Speedmaster

The Speedmaster was born in 1957 as a chronograph for racing pilots, not as a space instrument. NASA's selection came eight years later, in 1965, transforming an already mature watch into a technical reference that endures to this day. It's worth keeping these two storylines separate — the commercial history and the military-space history — because collectors pursuing them are often different people.

In terms of movements, the Speedmaster has gone through three main generations. The Caliber 321, with column wheels and refined construction, equips models from the first CK2998 series through the early seventies, including the example worn during Apollo missions. It's the most sought-after on the secondary market: examples in good condition are scarce and the price reflects this. The 321 has been reintroduced on some recent series with display caseback, allowing you to appreciate its construction. The Caliber 861 and its evolution 861/1861/3861 represent continuous production from 1968 to today. The 3861, current version of the Moonwatch Professional, brings the co-axial escapement and Master Chronometer certification, but maintains manual winding — a deliberate choice, because EVAs (extravehicular activities) require a watch reliable even at extreme temperatures where the digital display of the X-33 Skywalker can fail.

The Alpha hands are the visual detail that distinguishes the very first models: elongated and tapered profile, introduced with the CK2998 and associated with Wally Schirra's Sigma 7 mission in 1962. White stick hands came later and became the Professional standard. The new First Omega in Space series recovers the Alpha hands both on the central bridges and on the subdials, respecting the visual coherence of the original.

On the tachymeter bezel, two details identify the historic models: the Dot Over Ninety (DON), the dot above the 90 on the right, and the Diagonal to Seventy, the dot angled toward the 70. Absent for years, they were reintroduced in more recent anniversary versions. The NAIAD symbol engraved on the crown — a detail of the very first Speedmasters, later disappeared — reappears as a signal of continuity with the first generation.

Tropical dials deserve a separate mention. They are not defects: they are the result of oxidation of the original paint, accelerated by light exposure. The color shift, ranging from black to chocolate brown to tobacco, is unrepeatable and each example is different from the other. On the market this rewards them significantly. Finally, the reverse-panda configuration — light subdials on dark background, instead of the classic panda with black subdials on white background — is a variant that Omega offers at irregular intervals and that always finds a ready market.