Omega paid tribute to its past achievements in the sky and sea with the release of commemorative models at BaselWorld this year.
This year marked the 40th anniversary of the first lunar landing, during which Nasa astronaut Buzz Aldrin wore his Omega Speedmaster as he joined Neil Armstrong on the historic moon walk.
The Speedmaster came to be known as the Moonwatch, in that it was the only wristwatch approved by Nasa for manned space flights, and the process of finding a watch suited to the extreme temperatures of space was a lengthy and exhaustive one.
Temperatures on the moon can fluctuate between minus 160 and 120 degrees Celsius depending on the sun or shade. Other extreme factors include the shock, acoustic noise, pressure and vibration sustained during space travel.
Of the six chronographs Nasa selected for its qualification tests, only three passed and were eligible to be entered into the final trials. These trials exposed the watches to extreme temperature highs and lows for sustained periods, while also testing them for resistance to humidity, shock, acceleration, vibration, acoustic noise and pressure extremes.
At the end of the rigorous testing, only the Speedmaster came away intact and still functional.
