36 Moon Landing

MOON LANDING

OMEGA’s legendary Speedmaster Moonwatch has taken one giant leap in its powerful new development.

THIS YEAR, OMEGA’s Speedmaster Moonwatch collection will be updated with its next generation of models.

With unique touches in design and updates, this iconic timepiece is now a Master Chronometer – the highest standard of precision, performance and magnetic resistance in the Swiss watch maker's history.

For the exciting redesign, OMEGA has taken inspiration from the fourth generation Moonwatch style, famed as one of the watches worn by Apollo 11 astronauts who landed on the moon in 1969.

These space-era tributes include the classic asymmetrical case, the step dial, the double bevel caseback, and the famous dot over 90 (DON) and a dot diagonal to 70 on the anodised aluminium bezel ring.

Small but important details in the telling of the Speedmaster story.

“When updating a sacred timepiece like the Speedmaster Moonwatch, every detail must be true to its original spirit,” said Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA.

“This chronograph is recognised the world over, so we’ve approached its design with the most sincere respect, while taking its movement to the next level.”

While the classic design has become sacred, almost untouchable, the Speedmaster Moonwatch has always kept pace with technological change.

In today’s modern world, phones, tablets, laptops and even hair-dryers can permanently throw a timepiece out of rhythm.

While magnetism has become a serious threat to the performance of watches, the new Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861 ensures that the legendary Moonwatch is unaffected by even the most extreme magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss (the same level as a typical MRI scanner).

Among the movement’s many benefits are the inclusions of non-ferrous materials, such as the Si14 balance spring, which keeps the heart of the watch protected at all times. >>

Trusted Gold Coast Accountants for over 45 years

Where getting to know you, is our priority

OUR ADDRESS 4 Miami Key, Broadbeach Waters, QLD 4218

Crest Accountants on the Gold Coast have been empowering individuals, families and businesses to nurture financial success, security and peace of mind.

Our team of industry-leading Accountants and Advisors are dedicated in providing expert accounting services and financial advice.

Business Advice and Structuring Compliance and Tax Accounting Succession Planning Financial Planning Self-Managed Superannuation Funds Asset Protection and Risk Management

Our clients are people, not tax file numbers. For over 45 years our strong reputation has been built on trust and transparency and our innovative and proactive approach achieves results.

In accordance with the Calibre 3861’s frequency, the minute track is now split by three divisions, as opposed to the five divisions on previous models.

OMEGA proving yet again their exacting standards and adherence to the strictest benchmarks of excellence.

Thanks to another huge leap in technology, the upgrade of the Calibre 3861 means the Speedmaster Moonwatch is now Master Chronometer certified.

To achieve the mark, every single Moonwatch will undergo eight rigorous tests before it leaves the OMEGA factory.

Overseen by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS), these tests will give each wearer the confidence that the Speedmaster has been thoroughly proven in the strictest environment, and will serve them faithfully for their very own missions – whether it’s on the moon or closer to home.

The legendary chronograph is an impressive representation of the brand’s adventurous pioneering spirit.

Having been part of all six moon landings, the Moonwatch is not only backed by science, but astronauts and NASA too.

James Lovell, one of the first three people to fly and orbit the moon, has been a fan of the timepiece for many decades.

“When Nasa asked us to bring our Speedmasters back, we all refused,” he said.

While the Moonwatch’s famous features remain unchanged, OMEGA have been careful not to completely transform the watch but rather continue the legacy and open a new chapter for one of history’s most recognised chronographs.

As James Ragan, NASA’s man behind the Moonwatch and aerospace engineer said, “it’s great to see how OMEGA is able to take a classic design and continue to evolve it.”

MOONWATCH TIMELINE

1957 – THE SPEEDMASTER IS BORN

In 1957, OMEGA went on a mission to create a robust chronograph that would be waterproof, easy to read, easy to use and exceedingly precise. Little did they know, the result would change the history of the brand forever. 1963 – THE NASA REQUEST

It was at the end of Project Mercury that NASA astronauts approached their Operations Director, Deke Slayton, and asked to be issued with a reliable watch for their manned missions into space. In response, Slayton issued a request for ‘high-quality chronographs’ in 1964 and of all the brands that received the letter, only four responded – including OMEGA, who sent a delivery of third generation Speedmaster chronographs. 1965 – THE NASA QUALIFICATION

In NASA’s request, each watch company was asked to send ‘three wrist-worn chronographs’ and these were tested under the most intense examinations imaginable. Only the OMEGA Speedmaster survived these tests and, as a result, it was declared “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions” on 1 March 1965. 1965 – FIRST AMERICAN SPACEWALK

Leaving the safety of his Gemini capsule, Edward White became the first American to walk in space. Attached to his wrist by a special strap was an OMEGA Speedmaster, newly qualified by NASA. White’s spacewalk began while floating above the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and ended over the Gulf of Mexico 23 minutes later. 1965 – THE MOONWATCH DESIGN

It was the fourth generation update of the Speedmaster that provided subtle but important changes to the chronograph’s design. This is the style that is associated today as being the original ‘Moonwatch’. 1969 – THE FIRST MOON LANDING

At the same moment that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface for the first time in human history, the OMEGA Speedmaster became the first watch worn on the moon. 1969 - 1972 – RETURNING TO THE MOON

The Speedmaster Moonwatch has been worn by the crews of all six lunar landings in history. After that first Giant Leap with Apollo 11 in 1969, it again ventured beyond Earth alongside the astronauts of Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17. 1970 – RESCUING APOLLO 13

The Apollo 13 mission was crippled by an on-board explosion, which plunged the crew into an uncertain future. Needing to desperately conserve power, their electronic equipment could not be used. Instead, their OMEGA Speed-masters were used to precisely time a series of engine burns that repositioned the craft and enabled its safe return to Earth. 1975 – APOLLO-SOYUZ

Russian cosmonauts and American astronauts wore Speedmaster chronographs during a historic meeting in space that signalled the beginning of the end of the Cold War. With their spacecraft docking together, the Apollo and Soyuz commanders shook hands through an open hatch. From this moment on, the Speedmaster Moonwatch was adopted by most of the world’s major space agencies. 2020 – MASTER CHRONOMETER CERTIFIED

It took four years of development to produce the next powerful calibre within the Moonwatch family, this time achieving Master Chronometer certification. Released in 2019, the Calibre 3861 has improved the power reserve, chronometric performance and magnetic resistance of the iconic movement, with many innovative features which enable the calibre to pass the eight Master Chronometer tests.