When the astronauts were asked why they had chosen the speedmaster, they evoked its precision, its reliability, its readability and its ease of use. So many qualities that few other watches could then offer.
A robust design
From its creation in 1957, the speedmaster incorporated advanced protective technologies for the time, such as the O-Ring royalty and the famous crown “Naiad”. This allowed Omega to offer a hermetically sealed chronograph, resistant up to 60 meters deep.
In addition, the hésalite glass, flexible, offered shock resistance and was not broken in the event of a significant impact. A major asset in space, where glass fragments would have represented a serious danger on board
Speedmaster was a pioneer in terms of design. When it was released in 1957, it became the first watch to present a tachymmetric scale on its telescope, not on the dial.
This made it ideal for target customers, namely car racing drivers on the circuit. Since then, the emblematic measurement scale has remained an essential and distinctive element of the design of the speedmaster.
Readability
The original speedmaster of 1957 was designed for car racing pilots. Thus, the model has been designed to be easily readable, so that time can be visible at a glance.
This characteristic was also present in the ST 105.003, on which the brightness of the stick needles and indexes was ensured by the Tritium. This readability was an essential factor to be able to explore the darkest regions of space.
Precision
In 1965, Omega was already renowned for the precision of his chronographs. Its first chronograph movement with 30 minutes / 12 hours meter, the 27 Chro C12, was born in 1941. This caliber was distinguished by the use of a column wheel machined in a single block.
It is this principle that led to the creation of caliber 321, formalized in 1949, embodiment of the precision and mechanical know-how of Omega.
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