Omega honours Moon hero

This week Omega commemorates the historic Moon landing in July 1969 with a new portrait of Buzz Aldrin wearing the Speedmaster Professional 321.

Buzz Aldrin wearing the Speedmaster Professional 321. (Photos © omega)

While Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins remained in the command module Columbia, Aldrin landed the lunar module Eagle on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969.

Thereafter Neil Armstrong became the first human to step on the Moon's surface. The Eagle's pilot Aldrin then joined Armstrong in making the "one giant leap for mankind".

Walking on the Moon was relatively easy, recalls Aldrin, who wore an Omega Speedmaster Professional in the legendary mission, which was a part of the Apollo programme from 1961-1972.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

The Speedmaster was the only watch that survived Nasa's testing of chronographs, and it was first used for piloted missions in 1965.

The Apollo 11 mission remains the most extraordinary highlight of Omega's long heritage in space.

From Apollo 11 to Apollo 17, Nasa astronauts depended on the Speedmaster's Calibre 321 for accuracy and reliability. Having been a part of all six Moon landings, the chronographs have earned the nickname Moonwatch.

This year Nasa's effort to return to the Moon begins with an uncrewed test flight as the first of the three Artemis missions. No earlier than 2025, the Artemis III mission will include a lunar landing that will have astronauts back on the Moon and then travel to Mars.

Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional.