Style Edit: The Omega Speedmaster’s 60-year legacy, from Apollo 11 to Artemis II
From Nasa’s punishing 1965 trials, to the Speedmaster Moonphase Meteorite, ‘Reverse Panda’ and X-33 – this is how a space icon keeps evolving
On April 1, as Nasa’s Artemis II set off on humanity’s first crewed lunar voyage in more than 50 years, all four astronauts on the mission did so wearing the Omega Speedmaster X-33 – a modern instrument for a new era, rooted in a legacy stretching back six decades. That story began with a far simpler mechanical chronograph that proved its ability to survive where few other timepieces could.
That original DNA remains most evident in the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch – often referred to simply as the Moonwatch. Its design is a careful continuation of the fourth-generation model worn on Apollo 11: a 42mm case, asymmetrical for crown protection, a black step dial for legibility, and the iconic tachymeter bezel. The caseback engraving – “Flight-qualified by Nasa for all manned space missions” – reads less like branding and more like a statement of record.
A 2024 version of the Speedmaster Moonwatch reimagined the familiar through inversion. The timepiece’s glossy, white lacquer dial, paired with black detailing, echoes the visual language of an astronaut’s EVA suit, while subtle red accents nod to the red lines on suits signifying the commander’s rank. Even the choice of white has a technical precedent, recalling experimental prototypes developed for thermal reflection in extreme conditions.
