In any industry, there are brands that stand as beacons to the general public. Brands that infiltrate the psyche of the uninitiated, brands like Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari. Omega are one of those such brands.
In modern times, it could be said that the beginning of this infiltration began in 1932 when Omega was named the official timekeeper of the Olympic games, a title still held by the brand today, ensuring that every four years the world watches magnificent feats performed to a subconscious backdrop of an Omega logo.
On July 20th 1969 when mankind takes its first step on the moon, the Omega Speedmaster is strapped to the wrists of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and thus the Moonwatch is born and Omega sees itself cemented into the minds of consumers worldwide.
Spend any amount of time near an Omega boutique and you will be bombarded with images of the lunar surface, space shuttles and of course the Speedmaster.
The Speedmaster has seen very little change to its core design over the years, still a 42mm manual wind chronograph. Still black dialed with printed white indices, white stick hands and tri register layout. The watch is a classic and the design is timeless, Omega recognises this and leaves well enough alone for the most part, the Speedmaster is the epitome of the adage “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
In 2018 I purchased my own Moonwatch, opting for what many consider to be the most modern interpretation of the line, reference 311.30.42.30.01.006, thankfully better known as the sapphire sandwich.
The model features all the standard moonwatch hallmarks, but does away with the traditional hesalite crystal in favour of the more scratch resistant sapphire. The sapphire sandwich also showcases the Omega calibre 1863 movement through the open case back, a feature not present on the standard Speedmaster.
The watch came with the current generation of Speedmaster bracelet, something that I have found over the years, looks good from a distance but is not the most comfortable fit on my 17cm wrist. The issue stems from the design of the end links, Omega opted for a dramatically protruding centre link portion of the end links, which extends the overall length of the watch from a very wearable 48mm lug to lug up to 54mm. The practical effect of this on a wrist under about 19cm, is that the watch tends to sit higher and flatter on one side, never really conforming to the wrist of the wearer.
Thankfully then, the Omega Speedmaster is versatile. This is a watch that looks great on almost anything you strap to it. The moment you wear the watch on a quality leather strap, it sits beautifully on wrist and conforms to any occasion.
Switching from strap to strap has meant that the somewhat simple design has stayed fresh throughout my years of ownership. If one day you’re no longer feeling the black alligator strap on black dial aesthetic, switch over to a green ostrich leather, or soft brown calfskin, each strap change brings a whole new feel to the Speedmaster and an entirely new experience.
An added bonus to purchasing the sapphire sandwich variant of the Omega Speedmaster is the ability to see that for which you have paid. Being a manual wind watch, every second day or so the piece will need your attention in order to spring it back to life. With the sapphire case back, you are treated to the calibre 1863 movement powering your watch, for me this has created a bit of a habit of winding the watch from the back. Seeing the wheels turn whilst winding the watch has become an enjoyable part of my morning routine, there is something almost therapeutic in taking a few seconds before leaving the house, setting the time, winding my watch and seeing it wake and come alive in your hands.
Owning the Speedmaster has added a number of little routines to my day throughout the years, most of which can be attributed to my almost toddler like inability to leave the chronograph pushers alone. I time everything now. My morning commute is almost always 18 minutes, my morning coffee routine, 6 minutes, my evening commute, 34 minutes, how long my children’s naps are, never long enough.
Realistically it’s just an excuse to play with my watch that I justify to myself, and my wife, by claiming a chronograph is definitely a useful function, and that it is definitely easier to time how long something has been in the oven using my watch than the ovens built in timer.
If we are honest though, a watch isn’t about functionality, it hasn’t been for decades. A watch is about so much more, it’s about how it makes you feel when its in your hands, how it makes you feel when its on your wrist. The Omega Speedmaster is so much more than the function it performs. It’s about the story of mans greatest achievement, the story of 14 seconds that saved the lives of 3 courageous astronauts. Its about the way my 4 year old son thinks his dads watch went to the moon and how cool that is. Its about my 2 year old who want nothing more in the world that to play with the “buttons” on the side of my watch, its about every morning winding it up and starting your day with a watch that has started so many days before yours and will start many more days after your last.
