This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission that saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. And on his wrist was an Omega Speedmaster. This moment ensured that the humble, manually wound chronograph was vaulted into the hallowed halls of history. But the Speedmaster story is about more than just that moonwatch. Here are five defining references of the iconic Speedy. 1957 – Omega Speedmaster — ref. 2915 — the Broad Arrow If we have to start somewhere, it might as well be at the beginning. Production of the Speedmaster began in 1957, and was conceived as a dedicated tool — for racers, engineers and the like. And so the reference 2915, the first Speedmaster. From a distance it bears all the classic hallmarks of the line. There’s a few tells though, the most obvious being the ‘Broad Arrow’ hands. The other obvious demarcating feature is the steel bezel (rather than aluminium inset). Beyond that point it starts getting really specific: text type, caseback type and all the detail that makes the Speedmaster such a rich field for dedicated collectors. If you’re looking for a modern equivalent, check out the Speedmaster 1957, a bi-compax update of the original. 1965 –…
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