Monday, July 20, 2009

Forty years today Since Omega on the Moon

In July of 1969, Apollo 11 rocketed through the atmosphere on a mission to the moon. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Micheal Collins were on board. The world sat with baited breath as Apollo 11 shot through space. For three days the spacecraft headed in the direction of the moon, finally after 384,399 km, on July 20th 1969, Apollo 11 had reached its destination. Although the moon was in sight, the adventure for the three astronauts had just begun. Even the slightest error or misstep could have catastrophic consequences and every achievement historic proportions.
While Micheal Collins orbited the moon. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Adrin entered the spidery Lunar Excursion Module and made the final journey to its rocky foreign terrain . "The eagle has landed" On landing, the module just missed a rocky outcrop. The two men steered the module for a few hours, and with only a small amount of fuel remaining, the two astronauts brought the vehicle to a stop. Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Lunar Excursion Module displacing tiny fragments of moon dust beneath his boot.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." he said.
Buzz Aldrin , his co-pilot, came out next wearing an Omega Speedmaster. The Omega Speedmaster became the first and only watch to be worn on the moon.

Armstrong and Aldrin constantly consulted the Omega Speedmaster during a two and a half hour moonwalk as they gathered rock samples and conducted a few experiments. Finally the men placed a plaque on the moons. On it was inscribed the words,

"Here men from the planet earth first set upon the moon July 1969. We came in peace for all mankind."

In July it will be 40 years since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon, and forty years since the Omega Speedmaster was on the moon. To commemorate this historic moment, Omega has unveiled 69 pieces of a new 40th anniversary Limited Edition Moon watch in platinum. The watch case, bracelet and hands are crafted from platinum. The seconds sub dial is an 18K gold emblematic disc depicting an eagle landing on the moon, as it was said "The eagle has landed"


The watch itself is very similar to the original. The case size is 42mm in diameter. The crystal is crafted from Hesalite, an acrylic compound - essentially a shatterproof plastic. Although it is not as scratch resistant as Sapphire, being shatterproof is absolutely vital in the confines of a space craft. The movement is still true to its tradition - a manually wound Omega Caliber 1861 movement. Imagine trying to automatically wind a watch where there is no gravity. Stainless steel versions will also be available in a much larger limited edition of 7,969 pieces.


Omega Speedmaster has soared through space on 118 space missions, 1 harrowing orbital reentry and 2 polar expeditions (Click more to read about 1 such expedition).


At THE WATCHERY you can purchase your very own Omega Speedmaster for 40% off the List Price, so if you are about to embark on the voyage of your life, or need some adventure buy an Omega Speedmaster, the watch with plenty of experience.