Speedmaster
Omega's chronograph family, introduced in 1957. The Speedmaster Professional "Moonwatch" is the watch worn on every NASA crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 11 in 1969 — today with calibre 3861.
At a glance
- Introduction
- 1957 (reference CK2915)
- Current Moonwatch
- 310.30.42.50.01.001 / .002 (calibre 3861)
- Case
- 42 mm stainless steel
- Movement
- manual wind, co-axial escapement, METAS certified
- Water resistance
- 50 m (5 bar)
- Bezel
- tachymetre, scale 60–500
- Sub-dials
- 9 o'clock (seconds), 3 o'clock (30 min), 6 o'clock (12 h)
- Key collector reference
- 105.003 "Ed White"
The Speedmaster is Omega's chronograph family, presented in 1957 — originally conceived as a racing chronograph, then unintentionally on its way to the Moon. The flagship variant, the Speedmaster Professional "Moonwatch", is the watch worn on every NASA crewed mission to the Moon since Apollo 11 in 1969. After the Rolex Daytona it is the most-collected sports chronograph in Swiss watchmaking.
Speedmaster Professional ("Moonwatch")
The Moonwatch is the defining model. Current reference: 310.30.42.50.01.001 (calibre 3861, since 2021). The earlier modern reference 311.30.42.30.01.005 used calibre 1861.
Defining features:
- 42 mm steel case.
- Hesalite (acrylic) crystal on the classic version; sapphire on the "Sapphire Sandwich" variant.
- Three sub-dials — small seconds at 9 o'clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock.
- Tachymetre bezel, scale 60–500.
- Manual-wind movement: calibre 3861, previously 1861, 861, and the original 321.
Generations
- 1957–1968 (calibre 321) — the original Speedmasters. The 321 was a column-wheel chronograph supplied by Lemania. Pre-Moon references CK2915, CK2998, 105.002, 105.003, 105.012, 145.012 are now heavily collected.
- 1968–1996 (calibre 861) — transition to cam-actuated chronograph, simpler to manufacture and more durable than the 321. References 145.022, 1450.022, 3590.50.
- 1996–2020 (calibre 1861) — refined version of the 861, the most-produced Moonwatch era. Reference 311.30.42.30.01.005 (steel, Hesalite) is the benchmark for the modern Moonwatch.
- 2021–present (calibre 3861) — METAS Master Chronometer certified, updated finishing, co-axial escapement. References 310.30.42.50.01.001 (Hesalite) and 310.30.42.50.01.002 (sapphire).
Other Speedmaster lines
- Speedmaster Reduced — smaller 38–39 mm automatic chronographs (discontinued).
- Speedmaster Racing — contemporary automatic chronographs with racing dial.
- Speedmaster Mark II, Mark III, Mark V — integrated-bracelet variants from the 1970s.
- Speedmaster Apollo editions — limited editions tied to NASA anniversaries.
- Speedmaster '57 — vintage-inspired re-edition based on the CK2915.
Vintage collecting
The Speedmaster vintage market is one of the most thoroughly documented in watchmaking. Specific dial markings, hand configurations, and bezel inserts ("dot over 90", "dot next to 90", long-tachy vs short-tachy) significantly affect value. Reference 105.003 "Ed White" — worn by Ed White on the first US spacewalk in 1965 — regularly commands six-figure auction results.
At our atelier in Munich we appraise Speedmaster references across every generation. On a vintage 145.012, dial originality (tritium Lume, "applied logo" variant), hand configuration, and original bezel insert matter. On the modern 310 reference, completeness of box and papers and the service history are the dominant price factors.
Frequently asked
- In 1964 NASA tested several chronographs under extreme conditions — vacuum, temperature change, shock, vibration. The Speedmaster was the only one to survive, and was certified in 1965 as "Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions". Since then — including Apollo 11 — it has been official NASA equipment. On Apollo 13 it played a direct functional role in manually timing the return burn.