Omega Moonwatch Professional Chronograph

 

OMEGA MOONWATCH PROFESSIONAL CHRONOGRAPH

 

For well over half a century, the OMEGA Speedmaster has witnessed events that have tested the limits of physical endurance and human courage. It’s the only piece of equipment used in all of NASA’s piloted space missions from Gemini to the current International Space Station program. When Buzz Aldrin stepped on the lunar surface in 1969, he was wearing a Speedmaster Professional, the chronograph that has been known as the Moonwatch ever since. That’s why Speedmaster Professional Chronograph earned a unique place in the history of space exploration.

This is the watch that have a combination of simplicity, build quality, and well chosen materials that make it one of the most robust and interesting watches currently on the market. The Omega Speedmaster survived some of the most rigorous testing of any watch in the world as well as the harshest environments and conditions known to man. It recalls the glorious era of space exploration and adventurous spirit, becoming an iconic item of fashion and jewelry.

 
 

 

THE CASE AND A DIAL

 

The Moonwatch comes in two flavors, one is the issue version, with a plastic based glass and a manual movement. The other has a more modern sapphire glass and a see-through back. The watch is 42 mm in diameter and designed to stand out. The back of the watch is laser etched with Omega logo and Moon mission credentials. Moonwatch is water resistant to the depths of 50 meters, which is more than sufficient for most customers.

Omega Moonwatch has an iconic black dial with the dark tachymeter besel and silver lettering. The black color of the dial is even more pronounce by it’s matte nature, which has virtually no reflections. The white indices, hands and lettering design readability of the dial is a second to none. The layout of the three dials became the classic arrangement for most Chronographs. The sub dials are slightly recessed into the dial, which is creates a more expensive, three dimensional effect. The hour and minute hands are baton style and coated with Super-LuniNova through the whole length.

The face of the watch is covered by hesalite crystal, the special type of plastic. Omega made a practical choice to replace scratch-resistant but breakable sapphire with virtually unbreakable hesalite. Another hesalite’s advantage is that it’s very easily and relatively inexpensively polished or replaced. The chronograph function has a solid click and the simple mechanism of older styled movements. It is very smooth in operation and able to run for 12 hours.

 
 

 

THE BRACELET AND CLASP

 

The steel bracelet on the OMEGA is fantastic, it is solid, perfectly machined and built. The links that ran through the middle of the bracelet are beautifully polished adding a touch of class. The clasp design is simple and elegant with a very reliable and solid button pusher mechanism.

Each of the four timepieces in this family is offered with a special presentation box which includes two additional straps – a “NATO” strap and a strap for astronauts. A tool to change the bracelets and instructions for how to do so are also included along with a Speedmaster loupe, a metal plate and a book highlighting the adventures of the Speedmaster.

 
 

 

THE MOVEMENT

 

Since its introduction in 1957, the Speedmaster has been characterized by its precision, readability and robustness. Until 1968 it was powered by the calibre 321 which was later changed to calibre 861. This was replaced with an enhanced version when OMEGA introduced a high-grade rhodium-plated finish on the movement, resulting in calibre 1861. Today, the timepiece is powered by virtually the same hand-wound movement that powered the timepieces NASA’s astronauts wore on the Moon.

The Lemania 1861 movement has changed very little over the history of the Speedmaster, and for good reason. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It is now rhodium plated (which is the difference between the 861 movement, and the 1861 movement) for additional corrosion resistance, but that’s about it.

The OMEGA Moonwatch is a manual wind movement, which requires you to wind it every morning. This takes only one minute, just keep winding until the winder stops moving. There is a feeling of pushback from the spring when it is fully wound.

 
 

 

CONCLUSION

 

At this point, there are several versions of the Speedmaster available. You can now get them with Co-Axial escapements, self-winding movements, sapphire crystals with anti-reflective coatings, date and day-date complications, display casebacks, 100 meters of water resistance, GMT functionality, and all kinds of variations in hand design, case and bracelet materials, dials, and straps. But Omega has continued to offer the model of almost the exact same watch that was chosen by NASA in 1965.

 

 

 
 

SPECIFICATIONS

 

	CASE & DIAL
	REFERENCE		311.30.42.30.01.005
	BETWEEN LUGS		20 mm
	CASE		Steel
	CASE DIAMETER		42 mm
	DIAL COLOR		Black
	CRYSTAL		Hesalite crystal
	WATER RESISTANCE		5 bar (50 metres / 167 feet)
	BRACELET		Steel
	FEATURES
	Chronograph
	Tachymeter
	Small seconds
	Special box & accessories
	MOVEMENT
	MOVEMENT		CALIBER OMEGA 1861
	POWER RESERVE		48 hours
	TYPE		Manual-winding
	FINISH		Rhodium-plated
	NASA SPACE FLIGHT QUALIFICATION TESTS (MARCH 1965)
	HIGH TEMPERATURE		48 hours at 160 °F (71 °C) followed by 30 minutes at 200 °F (93 °C)
	LOW TEMPERATURE		Four hours at 0 °F (−18 °C)
	TEMPERATURE CYCLING IN NEAR-VACUUM		Fifteen cycles of heating to 160 °F (71 °C) for 45 minutes, followed by cooling to 0 °F (−18 °C) for 45 minutes at 10−6 atm
	HUMIDITY		250 hours at temperatures between 68 °F (20 °C) and 160 °F (71 °C) at relative humidity of 95%
	OXYGEN ENVIRONMENT		100% oxygen at 0.35 atm and 71 °C for 48 hours
	SHOCK		Six 11 ms 40 g shocks from different directions
	LINEAR ACCELERATION		From 1 to 7.25 g within 333 seconds
	LOW PRESSURE		90 minutes at 10−6 atm at 160 °F (71 °C), followed by 30 minutes at 200 °F (93 °C)
	HIGH PRESSURE		1.6 atm for one hour
	VIBRATION		Three cycles of 30 minutes vibration varying from 5 to 2000 Hz with minimum 8.8 g impulse
	ACOUSTIC NOISE		30 minutes at 130 dB from 40 to 10,000 Hz

 

 

 
 
For more information on Omega Moonwatch Professional Chronograph please click here