When Neil Armstrong stepped out of Eagle, the Apollo Lunar Module, on July 20, 1969, he became the first man on the moon. When Buzz Aldrin followed him 19 minutes later, he brought with him the first wristwatch on the moon — an Omega Speedmaster.
Ever since, the timepiece has been nicknamed the Moonwatch. But in horological history, there are two Moonwatch models that lord over all the rest: Aldrin’s personal ticker, of course, and the Speedmaster BA145.0220, a limited-edition gold watch gifted to President Nixon, the NASA astronauts and others upon completion of the Apollo 11 mission.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 this summer, Omega is releasing an upgraded version of the latter timepiece, limited to 1,014 pieces (the same number made of the original).
So what do we mean when we say “upgrade”? Most prominently, the original solid 18k yellow gold is being swapped for a brand new, Omega-exclusive 18k gold alloy called “Moonshine gold.” The alloy includes palladium “to fight the discoloration that can occur,” according to Hodinkee. Other features include faceted onyx hour markers, a vertically brushed step dial and an inlay of domed lunar meteorite in the caseback.
What better way to celebrate the moon landing than with a piece of actual moon?
You can read more about the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary here. It will be available this July at a price of CHF 32,000 (or about $31,757).
Images courtesy of Omega
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