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Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Chronograph 'First OMEGA In Space'
We're huge fans of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional. However, we have a particularly soft spot for the "First OMEGA in Space" that was released in 2012 to commemorate the Speedmaster CK2998 worn on the wrist of Walter "Wally" Schirra as he orbited the earth six times on the Sigma 7 spacecraft, in 1962. At that time, there was no official timepiece approved by NASA, and Schirra's CK2998 was his personal property. Compared to the Speedmasters that would accompany the Apollo 11 crew, Schirra's Speedmaster was an earlier model (now known as "pre-Moon"), distinguished by its lack of "Professional" branding, symmetrical caseband, straight lugs, and Alpha hands.
For this modern edition, OMEGA substituted the hesalite crystal found on Schirra's watch for a more scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, the hand used for the small seconds is leaf-shaped rather than straight, the OMEGA branding (dial/logo) is the modern font and typography, and OMEGA placed the dot next to the 90 mark on the tachymeter scale rather than above it. In addition, the screw-down caseback of the modern watch features the text: "First OMEGA In Space," the date of Schirra’s space flight, and the 1962 execution of the OMEGA seahorse. Lastly, the "First OMEGA in Space" has a more compact size than most modern Speedmasters at 39.7mm, an applied logo, and lacks "Professional" branding anywhere on the dial.
Inside the modern "First OMEGA in Space" is manually winding caliber 1861. The 1861 is a modern version of the original 861 (itself an update to the legendary 321 caliber), which uses 18 jewels rather than 17 and is rhodium plated. Finally, OMEGA paired the "First OMEGA in Space" with a leather strap, a choice that distinctly plays up the watch's vintage appeal.
OMEGA initially launched the "First OMEGA in Space" in 2012 with a stainless steel variation that closely resembled the original model. Then, in 2015 they added an updated iteration in the brand's proprietary Sedna gold alloy. A year later, the brand released another limited edition on this platform, this time in stainless steel, with a blue and white dial, and a "lollipop" chronograph hand, as seen in the example we have here. This limited edition FOIS blue is individually numbered out of 2998 examples.
This particular watch is in excellent pre-owned condition, meaning there are very light signs of wear and some small scratches on the case and buckle that come with being lived with. The case has been professionally refinished. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended. The case is marked with the limited edition number "028X/2998" on the caseback and the serial number "78733XXX" on the rear of one of the lugs.
The dial, crown, case, movement, strap, and buckle are signed by Omega. The watch is fitted on an OMEGA blue alligator leather strap and a case matching stainless steel OMEGA tang buckle – a correct strap for this limited edition. It is also delivered with its original OMEGA box, papers dated 1/26/2016, and pictogram card.
*NOTE: Please be aware that this watch comes with an alligator leather strap as an accessory. If the watch is shipped to any international destination, we will not be able to include the alligator strap due to laws regarding the sale and shipment of exotic leather goods. In this case we will include a fashiontourbillon.com strap.
In 1894, La Generale Watch Company developed a system for interchangeable movement parts, which it marketed as the OMEGA brand from La Generale Watch Company. This brand proved to be very successful, and in 1903, OMEGA was spun off into its own company. In the following decades, OMEGA went on to become not only one of Switzerland’s largest and best-known watchmakers but also one of the world's most recognizable global brands. The most pivotal period for OMEGA came in the 1960s when America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chose the OMEGA Speedmaster for the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. This achievement, paired with its regular timing of both the summer and winter Olympic Games, has bestowed upon OMEGA a global reputation as a maker of precision timekeepers trusted to perform when performance matters most.
