Auction House in Stockholm for a price equivalent to $275,508 US dollars. This marks a new World Record for this particular Speedmaster model.

The stainless steel chronograph, with reference CK 2915-1, is a first generation Speedmaster from 1958 and is identified by its famous design, including a black dial with Broad Arrow hands, tachymeter scale on the bezel and sought-after calibre 321.