Omega model

Omega Speedmaster: history, references and official videos

The Omega Speedmaster is Omega's chronograph, introduced in 1957 and better known as the Moonwatch after NASA chose it for manned space missions. This page explains its generations, the NASA story and what drives the value of a Speedmaster today – and shows the official Omega videos about the model.

Introduced: 1957 (Ref. CK 2915)
Case: 42 mm (Speedmaster Professional)
Movement today: Calibre 3861 (announced 2021)
Auction result: CHF 3,115,500 for a 1957 CK 2915-1 (Phillips, 2021)

A black and white Moonwatch has landed | OMEGA – official video by Omega on YouTube

Where the Speedmaster comes from

Omega introduced the Speedmaster in 1957 as a sport and racing chronograph. The first model, Reference CK 2915, was the first chronograph with a tachymeter scale on the bezel, and it was powered by calibre 321, a movement developed by Albert Piguet of Lemania in 1946. Its domed Plexiglas crystal is known at Omega as Hésalite. The watch was launched together with the Seamaster 300 and the Railmaster, and today it is usually called the Moonwatch because of its role in space exploration.

Generations of the Speedmaster

The Speedmaster is a family, not a single watch, so reference numbers matter. The table shows the main lines of the Professional, the model most owners mean by Speedmaster, plus the smaller Reduced.

Series	Years	References	Case	Movement
Early Professional	1957 – 1968/69	CK 2915, CK 2998, 105.002, 105.003, 105.012	Tachymeter bezel, Hésalite crystal	Manual winding, calibre 321
Moonwatch	1966 –	145.012 (1966 update of 105.012), BA 145.022	42 mm	Calibre 861 from 1968: cam instead of column wheel, 21,600 vph
1861 era	1996 – 2021	311.30.42.30.01.005 (current Professional reference since 2014)	42 mm	Calibre 1861, successor of the 861
Current Moonwatch	since 2021	Speedmaster Professional	42 mm	Calibre 3861, co-axial escapement, Master Chronometer
Speedmaster Reduced	1988 – 2009	3510.50	39 mm	Automatic

Calibre 321 stayed in the Professional until 1968/1969. Calibre 861 raised the beat rate from 18,000 to 21,600 vibrations per hour and replaced the column wheel with a cam. In 2020 Omega brought calibre 321 back in special editions, and in January 2021 it announced calibre 3861 with a co-axial escapement and Master Chronometer certification.

The Moonwatch and the space program

The Speedmaster owes its fame to NASA. Wally Schirra wore a CK 2998 on Mercury-Atlas 8 in 1962. After tests that ended in March 1965, NASA selected the Speedmaster, and Gus Grissom and John Young wore the first officially qualified watches on Gemini 3 on 23 March 1965. Ed White wore a Reference 105.003 during the first American spacewalk on Gemini 4 in June 1965. Buzz Aldrin wore his Speedmaster on the Moon during Apollo 11, while Neil Armstrong left his in the lunar module as a backup. In 1970 the Apollo 13 astronauts gave Omega the Snoopy Award, because Jack Swigert's Speedmaster was used to time a critical engine burn.

Other Speedmaster lines

Speedmaster Reduced: a 39 mm automatic, made from 1988 to 2009.
Speedmaster '57: a modern reinterpretation of the original design with a manual-winding calibre 9906 and METAS certification.
Speedmaster Racing: sportier models; the current ones measure 44.25 mm.
Speedmaster 38 mm: a smaller collection that Omega extended in 2024.

What is an Omega Speedmaster worth?

The value depends on the generation and reference, the dial and hands, whether the parts are original, the condition and whether box and papers are present. Early references with calibre 321 are the most sought after, and watches with documented space or NASA history sit at the top. Two documented results show the range: an Apollo 17 flown Speedmaster Professional sold for $23,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2009, and a CK 2915-1 produced in 1957 sold for CHF 3,115,500 at Phillips in Geneva in November 2021, against an estimate of CHF 80,000 to 120,000. The buyer also received an Omega Extract from the Archives. Most Moonwatches that owners find in a drawer are far more modest, so check the reference first.

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Official Omega Speedmaster videos

All videos come from the official Omega YouTube channel. They show current Moonwatch and Speedmaster 38 mm models, special editions and the watch's space history.

More Omega videos, sorted by model: all official Omega playlists.

Sources (4)

SwissWatchExperts is not affiliated with Omega. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners; the videos are embedded from the official Omega YouTube channel.

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Frequently asked questions

When was the Omega Speedmaster introduced?

Omega introduced the Speedmaster in 1957 with Reference CK 2915, powered by calibre 321. It was the first chronograph with a tachymeter scale on the bezel.

Is the Speedmaster the same as the Moonwatch?

The Moonwatch is the Speedmaster Professional, the line NASA selected after tests ending in March 1965. Buzz Aldrin wore a Speedmaster on the Moon during Apollo 11.

How big is a Speedmaster?

The Speedmaster Professional measures 42 mm. The Speedmaster Reduced (1988–2009) measures 39 mm, and current Racing models 44.25 mm.

Which movement is inside a Speedmaster Professional?

Early models use manual-winding calibre 321, from 1968 calibre 861, later calibre 1861. Since the 2021 announcement, current Moonwatches use calibre 3861 with a co-axial escapement.

What makes a Speedmaster valuable?

Mainly the reference and generation, originality of dial and hands, condition, and box, papers or an Omega archive extract. Early calibre 321 references and watches with space history are the most sought after.

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