Feb 26, 2025
The MoonSwatch '1965' Review
If you’re a Speedmaster fan, you know the story. NASA sent out an RFP for an official watch of the space program – a watch that would undergo a litany of tests (pressure, temperature, corrosion resistance, shock, acceleration, and vibration to name more than a few) to prove that it could withstand the rigors of space exploration. Three watches came in for testing: A Longines Wittnauer 235T, a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6238, and an Omega Speedmaster ST105.003 dating to 1964. As you know, the Speedmaster won the contract and on March 1, 1965, it became the aforementioned official watch of the space program. That designation has since been engraved on the caseback of every Moonwatch in production today. This week, the Swatch Instagram account was buzzing with retro video content that would always end with a title card reading “1965.” Today, we know why. Celebrating 60 years since the flight qualification of the Speedmaster, and nearly 60 years from the moment Ed White took a Speedy for a 20-minute space excursion during Gemini IV, Omega and Swatch have announced a celebratory MoonSwatch that marries the past to the present. The first thing you’re going to notice is the white dial, a detail that harkens back to Snoopy MoonSwatch, but more importantly, to the 2024 White Speedmaster that set the watch world on fire after DanielCraig wore it to Planet Omega in New York in 2023. For all of you who wince at the sight of yet another MoonSwatch – and there are plenty of you – ...