February 27, 2025 — Sixty years after it became the only watch to ace NASA's spaceflight trials, the Omega Speedmaster has passed a test again — this time qualifying as a new MoonSwatch.
The "MoonSwatch 1965" celebrates the start of the Swiss watchmaker's formal connection to the U.S. space program by bearing all of the visual hallmarks of the original timepiece evaluated six decades ago.
"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 spaceflights, amidst the race to conquer the moon," wrote Swatch in its release announcing the MoonSwatch 1965.
The new model — the latest in the Bioceramic MoonSwatch Collection first introduced in 2022 and added to each year since — is available for $270 beginning March 1, the date NASA qualified the Speedmaster back in 1965, only in select Swatch stores worldwide. Although not a limited edition, only one watch can be purchased per person, per day and per Swatch store.
Three brands, 11 trials
Preceded by the Mercury astronauts flying their own wristwatches (including Wally Schirra, who wore his personal Speedmaster), NASA put out a call to brands that were popular with pilots to submit their chronographs for testing. Ultimately, three were considered: Rolex's 'pre-Daytona' reference 6238, Longines' Wittnauer 235T and Omega's Speedmaster.
As a prerequisite, each model had to be precise within five seconds over a 24-hour period (ideally within a range of plus or minus two seconds per day) and it had to have a stopwatch function. The watches also needed to be easy to read and be antimagnetic. From there, NASA put the timepieces through 11 successive tests:
High temperature: The watches were baked to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) for 48 hours, then 200 degrees F (93 degrees C) for 30 minutes in a partial vacuum.
Low temperature: The watches were then frozen for four hours at zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius).
Vacuum: They were then heated inside a vacuum chamber and then cooled to zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius) for several cycles.
Humidity: Sauna time! The watches were subjected to ten 24-hour cycles in greater than 95 percent humidity with temperatures ranging from 77 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 70 degrees Celsius).
Corrosion: The watches were then bathed in an oxygen atmosphere at 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) for two days.
Shock resistance: The watches were next subjected to six 40 G (40 times the normal force of gravity on Earth) shocks in six different directions.
Acceleration: The watches were then progressively accelerated from 7.25 G for about five minutes and then up to 16 G for 30 seconds in three axes.
Low pressure: The watches were put under the pressure of 10-6 atmospheres at 158 degrees Fahrenheit (70 degrees Celsius) for 90 minutes, then at 200 degrees F (93 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
High pressure: The watches were exposed to 1.6 atmospheres for 60 minutes.
Vibration: The watches were next subjected to random vibrations in three axes between 5 and 2,000 Hz with an acceleration of 8.8 G.
Sound: Finally, the watches were subjected to 130 decibels at frequencies from 40 to 10,000 Hz for 30 minutes.
NASA's testers recommended the Omega Speedmaster for its "superior precision, reliability, legibility and ease of use" over the other brands' models tested. Three months after the trials, astronaut Ed White spent more than 20 minutes outside the Gemini IV spacecraft with a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster on his wrist.
Back to 19/65
The MoonSwatch 1965's dial, strap and crown are adorned with Omega's logo as it appeared on the 1964 Speedmaster model that NASA tested. The 2025 Swatch also recreates the look of the hands and typeface from the original chronograph, while borrowing the white (rather than black) face from the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional introduced in March 2024.
The two counters at 10 and 2 o'clock on the 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.
In this way, "19" and "65" are highlighted on the dial, making it possible to read "1965," as well as "60" at the small second at 6 o'clock (which remains unchanged). The chronograph reading is a little different, as the counter first totals 65 minutes and only after the hours. More specifically, the hands of both counters operate as follows: The 10 o'clock counter (19 hours) and the 2 o'clock counter (65 minutes) make a "lap of honor" at the end of the 64th minute.
The 10 o'clock counter rotates once and displays one hour (or rather, one hour more).
The 2 o'clock counter rotates once and displays the 5th minute.
As such, without having to restart the 2 o'clock (minute) counter at zero, the time can be read normally by adding up the hours and minutes. This animation repeats every 65 minutes, with both hands performing the movement simultaneously.
The counters also display the year 1965 and the 60th anniversary of the NASA flight qualification. The number "19" appears on the counter at 10 o'clock, the number "65" on the counter at 2 o'clock and the number "60" on the counter at 6 o'clock, which are also visible under UV light. The hands and hour markers are coated with Swatch's Super-LumiNova for visibility in the dark.
The MoonSwatch 1965 has its mission statement on its case back and the "Omega x Swatch" logos on the dial and crown. A gray Velcro strap, suitable for spacesuits, completes the astronaut-inspired style, and features contrast stitching that matches the color of the case and strap.
The main features of the original Speedmaster are still present: the asymmetrical 42mm case, the tachymeter scale with dot over ninety and the distinctive Speedmaster counters. Like all Bioceramic MoonSwatch models, this new watch features a chronograph function.
The non-limited "MoonSwatch 1965," like all of the watches in the collection, is made of Swatch's Bioceramic material, a blend of two-thirds ceramic and one-third biosourced materials derived from castor oil. |
|
Swatch's MoonSwatch 1965 celebrates the 60 years that Omega's Speedmaster has been qualified by NASA for spaceflight. (Swatch)
The MoonSwatch 1965 (bottom) with an example of its inspiration: the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph. (Swatch)
The MoonSwatch 1965 displays the numbers "19" and "65" on its dial as a nod to the year NASA tested the Speedmaster. (Swatch)
The case back of the reverse of the MoonSwatch 1965 displays its mission statement and the moon on the battery cover. (Swatch) |
