by Brent Robillard

Speedy Tuesday

The OMEGA Speedmaster is a watch that hardly needs an introduction—but it absolutely deserves a proper story. Born in the mid-century boom of motorsport and matured in the stark silence of space, the Speedmaster has carved out a legacy that’s equal parts high-precision tool and cultural touchstone. And while its “Moonwatch” fame tends to dominate the conversation, the Speedmaster family is far from a one-note tune. So, let’s take a walk through the years, from the racetracks to the lunar surface—and a few detours along the way.

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1957 – The Birth of a Legend: CK2915

The Speedmaster began in 1957 as part of OMEGA’s “Professional” trilogy (alongside the Seamaster 300 and Railmaster). The first Speedy, reference CK2915, was designed for timing motorsports. It was the first chronograph to feature a tachymeter scale on the bezel rather than printed on the dial—something that’s now industry standard.

The CK2915 is instantly recognizable for its broad arrow hands, steel bezel, and symmetrical 38.6mm case. It was powered by the Calibre 321, a column-wheel chronograph movement co-developed with Lemania. This movement would go on to power many early Speedmasters—and become a holy grail in vintage circles.

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1959–1965 – Refinement and NASA Testing

With the CK2998, OMEGA began refining the design: alpha hands replaced the broad arrows, and the bezel became black with an aluminum insert. This was the first Speedmaster in space, worn by astronaut Wally Schirra on the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission in 1962. It wasn’t NASA-approved yet—but it was a sign of things to come.

Then came the ST105.003, the “Ed White” Speedmaster, worn during the first American spacewalk in 1965 on Gemini 4. This reference was submitted to NASA’s famously brutal qualification tests—extreme temperature swings, high G-forces, vacuum exposure, and more. It passed, and in 1965, the Speedmaster was officially declared “Flight Qualified for all Manned Space Missions.”

Shortly after, OMEGA introduced the 105.012 and 145.012, with twisted lugs and an asymmetrical case to better protect the crown and pushers. These became the archetypal “Moonwatch” references.

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1969 – One Small Step: The Moonwatch Era

On July 20, 1969, Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the Moon wearing a Speedmaster Professional (Armstrong left his in the lunar module as a backup). The exact model was likely the 105.012. From that moment, the Speedmaster was immortalized as the first watch worn on the Moon.

OMEGA leaned hard into this legacy. From here on, most Speedmasters featured “Professional” on the dial and stuck closely to the Moon-era design blueprint.

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1970 – The “Alaska Project” and Apollo 13

OMEGA’s work with NASA didn’t stop at the Moon. The Alaska Project was a series of experimental prototypes aiming to improve performance in extreme space conditions. The Alaska I featured a titanium case and a massive red anodized aluminum heat shield—an otherworldly look, to say the least.

And then there’s Apollo 13: when the mission suffered catastrophic failure, astronauts timed a crucial 14-second burn using a Speedmaster. That led to OMEGA receiving the Silver Snoopy Award, which would later inspire some of the most collectible modern Speedies.

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1970s–1980s – Quartz Weirdness and Design Experiments

Here’s where things get strange. As quartz technology exploded, OMEGA diversified the Speedmaster lineup in all directions:

• Speedmaster Mark II (1969): A tonneau-cased, racing-dial version meant for the ’70s aesthetic. It lacked the asymmetrical case but kept the 861 movement.
• Speedmaster 125 (1973): A chunky beast released for OMEGA’s 125th anniversary. It was the first chronometer-certified automatic chronograph.
• Speedsonic (aka “Lobster”): Electroquartz tuning fork movement in a futuristic bracelet case. Weird, wonderful, and full of period charm.
• Speedmaster LCD (1977): Yes, a digital Speedmaster. This reference 186.0004 had a dual time zone display, stopwatch, and alarm.

Not all these experiments were commercially successful, but they show how flexible the Speedmaster identity could be—even when digital and analog collided.

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1988–1996 – Return to Form and New Movements

In the late ’80s, OMEGA returned to mechanical roots with renewed focus. The Speedmaster Reduced (Ref. 3510.50) arrived in 1988: a 39mm automatic version with a modular ETA 2892-A2 and Dubois-Dépraz chronograph module. Purists balked at the “stacked” crown and pushers, but for many, this was an accessible entry point into the Speedy world.

Meanwhile, the Moonwatch continued with the Calibre 861, a cam-lever chronograph based on the Lemania 1873. This would last until 1996, when it was replaced by the Calibre 1861, a slightly modernized version still in use well into the 21st century.

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1998–2000s – X-33 and Snoopy Surprises

In 1998, OMEGA introduced the Speedmaster X-33—an analog-digital hybrid quartz watch designed with input from astronauts and pilots. It became a go-to for the ISS era and is still used by some space agencies today.

Then in 2003, 2015, and again in 2020, OMEGA released limited editions commemorating the Silver Snoopy Award. The latter, with its cartoon dog floating across the dial and starry case back, became one of the most sought-after Speedmasters of all time.

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2019–Present – A Golden Age for Speedmaster Collectors

The past few years have been a dream for Speedy enthusiasts:

• Speedmaster Calibre 321 (2020): OMEGA brought back the original column-wheel movement in a platinum case (and later in steel). The 321 resurrection was met with applause for both historical reverence and execution.
• Sapphire Sandwich vs. Hesalite (Current): The Moonwatch now comes in two flavours, both using the new Calibre 3861, a Master Chronometer-certified movement with coaxial escapement and hacking seconds.
• Speedmaster ’57 (modern iterations): Revisiting the CK2915 design with manual-wind Cal. 9906 and METAS certification.
• Speedmaster Chronoscope (2021): A curious, vintage-inspired model with spiral scales for pulsometer, tachymeter, and telemeter. Beautifully over-the-top.
• MoonSwatch (2022): In a stroke of Swatch Group genius (or madness), Bioceramic Speedmasters arrived in bright colors and sold out globally within hours. A cultural phenomenon more than a watch, the MoonSwatch blurred the lines between horology and hype.

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The Speedmaster Today – Many Faces, One Legacy

Today’s Speedmaster catalogue is a rich, sometimes bewildering, mix of Moonwatches, heritage reissues, professional tool watches, and playful collaborations. Whether you’re after the space-tested classic, a stealthy ceramic “Dark Side of the Moon,” or a pink Bioceramic MoonSwatch, there’s a Speedmaster out there with your name on it.

OMEGA has managed to do something rare: maintain the integrity of a tool watch while spinning it into a cultural icon—without losing sight of its origins. Through it all, the Speedmaster has remained what it always was: a watch built to go the distance, whether that means 500 miles per hour or 238,900 miles from home.

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About the author

Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.

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