We have published an article on the three best luxury watches to give for Christmas. One of them, theOmega Speedmasters, it has a really interesting story, which deserves to be told.
Let's see together in this article why theOmega Speedmaster it is such a popular watch among aficionados.
Omega Speedmaster: the origins and appearance
THEOmega Speedmaster was born, like many successful models of contemporary sports watchmaking, in the XNUMXs. Its design is particularly innovative, and will be taken as an example by many competitors. The inspiration comes from the world of sports cars: the chronograph counter is applied, instead of on the dial as in traditional chronographs, on the bezel of the watch. In this way, the dial appears to have a cleaner line, free from elements other than spheres and indexes. The absence of the date window also contributes to making the dial of theOmega Speedmaster.
The readability in theOmega Speedmaster it is an essential requirement: as the name suggests, this watch was in fact created for motor racing, where the driver certainly does not have time to search for information on a crowded dial: everything you need must be immediately accessible.
Omega Speedmaster: fame and sturdiness
As all fans know, the fame ofOmega Speedmaster derives from his participation in NASA missions, in particular those called "Apollo".
The US National Agency for Aeronautics and Space decides to provide its operators with a robust and reliable chronograph, able to withstand the stresses of the most risky missions while maintaining flawless operation. L'Omega Speedmaster it has to contend with fierce competition.
The NASA tests, in which the Longines-Wittnauer 242T, the Rolex Daytona andOmega Speedmaster, they see theOmega Speedmaster as the most robust and reliable of the three watches. Subsequently, theOmega Speedmaster undergoes some modifications, at the request of NASA, such as the addition of a rotating bezel graduated on 24 hours and the use of larger pushers for the chronograph.
The famous photo of Buzz Aldrin with the Omega Speedmaster "Moonwatch"
After Apollo: the Omega Speedmaster up to the present day
THEOmega Speedmaster, after the great advertising success represented by NASA Apollo Missions, becomes universally known as "Moonwatch“, Literally“ moon clock ”, a clear reference to his participation in the space race. Even today, of course, this Omega model still boasts the aura deriving from that era, with editions such as theOmega Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon or l 'Omega Speedmaster Silver Snoopy (a reference to the award given to the watchmaker by NASA for the performance of its chronographs).
Is the Omega Speedmaster for me?
If you are looking for a prestigious, legible, carefully crafted sports chronograph, the Omega Speedmaster is certainly for you. It is not only a watch famous for its past, it is a chronograph for all tastes, available in a wide range of versions: with sapphire or plexi glass, with automatic and manual movement, with polished or burnished finish ...
A final note that will certainly please enthusiasts: recently, Omega reintroduced the caliber 321 into production, a hand-wound movement with column-wheel chronograph that fitted the first Omega Speedmaster. A touch of fidelity to the original certainly appreciable for a watch that makes its history its strong point.
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