De Ville 424.13 replica

In 1962, the famous Swiss watchmaker OMEGA became the first watch to go to outer space with the dream of human space exploration. For half a century, the OMEGA Speedmaster has created many myths and stories; it has not only taken part in numerous great space missions but also became one of the world’s most famous chronographs after being the first watch to land on the moon in July 1969, earning it the nickname “Moon Watch.” OMEGA is at the forefront of space exploration, maintaining the highest level of watchmaking and accurately supporting every important human mission. Its unmatched status as a classic has been called the most iconic chronograph of all time.

The space story of the Speedmaster began in 1962. At that time, U.S. astronauts Walter Schirra and Gordon Cooper each bought their first mission-specific watch: the second-generation Speedmaster CK2998, which was meant to be used as personal chronograph gear in the upcoming Mercury space program. As a result, the Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) was the first space mission to be carried out by Walter Schirra’s self-financed CK2998 Speedmaster.

Two and a half years later, as the Mercury mission neared its end, several astronauts asked mission director Deke Slayton to provide an “extremely durable and accurate chronograph” for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft. Soon after, engineer James Ragan sent out instructions on the chronograph specifications and contacted a number of brands to supply watches that could meet this requirement. One of OMEGA‘s U.S. affiliates in New York self-nominated to deliver three Speedmaster watches, numbered ST105.003, which stood out from the crowd after multiple audits.