From the limited edition Speedmaster to Arnold & Son's beautiful rendition of the moon phase
July 20, 1969 was not just the day that man first stepped foot on the moon—it was also the day that a watch was first worn on the moon, by astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Since then, our fascination with the moon has only begun to grow, with many watchmakers paying tribute to the celestial body. As the momentous 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing approaches, we round up five exquisite timepieces—including the famed “moon watch”—to fete the occasion.
1. Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition
There is no watch more closely linked to space exploration than the Omega Speedmaster. Worn on the first American spacewalk by Ed White in 1965, the watch went on to be the first worn on the moon during the Apollo 11 lunar landing—earning it the moniker of “moon watch”.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, Omega is presenting a limited edition of the moon watch. Paying tribute to Apollo 11, it boasts a number “11” feature in 18-karat Moonshine gold on the watch face and a nine o’clock sub-dial laser-engraved with the image of astronaut Buzz Aldrin climbing down to the lunar surface.
The 42mm case is created from stainless steel, with a bezel ring in polished black ceramic which is emblazoned with a Omega Ceragold tachymeter scale. Other details like the indexes, bezel, logo, and watch hands are also crafted from 18-karat Moonshine gold. Only 6,969 pieces were created.