We have known for a while that Omega, maker of the first watch worn on the moon, would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission in a big way this year. We did not know, until just this week, that it would do so by releasing a modern version of one of the most legendary and collectible Omega Speedmasters out there, the Ref. BA145.022, a gold-cased, commemorative limited edition that was awarded to NASA astronauts and other luminaries. But the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary limited Edition is much more than a simple re-creation; it also brings to the Omega portfolio a new proprietary case material and a new manual-winding movement.
The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
The original Ref. BA145.022 was presented at an “Astronauts Appreciation Dinner” in Houston on November 25, 1969, which celebrated the success of Apollo 11 the previous summer. The very first commemorative limited-edition timepiece issued by Omega, it had a case of 18k yellow gold, a rare burgundy-colored bezel made of anodized aluminum, and, on the first 32 of the 1,014 numbered pieces that were issued to astronauts, watch industry leaders and politicians, the inscription, “To mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time.” (The model numbered “1” was famously intended for the U.S. President at the time, Richard Nixon, but had to be returned due to government protocol involving gifts; more details ...