Pre-Owned Omega Speedmaster Watches
Established 1848
The Omega Speedmaster is the watch that survived gruelling NASA testing, was blasted to the moon in 1969 aboard Apollo XI, played a component part in rescuing the Apollo XIII team and is still used by NASA astronauts to this day in Omega Speedmaster X-33 form. It is, without doubt, one of the greatest watches ever.
Speedmaster History
Omega Speedmaster History
The Omega Speedmaster is famed for its rich heritage, landmark achievements, and iconic design, making it one of the world’s best-loved watches.
Introduced in 1957, it has withstood the test of time, participating in significant historical events. It earned international acclaim when it became the first watch worn on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969—a feat that cemented its reputation for precision, durability, and innovation. Besides its celebrated association with NASA is its long-standing role as official timekeeper for the Olympic Games, which began with the Los Angeles games of 1932.
What distinguishes the Omega Speedmaster is its signature design. Its bold dial with three subdials creates a distinctive sporty look, while it was also the first watch to put a tachymeter scale—used to calculate speed—on the bezel instead of the dial. No wonder it’s a firm favourite among motor-racing fans, for whom it was originally intended.
The Speedmaster collection is home to a diverse range of models, each possessing unique characteristics and features, providing something for every watch enthusiast.
The Moonwatch Professional—the most iconic model in the range—holds a unique place in history as the first watch worn on the moon. Its classic design, robust construction, and reliable movement make it a favourite among collectors and space enthusiasts.
For those seeking mechanical innovation, the Speedmaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer is a great choice. This model combines the English watchmaker George Daniel’s Co-Axial escapement—invented to reduce friction on components—and Master Chronometer certification, ensuring exceptional accuracy and performance.
If you prefer your Speedmaster to be a little more experimental, you’ll like the Dark Side of the Moon collection. Each model is crafted from a single block of black zirconium oxide ceramic, giving it a deep shade of black. The somewhat ominous name refers to the mysteriousness of space. Its standout model is the Apollo 8 which features a textured dial inspired by the moon’s surface, allowing you to “wear the moon on your wrist”. Whereas the White Side of the Moon is an all-white alternative.
The Snoopy Speedmaster models, such as the charming “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary, are also favourites with collectors. These watches pay homage to NASAs own Silver Snoopy Award, which it presents to its employees for outstanding achievements related to human flight safety or mission success. Omega received the award in 1970 after it played a critical role in saving the Apollo 13 mission.
The Speedmaster is also renowned for its versatility and style. These watches seamlessly transition from casual to formal occasions, making them suitable for any setting. Whether you're dressing up for a black-tie event or heading on a weekend getaway, an Omega Speedmaster will enhance your look whatever you’re wearing.
We offer a range of pre-owned Omega Speedmasters which showcase the collection’s diversity and commitment to excellence and innovation. Whether you’re a seasoned watch collector or a first-time buyer, we’ll undoubtedly have a pre-owned Speedmaster in our extensive selection that’s perfect for you.
Popular Omega Speedmaster Models
Speedmaster Moonwatch
Named after the Omega Speedmasters that have been worn by astronauts who have walked on the moon, the Moonwatch requires certain NASA-approved attributes to be considered a true Moonwatch. These include a manual-wind movement, a Hesalite (or acrylic) crystal and a closed caseback—not the sapphire exhibition type through which the movement is visible. NASA opts for Hesalite rather than sapphire due to the former’s tendency to deform or crack rather than shatter under pressure, thus preventing potentially dangerous shards of crystal in the zero-gravity environment of space. The standard Moonwatch is made from stainless-steel and has a black dial with a tachymetre bezel and chronograph subdials at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
Speedmaster Reduced
Long discontinued, the Speedmaster Reduced first appeared in the late 1980s and was seen as a more affordable version of the Speedmaster. These watches were equipped with automatic movements and at 39mm were slightly smaller than standard Speedmasters. There are also minor differences to the dial, one of which is that the three chronograph subdials are more spaced out on the Speedmaster Reduced. A similar model is the Speedmaster 38 which, as the name suggests, is smaller again at 38mm.
Speedmaster Date
Several models within the Speedmaster collection come with a date function but there is one discontinued series that is actually called the Speedmaster Date. This watch features a date window at 3 o’clock, while the three chronograph subdials are placed at the more unorthodox positions of 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. Like the Reduced series, these watches run on automatic movements housed in a 39mm case. They were made in stainless steel or two-tone steel and gold.
Speedmaster Dark Side of the Moon
The ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ Speedmaster is crafted from a single block of black zirconium oxide ceramic and often comes with a black skeletonised dial, with the movement’s main plate and bridges laser ablated to replicate the moon’s uneven surface. It also comes with a grey dial variation and at 44mm is larger than standard Speedmasters. It can be equipped with automatic or manual-wind movements, depending on the model. It’s named after the Apollo 8 crew who in 1968 became the first humans to see the far side of the moon, the lunar hemisphere that always faces away from Earth.
Speedmaster Moonphase
A Speedmaster with a moonphase display first appeared in the Omega line-up in the late 1980s. This manual-wind watch, which placed the moonphase at the 12 o’clock position, came in steel and was limited to around 1300 pieces. Omega continued to release similar versions of this model until 2016 when the Moonphase series underwent a revamp. The new-look watches featured larger case sizes, automatic movements and a new dial configuration, with the moonphase indicator now at 6 o’clock. Instead of an aperture, the date on these watches is displayed via one of the subdials. They have been offered in everything from ceramic to two-tone to platinum.
Omega Racing
Thanks to its long association with NASA, the Speedmaster has become known as the “Moonwatch”—regardless of the model—largely overshadowing its original purpose as a sports timer. However, the Racing series is a reminder of the Speedmaster’s rightful heritage, featuring a wide range of colourful chequered dials and imbuing the series with a sporty swagger. Cases range between 40 and 44mm and in most models the chronograph complication is joined by a date function at 6 o’clock. Well known and collectable versions of the Racing collection include the Michael Schumacher Legend Series Limited Edition.
Omega Skywalker
Designed especially for astronauts, and tested and qualified by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Speedmaster Skywalker X-33 is an upgraded version of the Speedmaster Professional X-33 released in 1998. Like its predecessor, the new model is powered by a state-of-the-art quartz calibre, making it unusual for the brand, which produces predominantly mechanical watches. It is made of titanium and boasts a number of functions that are shown via the dial’s LCD display. These include a chronograph, alarm and even a perpetual calendar.
Speedy Tuesday
In 2012 an Omega enthusiast posted a photo of his Speedmaster on Facebook, along with the caption “Speedy Tuesday”. Quickly adopted as a hashtag by Speedmaster fans all over the world, #speedytuesday became a social media sensation. Although the concept has nothing to do with Omega in an official capacity, the brand capitalised on the trend in 2017, releasing a limited-edition Speedy Tuesday version of the Speedmaster with a “reverse-panda” black and white dial. The Speedy Tuesday “Ultraman” version, with its black dial and orange chronograph seconds hand, was released a year later and was also a limited edition.
Speedmaster Broad Arrow
The Speedmaster Broad Arrow gets its name from its prominent arrow-tipped hour hand, also found on the first-generation Speedmaster model from 1957 (and later reissues of this watch). The Broad Arrow also features a date window at 6 o’clock, three chronograph counters, and is always equipped with an automatic movement. A more recent rattrapante (i.e., split seconds) variation is notable for its third pusher at 10 o’clock which operates the additional chronograph seconds hand.
Omega Speedmaster Celebrities
Considering the Speedmaster is one of the most iconic chronographs around, it’s hardly surprising that there’s a host of famous faces who wear one. Although actor Daniel Craig is mainly associated with the Omega Seamaster, thanks to his previous role as James Bond, he’s been spotted wearing the Speedmaster on several occasions. We particularly like his white-dial version, reference 310.30.42.50.04.001, with its contrasting black bezel and red Speedmaster name on the dial.
Supermodel Cindy Crawford is another Speedmaster fan, not only that, but she’s Omega’s longest-serving brand ambassador having joined forces with the watchmaker in 1995. Cindy was pictured wearing the feminine Speedmaster 38, reference 324.38.38.50.06.001, at Omega’s ‘Her Time’ event in Paris in 2017. This sophisticated model boasts a grey dial and leather strap with a black tachymeter bezel and diamond-set outer bezel.
Hollywood favourite, Ryan Reynolds, has been spotted with not one but several Speedmasters in his collection. From the yellow-gold and green-dialled Moonshine Gold—reference 310.60.42.50.10.001—to the moody ceramic Dark Side of the Moon “Black Black” edition, reference 311.92.44.51.01.005.
Actress and fellow Omega brand ambassador, Nicole Kidman, was spotted wearing the Speedmaster 38 Sedna Gold—reference 324.68.38.50.02.003—in a promotional shoot with the brand. This elegant imagining of the Speedmaster showcases a brown bezel and diamond-studded outer bezel.
Omega Speedmaster Movie Appearances
Since the Omega Speedmaster played a critical role in the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, it was crucial that it featured in the 1995 film, Apollo 13. Worn by the missions’ crew, including Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon), the Speedmaster is shown multiple times as the astronauts use it to help them return safely to Earth.
Before Apollo 13 there was Apollo 11, the historic 1969 mission in which humans first landed on the moon. Dramatised in the 2018 film First Man, it features Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, and Corey Stoll as his fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin. With Armstrong leaving his Speedmaster in the landing module as back-up, it was the Speedmaster on Aldrin’s wrist that became the first to grace the lunar surface. Omega provided the film with several Speedmasters, a mix of period-correct replicas and models from its archives.
Bringing us firmly back down to Earth is 2011 film, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. As in the name, this is a film about espionage during the 1970s and the Cold War. Character Ricki Tarr, played by Tom Hardy, can be seen wearing a Speedmaster Pro on a black leather strap throughout the film. Whereas in the erotic Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), main character Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) wears a 44.25mm Speedmaster Co-Axial in gold, reference 311.63.44.51.01.001.
FAQs
Does NASA still use the Speedmaster?
NASA’s Space Shuttle program, which carried astronauts to and from Earth orbit, was retired in 2011 due to, among other things, high costs and safety concerns. However, the Moonwatch remains the only mechanical watch currently certified by NASA and other space agencies for Extravehicular Activity (EVA), also known as spacewalks. If NASA were to launch a manned shuttle today, it’s highly likely that its astronauts would be equipped with Speedmasters. That said, the Speedmaster was only ever meant to be worn as a back-up to the astronauts’ electronic systems, not as their primary time-keeping instrument.
Why did NASA choose the Speedmaster?
NASA put five chronographs from leading Swiss brands through a barrage of tests to find out whether they would be up to the rigours of space flight. These watches, purchased anonymously from a Houston jeweller, included a pre-Daytona Rolex. The tests were understandably brutal and involved the watches being subjected to extreme temperatures, humidity and shocks, among other things. Yet it was the Speedmaster that made the grade, resulting in NASA ordering a dozen more of the watches from New York’s Omega importer. In March 1965 the first two certified Speedmasters took off for orbit around the Earth on the wrists of astronauts John Young and Virgil Grissom.
Is the Speedmaster waterproof?
Speedmasters have never been designed for diving, but they do offer some water resistance. Contemporary models are water resistant to between 50 metres and 100 metres depending on the model. A watch with 50 metre water resistance is fine in the rain, in the shower, and shallow swimming. A watch with 100 m water resistance can withstand water pressure for snorkelling, swimming, and some shallow water activities, but it's not designed for the deeper pressures and movements associated with scuba diving. Vintage Speedmaster models—or any vintage watch, for that matter—should never be worn in water, regardless of what the original water resistance was when bought new.
What movement does the Speedmaster use?
Most Speedmaster models are equipped with a variety of automatic or manual-wind mechanical movements, with the latter found in Moonwatch versions. Classic Speedmaster calibres include the manual-wind Omega 321—based on a legendary Lemania chronograph movement, and used by the Apollo 11 astronauts—and the manual-wind Omega 861, which replaced the 321. Modern Speedmaster movements now feature the co-axial escapement invented by the famed English watchmaker George Daniels in 1976 and patented in 1980. This significant development reduced friction in the moving parts, theoretically resulting in longer service intervals. The only contemporary Speedmaster fitted with a quartz movement is the Skywalker X-33, although the long-forgotten LCD-display Speedmasters from the late 1970s had quartz movements.
How does the Speedmaster compare to the Daytona?
The Speedmaster and the Daytona are legendary watches hailing from the same era and have often found themselves pitted against one another. Both started off as manual-wind chronographs with motor-racing roots, before the Speedmaster became synonymous with the historic moon-landings, giving it more kudos.
Despite an inauspicious start, with customers largely indifferent to this new series, the Daytona’s desirability increased tenfold in the 1980s when it became apparent that Hollywood legend Paul Newman owned several Daytonas. One of his personal watches, featuring an engraved message from his wife, was later auctioned at a record-breaking price.
The Speedmaster collection as a whole certainly offers more variety than the Daytona, with complications such as a moonphase display and date added to the chronograph function. In contrast, the Daytona has never been more than a chronograph. Both watches, however, are offered in different dial styles and materials, from platinum to gold, with gem-clad options also available.
In terms of movements, all Daytona models have run on automatic movements since the late 1980s, while the wider Speedmaster collection still offers both automatic and manual-wind options.
While all contemporary Daytona movements are Superlative Chronometers, which means they have passed even more stringent tests than a standard chronometer certification, Speedmaster movements boast the innovative co-axial escapement (see above).
Ultimately, both watches are legendary chronographs from highly respected Swiss brands and are perennial favourites among collectors and enthusiasts.
