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The Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 Anniversary Limited Edition

You got to know that the  Omega had something up its sleeve for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and it is actually a re-creation of the exceedingly cool Speedmaster BA145.0220, replete with the burgundy bezel and black onyx markers. Gold is customary for 50th anniversaries, and Omega replica went all out in creating a special edition that speaks directly to Speedmaster aficionados and of the era that created the Moonwatch.
Apollo 11 put mankind on the Moon in July of 1969, and later that year Omega produced a special edition of the Speedmaster at an appreciation dinner for the Apollo astronauts – the BA145.022. Limited to 1,014 pieces, the first two in the series were presented to President Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew. However, I had the plenty of pleasure of trying on an original BA145.022 at a fake Omega event in Houston and it’s a fake watch that has always stuck with me. It’s a 42mm Speedy in solid 18k yellow gold with a rich burgundy bezel, black onyx markers, and black varnished hands over a solid gold dial. It’s much gold, plenty of contrast, and a perfect match for that eye-catching bezel.
However, the replica Omega didn’t break the mold for this brand new limited edition, but they surely changed what went into it. Still, 42mm wide and keeping steadfast to the overall theme of the BA145.022, the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition trades 18K yellow gold for a new Omega-exclusive 18k gold alloy that the brand is calling “Moonshine Gold.” watches
This model is surrounded by some commemorative text and two funny elements with various factors in glowing gold. The first is a small cutaway of Earth in gold and blue that shows the Americas. The second, seen across the case back and rendered incorrect
The two bodies are shown orbiting the movement and, while the whole “we took a piece of something particular and put it in the watch” thing is most definitely tired, I have gone back and forth on this use of lunar meteorite. While I only had several minutes with it, this Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition is a blast on the wrist. It’s heavy, warm, and feels like a faithful re-telling of the real model. While it’s certainly a shame there isn’t a new crop of lunar-minded astronauts primed to earn one of these following a 50th-anniversary mission, the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition is a shining look back at a golden era in exploration and the race for the moon.