Today we have the recently discontinued Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space (FOIS) in for review. The Speedmaster has a storied history that dates back to the 1960’s when this ordinary racing inspired watch was launched 17,500 miles/hour into space. It is easily one of the most iconic watches in the world today, so we ask the question – does the First Omega in Space do the Speedmaster justice?
We are looking at 5 criteria that should provide a comprehensive overview of the watch and aid anyone who is considering adding it to their collection. Use our quick links below to help navigate;
History of the First Omega in Space
As the story goes NASA designated Omega’s Speedmaster Professional as their official watch for space exploration in 1965. The Speedy Pro joined Gus Grissom on the Gemini 3 mission, Ed White on the Gemini 4 mission and Neil Armstrong on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 as he took that one large step for mankind. While being NASA certified is tremendously important to the Speedmaster story, this was not Omega’s first foray into outer space.
To look at the origin of Omega’s space journey we need to step back three years to 1962 when Astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra embarked on the Sigma 7 space mission with the goal of orbiting the earth 6 times. With NASA yet to designate their official timepiece, Wally Schirra strapped on his own personal Speedmaster reference CK2998 as a measure to back up the spacecraft’s timer and embarked upon the journey ahead. Schirra’s Speedy CK2998 survived the mission as if it had originally been designed for space flight, so much so that he continued to wear it for many years to come. This simple action of putting on his personal CK2998 makes it the granddaddy for the Speedmaster line-up of watches and the inspiration for the First Omega in Space.
50 years after Omega’s inaugural space mission they released the First Omega in Space to pay homage to Wally Schirra’s personal CK2998. The watch embodies many of the characteristics of the original including; a direct lineage to its movement, vintage “pre-moon” case design, dial layout and handset. This watch is a numbered edition meaning that Omega numbered each watch produced but did not specify the total production quantity. Unfortunately, the First Omega in Space was discontinued in 2020, with an estimated production of 15,000 worldwide based on other Omega numbered edition watches. These models are becoming harder and harder find as the stock at retailers dries up. If you’re in the market for one, act fast while quantities last!
Now let’s get into the review!
Case & Bracelet
The FOIS uses a “pre-moon” case design, known for its lack of crown guards and straight lugs. These two features are the most recognizable differences from the current Speedmaster Professional and give the watch a more vintage feel over the otherwise chunky Speedy Pro. For this reason the FOIS will appear smaller on the wrist than the Speedmaster Pro, making it an ideal option for those who enjoy the Speedmaster but don’t quite have the wrist size to pull it off. In saying this, the FOIS is not a small watch by any means with a lug to lug of 48mm and a thickness of 14.5mm (inclusive of the crystal) it will have a nice presence while wearing it. The case itself is polished on the top with brushed finishing on the sides that will hide scratches better through normal use. Omega uses a non-screw down embossed crown at 3 and pump style pushers at 2 and 4 all of which are very satisfying to engage.
Surrounding the dial is the iconic black aluminum Tachymeter scale that is synonymous with the Speedy range of watches – while its use is not really relevant to 99.9% of Speedmaster owners…it looks pretty damn cool.
Flipping the watch over reveals a case back with lot going on! Starting on the outer ring you’ll see “Numbered Edition” text along with the watches production number. Stepping in and down we have embossed text featuring both “The First Omega In Space” and “October 3, 1962” paying homage to the Sigma 7 mission where it was used. Finally, in the middle of the case back lays a beautiful Speedmaster seahorse logo sitting on a textured background. All of these details are quite cool and add even more intricacy to the watch. One thing worth noting is the case back’s stepped design can be on the sharp side, depending on how tight you like to wear your watch, this might be something to consider.
Finally, the First Omega in Space comes with a luxurious brown leather strap with a polished Omega branded pin buckle that wears very comfortably. The FOIS does feature an oddly sized 19mm lug width, this said many 20mm straps can squeeze to fit but we’ve found the market for 19mm straps is growing by the day!
Dial
The FOIS uses a textured black dial, stepped sub-dials and an amazing polished applied Omega logo at 12 o’clock. These small details add a surprising amount of depth to the usually flat Speedmaster dial. Matching Schirra’s CK2998 the FOIS has long alpha hands for the hour and minutes and a stark white chronograph hand that contrasts the the black dial. The small seconds at the 9 o’clock subdial uses a polished alpha hand to match the minutes and hours (which differs from Schirra’s watch) and white stick hands for the chrono hour and minutes subdials at 3 and 6 o’clock respectively.
Overall the legibility is excellent on the watch with it utilizing tall painted hour markers that resemble Schirra’s personal Speedy. The hour markers along with both the hour and minutes hands are filled with lume that glow a particularly nice hue of green in the dark. The lume is not the strongest or brightest we’ve seen, but it does get the job done.
All of this beauty can be seen through a spectacular modern boxed sapphire crystal that adds some durability to the watch, while keeping the vintage aesthetic the masses have grown to love. This differs from Schirra’s CK2998’s hesalite crystal, however, the scratch resistance of sapphire is truly a welcomed upgrade.
Movement
The FOIS houses a beloved and now discontinued 1861 movement, making the watch a direct descendent of both the first Speedy in space and the first Speedy on the moon. It is a non-hacking mechanically wound movement with a reliable 42 hour power reserve. While some are not fond of mechanical movements, as continuously winding a watch is seen as a pain, we’ve actually enjoyed the couple of minutes each day spent powering up the FOIS – we’ve coined it the term “mechanical meditation”
The 1861 was in production for 26 years and remained relatively unchanged which leaves much to be desired in comparison to the newer offerings in the market, in terms of accuracy and feature set. All in all, we see this as a small concession to make as there is something charming about knowing the amazing history of the 1861…and who really uses their watch to tell the time?
Wearability
The term strap monster is one that is thrown around quite liberally when talking watches. However, there is no strap monster like the Speedmaster line-up of watches, of which the FOIS is no exception! This watch is a shapeshifter and can be dressed up using a nice leather, dressed down with a NATO or anything in between using a metal bracelet (of which there are many options). Through daily wear we were astounded by its versatility, effortlessly fitting in and standing out at the same time – in a good way.
The vintage styling of the First Omega in Space makes it more versatile than most Speedmaster’s in the lineup. Lack of crown guards and straight lugs might seem like small details but together they add a more mature and refined presence to this historically sporty watch.
Finally, let’s talk about the elephant in the room and the one major knock on this watch…the water resistance. This watch is “technically” rated for 50 meters so it SHOULD stand up to the occasional splash from a CDC recommended 30 second hand wash. However, due to it’s non-screw down crown and pushers you’ll likely want to think twice before wearing the watch near any bodies of water. The Speedmaster is used in space after all, not at the beach!
Verdict
The Omega Speedmaster First Omega in Space is another excellent iteration in the never ending Speedmaster lineup of watches. It’s a watch that draws inspiration from the past while looking towards the future. The watch has everything we love about the Speedmaster while being packaged in a more elegant and symmetrical case. This watch is badass and as such has earned a rating of 6 orbits around the earth out of 6!
Case: 39.7mm