Launched in 1957 as a motorsport pilot’s chronograph, the Omega Speedmaster was, seven years later, preselected by NASA in the trials aimed at equipping the future astronauts of the Apollo programme. Subjected to a battery of extreme tests – heat, cold, humidity, shocks, vacuum, vibration, acceleration, deceleration – it was the only one of the candidates to pass them all, and on 1 June 1965 it received the official qualification “Flight-Qualified for All Manned Space Missions”. On 21 July 1969, when Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon in the wake of Neil Armstrong (who had left his own Speedmaster in the lunar module as a replacement for a faulty onboard clock), he wore on his wrist his Speedmaster ST 105.012 with caliber 321 – officially “the first watch worn on the Moon”, an inscription that from 1970 onwards would be engraved on the caseback of every Speedmaster Professional. The Speedmaster would also save the Apollo 13 mission in 1970: it was used to time the critical burns of the return engines that brought the crew back to Earth. Produced uninterruptedly since 1957, it is without doubt one of the most iconic pieces of modern Swiss horology.
In 1968, the historic caliber 321 gave way to the Omega caliber 861 – manual winding, 17 then 18 jewels from 1992, 21,600 vibrations per hour – which would equip the Moonwatch for nearly thirty years. The model reference, ST 145.022, remained unchanged until 1988, when Omega overhauled its nomenclature and renamed it 3590.50. The case, the dial, the mechanics and the mission remained strictly the same: indeed the inside of the caseback continued to be engraved “145.022”. The 3590.50 would be produced until 1996/1997, before being replaced by the 3570.50 fitted with the caliber 1861 (rhodium-plated). Its canonical characteristics: a 42 mm steel case, a matte black-anthracite dial with three counters, a fixed bezel with a black tachymeter scale, an acrylic crystal known as “hesalite” – mandated by NASA to avoid shattering in case of impact in zero gravity – and round pushers and a knurled, non-screw-down crown.
The example we have the pleasure of offering dates from circa 1992 (serial number 4828xxxx) and is presented in very fine overall condition. The steel case is impeccable, with its crisp delineations between matte satin/brushed and bright mirror-polished surfaces, the signature of the Speedmaster design. Inside the caseback, the “145.022” engraving remains perfectly sharp. The superb black dial is equally accomplished: the original luminous material, tritium-based (“T SWISS MADE T” at 6 o’clock), on the painted baton markers as on the hands, has developed a warm, homogeneous and particularly attractive patina. The movement, Omega caliber 861 in its yellow finish – one of the three historic finishes of the caliber, alongside the rhodium (white) and rose-copper versions – has been fully serviced by one of our experienced watchmakers and runs perfectly. The watch is delivered on its original Omega steel bracelet reference 1479 with solid end links 812, itself very well preserved.
For anyone wishing to acquire a neo-vintage, “pre-1861” Moonwatch – the last iteration to carry the 861 mechanics directly inherited from the Apollo era, in an intact case and with an authentic, warm patina – this 3590.50 from 1992 is, in our eyes, a particularly accomplished reading of the reference. A watch one can wear daily, and which carries on its caseback the most singular phrase in horology: “The First Watch Worn On The Moon”.
