Watches That Are Heavily Inspired By Historical References

These larger than life watches are heavily inspired by historical references.

- Asaph Low

SPACE WALKER

The fabled Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch propelled itself to legendary status in 1969 when it was strapped onto the wrist of Neil Armstrong during his Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. The Speedmaster Ref. 105.003 was made possible thanks to rigorous testing by NASA in 1964. The Moonwatch may be the first wristwatch on the Moon, but the Speedmaster Ref. 105.003 was also the first to be used on a spacewalk by astronaut Ed White during his Gemini 4 mission in 1965. It was nicknamed the Speedmaster “Ed White” much later by the watch community.

As part of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing’s 50th anniversary, the brand announced the release of the Omega Speedmaster 321 in stainless steel. The timepiece bears the design influence of the Speedmaster “Ed White” including the vintage Omega logo, straight lugs, dot-over-90 tachymeter bezel, and a step dial as well as the absence of crown and chronograph pushers guards. Most notable is the return of the once-defunct Calibre 321 that was housed in the Speedmaster “Ed White” and Moonwatch. Viewable through the sapphire open case back in all its glory, Omega reconstructed the manual-winding movement inline with its original design schematic and specifications.

NUMERO UNO

January 1969 was a milestone in Zenith’s history as it introduced the world’s first high-frequency, fully integrated automatic chronograph calibre. Originally codenamed Calibre 3019 PHC for secrecy, the movement was later renamed the El Primero or the “the first” in Spanish. The first watch thought to be fitted with the calibre was the Zenith A384, as seen in the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s March 1969 advertisement.