310.30.42.50.01.001, SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL MOONWATCH, HESALITE

$5,250

An Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, ref. 310.30.42.50.01.001, with hesalite crystal and the Master Chronometer calibre 3861.

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An Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch, ref. 310.30.42.50.01.001, with hesalite crystal and the Master Chronometer calibre 3861. This is the 2021 generation, and the details show it: a stepped dial that echoes the early Moonwatches, a dot over 90 on the black aluminium tachymeter bezel, and slender, faceted hands. The steel case measures 42mm with the asymmetrical shape that protects the crown and pushers. Under the solid caseback, the hand-wound 3861 carries a Co-Axial escapement and is certified by METAS, resistant to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss. The hesalite crystal is the same material NASA approved, with the warm distortion at its edges that collectors love. It sits on a navy alligator-style strap.

NASA put the Speedmaster through a battery of tests in 1965, and it was the only watch to pass, earning flight qualification for every crewed mission. On July 21, 1969, Buzz Aldrin wore his on the lunar surface, and the Speedmaster became the Moonwatch. Omega has updated the movement only a handful of times since: the calibre 321, then the 861 in 1968, then the 1861 in 1996. In 2021, the calibre 3861 replaced the 1861, bringing a Co-Axial escapement and Master Chronometer certification to the Moonwatch for the first time. Omega used that moment to restore design cues from the 1960s references, including the stepped dial and the dot over 90. It is the most significant Moonwatch update in decades.

We sourced this watch for the dial step. Look at it from the side and you can see the outer ring sitting lower than the centre, a detail Omega dropped decades ago and brought back here, and it changes how the whole dial catches light. The dot over 90 on the bezel is another nod that the people who know will notice immediately. Then there is the hesalite, which is the material that actually went to the moon, with its soft glow and slight distortion at the edges. The navy strap pulls blue out of the black dial and makes the watch feel less like a tool and more like something you want to wear every day. It is the Moonwatch, modernised by restoring its history. Curated with intent.