CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: In 1965, the OMEGA Speedmaster was the only watch to pass the tests of the American space agency NASA. That was exactly sixty years ago, on March 1, 1965. As part of the development of the American space program, NASA required a watch that was reliable, precise, easy to read, and easy to use for its space missions. The objective: to have a qualified timepiece for all future manned space flights, amidst the race to conquer the moon.
As a government agency, NASA was obliged to issue a formal call for tenders, requesting “RFPs” (Request for Proposal) from watch manufacturers. The U.S. space agency required series models. OMEGA submitted its Speedmaster model (ST105.003 from 1964), Longines proposed its Wittnauer 235T model and the ….X brand sent its reference 6238. NASA then tested these chronographs through 11 successive trials, following rigorous criteria specially designed for the occasion by the U.S. space agency. Of the three timepieces tested, only one was awarded the prestigious flight qualification for all NASA manned space missions and extravehicular activities on March 1, 1965: the OMEGA Speedmaster. The new MOONSWATCH 1965 pays tribute to the unique watch and the flight qualification by NASA six decades ago.
NASA testers preferred and recommended the OMEGA Speedmaster for its “superior precision, reliability, legibility and ease of use” over the other models. The flight qualification awarded to OMEGA soon became a reality. Three months after the tests and during the “Gemini IV” mission, on June 3, Ed White ventured more than 20 minutes outside the spacecraft with the OMEGA Speedmaster on his wrist.
The MOONSWATCH 1965 bears all the visual hallmarks of the Speedmaster tested sixty years ago by NASA. The OMEGA logo used at that time (also present on the strap and crown), the hands and the typeface of the inscriptions all echo the style of the original watch, giving its modern version an appealing vintage feel. But the watch holds even more surprises. The dial, for example, is another nod to the immaculate, white-dialed OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional launched in March 2024 (310.30.42.50.04.001)
The two counters at 10 and 2 o’clock on the new MOONSWATCH 1965 are also new. The first indicates the number 19 (normally 60) at the top, while the other displays the number 65 (normally 10), referencing the year 1965.
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