The Speed Master may be the "moon watch" but...

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by logo

If you ain’t first, you’re last. That’s certainly the picture Rolex likes to paint for most of their achievements, but when it comes to space watches Omega takes this round.

Well the first human feet on the moon were Neil Armstrong's and yes, he was wearing a Speedmaster.

Buzz Aldrin were the next feet and he wore a Sea Dweller

Michael Collins in the command module wore a TOG.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by csaltphoto

Well the first human feet on the moon were Neil Armstrong's and yes, he was wearing a Speedmaster.

Buzz Aldrin were the next feet and he wore a Sea Dweller

Michael Collins in the command module wore a TOG.

Actually Neil Armstrong never wore a watch on the moon.
Buzz was the first.
Armstrong's watch remained in the LM because the Bulova(i think from memory) clock on board the LM was US for some reason.
Lets not forget Collins also wore a Speedy.
They all trained with and were issued with Speedys. Each and every one of them

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by logo

If you ain’t first, you’re last. That’s certainly the picture Rolex likes to paint for most of their achievements, but when it comes to space watches Omega takes this round.

True enough
After all is said and done, the Speedy beat all contenders at the time by passing the entire suite of tests that were laid down by NASA.
Regardless of the fact that it was a Manual wind and it only had fairly limited water resistance, the lowly old OMEGA Speedy won a resounding victory which has been backed up with literally thousands of hours in space let alone when worn on EVA's
Further to this, it was the preferred watch by the people who were actually using them throughout the space program dating back to Mercury.
It was the same people who were wanting a standard piece of kit to be issued which gave rise to the suite of tests that NASA applied.

I love it when the Rolex fanboys try to re-fight old battles and twist the facts by distorting context

[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by Dirt

Actually Neil Armstrong never wore a watch on the moon.
Buzz was the first.
Armstrong's watch remained in the LM because the Bulova(i think from memory) clock on board the LM was US for some reason.

Well that's interesting. Buzz has had such a fascinating full life and still is at it.

It's interesting that these aren't even modern Rolexes we are talking about but watches that made with 60 year old technology. All these posts here about "Can I wear my Rolex to _____________ ?". There is a long list of astronauts who took their personal Rolex into space and to the moon even. Probably didn't think about it all that hard. They trusted the watch to work like it always had and it did.

[SuinBruin]

Originally Posted by csaltphoto

An awful lot of Rolexes went into space and went to moon. Seemed to work just fine. A lot of GMT masters which makes sense since they could easily track Zulu and Houston and either a third time zone or use the bezel for a mission/task timer.

https://www.rolexmagazine.com/search...0Rolex#/page/1

Apologies if this has been posted before or beat to death.

Lots of Rolexes have been to space on the wrists of astronauts safely inside pressurized capsules. How many have been worn on the outside of a spacesuit in the vacuum of space? That is the difference between the Moonwatch and the vast majority of other "space" watches.

[Ollie1982]

Not sure what we are trying to achieve with this thread, but the way I see it is as follows:

Omega won the 'space race', but back on earth Rolex won the 'I'm human and I've got too much disposable income race'.

There, settled it

[Oxfordian]

Originally Posted by Ollie1982

Not sure what we are trying to achieve with this thread, but the way I see it is as follows:

Omega won the 'space race', but back on earth Rolex won the 'I'm human and I've got too much disposable income race'.

There, settled it

Brilliant, love the analogy

[logo]

This thread needs photos.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by csaltphoto

Probably didn't think about it all that hard. They trusted the watch to work like it always had and it did.

Agreed
As do we all, unless one is in it for the money or recognition

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Ollie1982

Not sure what we are trying to achieve with this thread, but the way I see it is as follows:

Omega won the 'space race', but back on earth Rolex won the 'I'm human and I've got too much disposable income race'.

There, settled it

Classic

[Krash]

One thing for sure, I doubt Omega would be where they’re at without that NASA certification. Not sure if they would be the marquee brand for the Swatch Group.


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[amh]

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Too bad they got rid of these great bracelets and decided to only make bad bracelets

Originally Posted by logo

This thread needs photos.

[logo]

Originally Posted by amh

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Too bad they got rid of these great bracelets and decided to only make bad bracelets

This bracelet is new, watch is new - comes OEM on the Ed White 321 which was delivered to me new in 2022. You can also get the Apollo 11 50th anniversary flat link (which is similar to the Ed White bracelet) from omega boutiques and mount it to the standard speedmaster professional as well.

[Ollie1982]

Originally Posted by Krash

One thing for sure, I doubt Omega would be where they’re at without that NASA certification. Not sure if they would be the marquee brand for the Swatch Group.


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Most successful companies get a lucky break / win a big contract which is their turning point, Omega haven't looked back since winning the 'space race' and good on them. They are riding a 'moon shaped' wave that any company in the same position would too.

Maybe Rolex wouldn't have got to where they have today without Omega making sure Rolex were kept on their toes and had something to aspire to... something to ponder.

[Ollie1982]

Originally Posted by amh

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Too bad they got rid of these great bracelets and decided to only make bad bracelets

Have you handled the new 3861? The new bracelet blows the old ones out of the water

[warrior]

Smoking hot Ed White

Originally Posted by logo

This thread needs photos.

[amh]

Originally Posted by Ollie1982

Have you handled the new 3861? The new bracelet blows the old ones out of the water

It's nice and heavy but I for some reason I don't care for the link pattern. Too much going on.

[Ollie1982]

Originally Posted by amh

It's nice and heavy but I for some reason I don't care for the link pattern. Too much going on.

It’s a vast improvement on the previous versions. Build quality is still not Rolex level but the gap is narrowing.


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[csaltphoto]

Originally Posted by Ollie1982

Not sure what we are trying to achieve with this thread, but the way I see it is as follows:

Omega won the 'space race', but back on earth Rolex won the 'I'm human and I've got too much disposable income race'.

There, settled it

I suppose I was trying to achieve a couple of things with this thread. One was to start a thread about Rolex that was not about investment. And since we are all interested in the heritage aspects of the brand, here is some fun information about heritage.

[omar-rye]

I thought the moon landing was a hoax?

[Meyrin]

FWIW I´ve read that many modern-day astronauts tend to wear various G-Shock models, and there are loads of photos online to prove this! Russian cosmonauts seem to like wearing their Vostoks...

[StanGMT]

Originally Posted by Vesper Lynd

To each his own. Rolex has a lot of merit, it has done great things in the history of watchmaking, but if it doesn't invent them like the first ascent of Everets.
Hillary had a Smiths on her wrist and it is hard to believe that Tenzing Norgay wore a Rolex that was supposedly given to him by the expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. A lot of coincidence, in which Rolex always comes out on top. We are talking about 1953, and that Tenzing Norgay is a Sherpa. Hardly credible. Besides, Tenzing was not the only Sherpa of the expedition, and Hunt gave the Rolex precisely to Tenzing, and not to the other Sherpas. I don't believe it.

Apologies - I don't want to appear a smart-arse, but just to set the record straight - Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mt Everest, with Sherpa Tenzing, was a MAN not a woman.

Regarding the Omega vs Rolex debate, I own both a 1675 GMT and a Speedy and I just love both of them for what they are - different but excellent.

Stan.

[alllexandru]

https://www.fratellowatches.com/omeg...er-references/

Here you will find some interesting references on when and how

“Speedmaster CK2998
The Speedmaster CK2998 was the second generation of Speedmasters and actually the first watch to be used in space before NASA did their tender. Astronauts Wally Schirra and Gordon Cooper purchased their Speedmaster CK2998 watches privately and used them in space since 1962. The hands and bezel are different from the CK2915, but the (center) case is the same on the first three generations of Speedmaster watches.”

[kearez]

Speedmaster is a great watch in its own right. Not sure why some are bashing it? I’m sure if the daytona had went to space instead Rolex would be pushing it as watch went into space, and NASA flight qualified.

[amh]

Originally Posted by kearez

Speedmaster is a great watch in its own right. Not sure why some are bashing it? I’m sure if the daytona had went to space instead Rolex would be pushing it as watch went into space, and NASA flight qualified.

I only bash Omega bracelets and their James Bond marketing. They do make a great watch.

[Vesper Lynd]

Originally Posted by StanGMT

Apologies - I don't want to appear a smart-arse, but just to set the record straight - Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mt Everest, with Sherpa Tenzing, was a MAN not a woman.

Regarding the Omega vs Rolex debate, I own both a 1675 GMT and a Speedy and I just love both of them for what they are - different but excellent.

Stan.

Who said it was a woman?

[StanGMT]

Originally Posted by Vesper Lynd

Who said it was a woman?

From your post - 'Hillary had a Smiths on her wrist' . . . . .

Stan.

[Vesper Lynd]

Hillary is her surname.

English is not my mother tongue anyway.

[SLWoodster]

I don't want to appear a smart-arse, but to set the record straight - we have no evidence that Sir Edmund Hillary did not prefer she/her/her as pronouns. Nor do we have evidence that Sir Edmund Hillary did not identify as a woman.

;P

Originally Posted by StanGMT

Apologies - I don't want to appear a smart-arse, but just to set the record straight - Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to conquer Mt Everest, with Sherpa Tenzing, was a MAN not a woman.

Regarding the Omega vs Rolex debate, I own both a 1675 GMT and a Speedy and I just love both of them for what they are - different but excellent.

Stan.

I think they ended up giving rolexes to the whole expedition sooner or later because there are multiple rolexes engraved by rolex and gifted to diff members.

Originally Posted by Vesper Lynd

To each his own. Rolex has a lot of merit, it has done great things in the history of watchmaking, but if it doesn't invent them like the first ascent of Everets.
Hillary had a Smiths on her wrist and it is hard to believe that Tenzing Norgay wore a Rolex that was supposedly given to him by the expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. A lot of coincidence, in which Rolex always comes out on top. We are talking about 1953, and that Tenzing Norgay is a Sherpa. Hardly credible. Besides, Tenzing was not the only Sherpa of the expedition, and Hunt gave the Rolex precisely to Tenzing, and not to the other Sherpas. I don't believe it.

[Uggi]

Originally Posted by Vesper Lynd

Hillary is her surname.

English is not my mother tongue anyway.

What they are saying is that when the subject is a man (like Edmund Hillary) you should use “his” not “her”.
“Her” is the pronoun for a woman.