Omega Speedmaster Professional

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For other uses, see Operation Moonwatch.

The Omega Speedmaster, the legendary "Moonwatch", selected by NASA for all the Apollo missions.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional, launched in 1957, otherwise known as the "Moonwatch", is a manual winding timepiece made famous by its selection by NASA for the Apollo Program. The Speedmaster is the only watch to have been worn on the moon (except for the Waltham Watch Company wristwatch worn by Dave Scott after the crystal had popped off his Speedmaster), and the only watch flight-qualified for EVA use by NASA ^[1]. It is also the watch chosen for use in outer space by the Russian space agency NPO Energia.

1 History
2 Trivia
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

The movement's design and development was begun in the 1940s by Albert Piguet and Jaques Reymond at Lemania. It was started as a project titled "27 CHRO C12" (27 cm diameter, chronograph, with extra 12-hour totaliser).

The very first Speedmaster model was released by Omega in 1957, and contained the 27 CHRO C12 movement (also called Lemania 2310, or Omega 321). Its unique case design is attributed to Claude Baillod. Omega made some external design changes to the watch in 1960 (black bezel, larger case 39 to 40 mm, dauphine hands replaced arrow-shaped hands).

When the step-by-step procedures of the Project Gemini space-walks were first mapped out, NASA realized that they did not have an approved wristwatch for space travel. The normal procedure of soliciting bids for the design, manufacture and testing of special “Space Proof” wristwatches was a time consuming process. To save time, NASA sent two systems engineers into downtown Houston “incognito” to purchase several reputable “off-the-shelf” chronographs to be tested for possible use in space. A manual-winding watch was preferred to an automatic watch, as it was assumed that zero-gravity conditions would render the self-winding mechanism ineffective.

Back of the Omega Moonwatch.

Five different brands of chronographs were purchased and returned to NASA for testing. The Speedmaster passed NASA's numerous tests, which included exposure to extreme temperatures, vacuum, intense humidity, corrosion, shock, acceleration, pressure, vibration and noise ^[2], whereas the Rolex, Breitling, Bulova, Longines and TAG Heuer, notably, all failed^[3].

The tests were completed on March 1st, 1965. At the completion of the tests, three of the chronographs from different manufactures were still running, but only the Speedmaster had passed without any of the serious discrepancies encountered with the others. The Omega Speedmaster was adopted by NASA as the “Officially Certified Wristwatch For All Manned Space Missions.” At this point, Omega was completely unaware of these activities.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronograph was the first watch on the Moon worn on the wrists of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin. Unfortunately this particular historically notable watch is now considered missing. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin mentions in his book "Return to Earth" that when donating several items to the Smithsonian Institution, his Omega was one of the few things that was stolen from his personal effects. ^[4]

The Omega Speedmaster was re-certified in 1972 and in September 1978, for the Space Shuttle missions.

Today, all NASA-issued wristwatches are government property and must be turned in once the astronauts return to Earth. Astronauts are permitted to check the watches out before launch and take them home to familiarize themselves with the watch’s operation.

[edit] Trivia

The first Omegas were issued to the Gemini 3 crew, Grissom and Young. The watch was worn on the outside of the pressure suit with a long black Velcro band.
On Gemini 4, Edward White left the space capsule with an Omega Speedmaster on his wrist to become the first American to walk in Space.
The Omega Speedmaster was the first watch to be worn on the Moon with Apollo 11. In April 1970, it was used to manually time the secondary rocket burns to bring the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft back to Earth.