Moonwatch Only, 60 Years of Omega Speedmaster

Grégoire Rossier Anthony Marquié l

MOONWATCH ONLY 60 Years of OMEGA Speedmaster

watchprint com publications on jewellery and watches

Grégoire Rossier Anthony Marquié l

MOONWATCH

ONLY 60 Years of OMEGA Speedmaster

watchprint com publications on jewellery and watches

© Revised and Expanded Edition 2017, Watchprint.com Sàrl., La Croix/Lutry, Switzerland All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this work in whole or in part is forbidden. Any copy or recording by any process including photocopying and photography and on any medium including microfilm, magnetic tape, discs or other storage devices constitutes an infringement of authors’ rights punishable by copyright laws.

ISBN 978-2-940506-17-0 Publishing Managers: Fabrice Mugnier and Suzanne Wettstein English Translation: Susan Jacquet, Transcribe Photographs: Luca Garbati and Michael Repetto Photographs of space and astronauts are from the NASA collection. Photographs of advertisements and catalogues are from either the OMEGA archives, or the authors’ personal collections.

Printing: Daneels Graphic Group, Belgium See our publications on watches and jewelry on our website, www.watchprint.com 4

CONTENTS

Foreword Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA . . . . . .

Foreword Captain Eugene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17 . . . . . . . . 9

Why a Speedmaster Moonwatch guide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1

7

Speedmaster History

1

Major Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2

Speedmaster and NASA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

2

Main Components and Accessories

1

An Original Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

2

The Caliber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

3

The Caseband . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

4

The Dial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

The Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

6

The Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

7

The Caseback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

8

The Crown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

9

The Pushers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

73

10 The Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 11 The Bracelet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 12 The Presentation Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 13 The Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

3

The Models

1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236 2

Standard Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241

3 Special and Limited Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351 4 Personalized Models and Special Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 477 5 The Alaska Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 499

4 5

60 Years of Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

513

How to Start Collecting Speedmasters

1 Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532 2

Choosing a Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 533

3

Sales Channels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536

Appendices

1

Model Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 540

2

Tables & Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 546

3 Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560 4

Identification Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 562 5

FOREWORD The first watch worn on the moon. Such an incredible legacy must be shared!

There are very few timepieces in the world that deserve a definitive and comprehensive book such as this one. But I’m proud to say that the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch is one of them.

As these pages show, our most cherished chronograph has not only made its mark within watchmaking, but also within history. The 20th century was a time of courage, innovation and belief. That spirit put astronauts on the moon. It was also inherent in the watches they wore.

We created the Speedmaster in 1957 using the best of our expertise and craftsmanship. Our aim was to revolutionise watch design. Like all OMEGA watches, we also wanted to reach perfection. The result was a watch that NASA couldn’t fault. Eight years after it was born, the Speedmaster was qualified for all manned space missions.

The journey it has taken since then has helped to launch the watch into legend. It ventured out with Ed White on the first American spacewalk and it served on all six lunar landings with space pioneers such as Buzz Aldrin and Eugene Cernan. It helped to save lives on Apollo 13 and it helped to forge bonds during the Apollo-Soyuz rendezvous. Without doubt, the Speedmaster has been relied upon and loved by many.

But let’s not forget the most basic fact. Simply put, the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch is a beautiful and wonderfully crafted watch. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that. The materials and movements may have evolved, but the original design has endured for decades. For collectors, it is an icon. For watch fans, it’s a timepiece they aspire to own. Even this book was carefully researched and written by two Speedmaster enthusiasts, which proves the incredible impact this watch has had.

Today, the Moonwatch is still as important as ever. In recent times, our “Dark Side of the Moon” models introduced sleek new materials including ceramic, while our Moonphase Master Chronometer models took precision, performance and magnetic resistance to the industry’s highest certified standard. Yet no matter the changes, the Speedmaster DNA is always at the heart of every piece.

This book provides an extensive insight into the design and achievements of a true watchmaking titan. Its story has been wonderfully brought to life and I am certain you will enjoy it.

Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA 7

8

FOREWORD It makes perfect sense to publish a book called Moonwatch Only.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional – the Moonwatch – has done things that no other timepiece has done and its been worn in places that only a few human beings have been.

When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, the Speedmaster was there. And a little over three years later, when I left the last footprint on the lunar surface, I had a Speedmaster strapped to the outside of each wrist of my spacesuit. It’s worth mentioning that both those watches still work more than 40 years later.

But the Speedmaster’s space saga didn’t start with the lunar missions. I wore my first Speedmaster on Gemini 9 and walked in space with it for over two and a half hours. That same watch was also with me on Apollo 10 when we orbited the Moon, along with another Speedmaster on my other wrist. Of course, on the Apollo 17 mission, those two Speedmasters lived on the Moon for over three days.

And my very first Speedmaster looks a bit beat up, the crystal is cracked, it has never been cleaned or repaired and to this day, more than 45 years after I first wore it in space, I can wind the watch and it still keeps great time.

Much has already been written about why the OMEGA Speedmaster Professional was qualified for use on every one of NASA’s manned space flights from 1965. It all boils down to one thing: it was the only watch that passed the stringent tests that were set up to ensure that the chronograph chosen could perform well in space.

Two points that I would add to this: the Speedmaster Professionals worn by the astronauts were, with the exception of the Velcro straps used to fit around the outside of our spacesuits, not modified by NASA – they were the same watches bought and cherished by OMEGA fans around the world. Secondly, the Speedmaster Professional chronographs remained virtually unchanged throughout the entire Apollo program – no other piece of mission-qualified equipment can make that claim.

None of us know today what the future of human space travel will be but I still believe in the indomitable will and courage, the passion, and the inspiration in the hearts and minds of dreamers – dreamers who want to go once again where we’ve never gone before, see things we’ve never seen before and do things that have never been done before. And when that spirit takes humankind to the limits of our imagination, I have no doubt that the OMEGA Speedmaster will be part of the journey.

Captain Eugene Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17 9

Main Components and Accessories The Caliber

Until 1995, the caliber 861 had 17 syn-

After being in production

thetic ruby jewels. That year, at the end

for more than 25 years,

of this caliber’s production run, an 18th jewel was added on the pivot of the clutch

the caliber 861 was fitted with an 18th jewel bearing on the pivot of the clutch

wheel (type B4), from movement numbers

wheel (right). Also note-

48.305.xxx or thereabouts.

worthy are a change in the

It is interesting to note that when this

direction of the decorative

change was made, a certain number of B4 calibers initially kept the same SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS engraving. The same was true of caliber 863 (see category C).

In 1997, a more corrosion-resistant rhodium-plating replaced the yellow-plating.

The caliber was given the new designation 1861 (type B5).

B1. 861 Copper – Steel Brake (1968-1974) Main references examined: 145.022-68 to -74

Features: •• •• •• •• ••

50

21,600 v/h Copper colored Shuttle cam 17 jewels Steel chronograph brake

stripes on the chronograph bridge and a change in the color of the chronograph wheel and pinion.

2 /2

B2. 861 Copper – Delrin Brake (1971-1987) Main references examined: 145.022-69 to -78 ST 145.0022

Features: •• •• •• •• ••

21,600 v/h Copper colored Shuttle cam 17 jewels Delrin chronograph brake

B3. 861 Yellow – 17 Jewels (1987-1995) Main references examined: ST 345.0022 (PIC 3390 B then 3590 B, then 3590.50)

Features: •• •• •• •• ••

21,600 v/h Yellow-plated Shuttle cam 17 jewels Delrin chronograph brake

51

Main Components and Accessories The Dial

A1. Oval O – Sharp m (1957-1958/59) Main references examined: 2915-1 to -2 (?)

Main distinctive features:

Dial

OMEGA

•• Professional inscription absent •• Sharp m in Speedmaster •• Small gap between Ω and OMEGA (< half the height of OMEGA)

•• •• •• ••

•• Light typeface •• Slightly flattened O •• E with long middle stroke (about the width of the letter) •• G with long horizontal stroke (about 65% of the width of the letter)

82

Flat dial Applied Ω logo Radium hour markers Minutes counter with short secondary markers (< half the length of the main markers) •• Minutes counter with short main markers (about 130% of the length of the 1 of 10 minutes) •• No Ts flanking SWISS MADE

Speedmaster •• •• •• ••

S with wide lower loop p with short tail Short, low ligature between S and p r with a low long loop extending to the right

2 /4

A2. Oval O – Low OMEGA (1957/58-1959) Main references examined: 2915-1 to -3

Main distinctive features:

Dial

OMEGA

•• Professional inscription absent •• Flattened O in OMEGA •• Wide gap between Ω and OMEGA (> equal to the height of OMEGA)

•• •• •• ••

•• Ultra-light typeface •• E with short middle stroke (about half the width of the letter) •• G with short horizontal stroke (about 35% of the width of the letter)

Flat dial Applied Ω logo Radium hour markers Minutes counter with short secondary markers (< half the length of the main markers) •• Minutes counter with short main markers (about 130% of the length of the 1 of 10 minutes) •• No Ts flanking SWISS MADE

Speedmaster •• •• •• •• ••

S with wide lower loop p with long tail Long and high ligature between S and p m with rounded first arch r with a low long loop extending to the right

83

The Modelsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Standard Production

105.002-62 Baton At the end of its production in 1964, the 105.002 was given a new dial with a SWISS MADE touching the minutes scale and baton hands, at the same time as its Professional sister reference ST 105.012. This version is very rare and concerns only models with serial in 20.52 millions, produced in 1964. This example was delivered in April 1964 to Zambia.

270

3 /2

1.2 Pre-Moon period: space adventure (1964-1971) This period is extremely active in the de-

It is from this period that the Speedmaster

velopment of some of the constituent

became known to watch enthusiasts and to

components, giving rise to an abundance

the general public as the watch that went

of model variants. It is also the most im-

into space and then onto the Moon — the

portant chapter in the OMEGA story for

Moonwatch.

it includes the models that took part in the exploration of space and the Moon.

This picture, taken at the OMEGA Museum shows a NASA command post surmounted by Tom Stafford’s ST 105.003 Speedmaster used in the Gemini VI and IX missions.

ST 105.003 & ST 145.003 (1964-1969) Reference ST 105.003 is the last of the

The ST 105.003 is sometimes called Ed

Speedmasters with straight lugs, also

White after the first astronaut to walk in

known as the pre-Professional. The ST

space during the Gemini IV mission.

105.003 passed the tough NASA selection

Other astronauts have also worn this fa-

tests in 1965 (see Part 1, Chapter 2. Speed-

bled model, including Jim Lovell, Frank

master and NASA) to become the official

Borman, John Young, “Gordo” Cooper,

and exclusive timepiece of the astronauts

Eugene Cernan and Tom Stafford.

on the Gemini missions.

271

The Models Special and Limited Series

Agnew had declined their gifts because

Watches numbered 1001 to 1008 were

they were too valuable. The two watches

presented in 1972 and 1973 to astronauts

now belong to the OMEGA Museum.

who had not yet accomplished a space

Numbers 29 to 32 were given to Swiss

mission in 1969, in effect those of the

politicians and watch-industry leaders.

Apollo missions 14 to 17. For a yet unex-

They have the same central inscription

plained reason, the astronauts of Apollo

as those presented to the astronauts but

13, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise do not

without an engraved number.

appear on the list, perhaps because of the

The rest of the production (numbers 33

failure of the mission. The commander,

There are two main

to 1000) was put on public sale from 1969

James Lovell, had received his watch in

typographical styles in

with a different engraving on the case-

1969 for his previous missions.

this model. The first (top)

back: – OMEGA SPEEDMASTER – and

Watches numbered 1009 to 1014 were

is identical to that of the

APOLLO XI 1969 in a central arc, and Ω

given to various personalities.

THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE

This gold Speedmaster, with its wine-

watches. The second

MOON in a straight line in the center.

colored bezel was delivered in its own

version follows the style of

The individual number is also inscribed.

cubic box, which was covered in a pattern

the type C1 dials. Note,

There are three different types of engrav-

in relief representing the lunar surface.

ing: thin and unpainted for the early pro-

Very few of these boxes seem to have sur-

duction (about the first 100), then thick

vived.

1980s. It is most likely a

and unpainted and finally thick and paint-

Two main typographical variants can be

replacement dial.

ed wine-red.

found on their dials:

type A2 dials fitted to the reference CK 2915

however, a third variant with the same typography as the C4 dials of the

•• The same typography as in type A2.

Oval O – Low OMEGA of the CK 2915 but with the addition of Professional, •• The same as type C1. Medium S – Step Dial of the 145.022-69.

The dials with the type A2 typography were fitted at the start of production, while the second half of the production run was fitted with the type C1 dials.

We have also seen an example with a typography and length of hour markers similar to the type C4 (tall narrow S in Speedmaster). It is probably a replacement dial.

354

3 /3

Table of the watches given to astronauts #3 Alan Bartlett Shepard

#20 Richard Francis Gordon

#4 Virgil Ivan Grissom

#21 Edwin Eugene Aldrin

#5 John Herschel Glenn

#22 Donn Fulton Eisele

#6 Malcolm Scott Carpenter

#23 Ronnie Walter Cunningham

#7 Leroy Gordon Cooper

#24 William Alison Anders

#8 Walter Marty Schirra

#25 Russell Louis Schweickart

#9 John Watts Young

#26 Alan Lavern Bean

#10 Edward Higgins White

#27 Donald Kent Slayton

#11 James Alton McDivitt

#28 Roger Bruce Chaffee

#12 Charles Conrad

#1001 Stuart Allen Roosa

#13 Thomas Patten Stafford

#1002 Edgar Dean Mitchell

#14 James Arthur Lovell

#1003 James Benson Irwin

#15 Frank Borman

#1004 Alfred Merrill Worden

#16 David Randolph Scott

#1005 Charles Moss Duke

#17 Neil Alden Armstrong

#1006 Thomas Kenneth Mattingly

#18 Eugene Andrew Cernan

#1007 Ronald Evans

#19 Michael Collins

#1008 Harrison Hagan Schmitt

355

Initially designed for automobile racing teams and engineers, the OMEGA Speedmaster embarked on a very different trajectory when NASA chose it to accompany astronauts heading for the Moon in 1965.

Its involvement in the space adventure has propelled the Moonwatch to the top of the list of celebrated timepieces.

After years of research and observation, the authors present a complete panorama of the Moonwatch in a systematic work that is both technical and attractive, making it the inescapable reference book for this legendary watch.

This new edition marking the 60th anniversary of the Speedmaster has been enriched with numerous new features and additional historical information.

ISBN 978-2-940506-17-0