Speed Of Time

It is the 60th anniversary of a properly iconic watch, the Omega Speedmaster. Given how well the Speedy started the year, now’s a good time to look back…and ahead.

- Ashok Soman

Consider a minor curiosity: The Moon has many names across all cultures, but its only proper name is the Moon. In fact, it is normally “the Moon” and not just “Moon” so it isn’t really a name. There are 18 other moons in our solar system large enough to be gravitationally rounded and all of them have names. The reason the other moons have names is well known – each was named by the person (or team) who discovered it. obviously, no one discovered the Moon. It was just always there, visible to all yet completely out of reach. On 20 July 1969 at 20:56 Houston time (02:56 GMT), that changed dramatically as Us astronaut Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon. In switzerland, the watchmakers at omega rejoiced as the speedmasters worn by Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first watches on the Moon.

BUILT FOR SPEED, BOUND FOR SPACE

This was the event that put the omega speedmaster on the map, but of course omega had introduced the speedmaster way back in 1957,adding to the seamaster and railmaster models already in the collection. That first series was powered by a Lemania movement – omega owned Lemania at the time – designed by Albert Piguet, with a case designed by Pierre Moinat. It was most certainly not designed for use in space, even though the year it was launched coincided with the soviet Union’s launch of sputnik 1. The tachymetre scale on the bezel tells us clearly enough, as if the name didn’t, that this chronograph was made for petrolheads. Crucially, the watch was also built tough, marking the first time a chronograph wristwatch was built to withstand rigorous challenges while also allowing drivers to time their laps with ease.