“It’s one small step for man…”

The Speedmaster earned the nickname “The Moonwatch” and became a vital piece of kit and a go-to choice for astronauts.

The Apollo programme followed the Mercury programme, which had already put the first Americans in space. The Apollo missions helped define the global space race, put the first man on the Moon and remain among the most celebrated achievements in human engineering.

With NASA’s Artemis programme continuing that story, the journey of the Speedmaster offers a remarkable link between nineteenth-century Swiss watchmaking and the age of human spaceflight.

Brandt built a strong reputation for high-quality watches throughout Switzerland and Europe. After his death in 1879, his sons Louis-Paul and César moved the business to Biel/Bienne, where Omega’s headquarters remain today.

A pivotal moment came with the creation of the company’s namesake movement — the 19-ligne calibre. Accurate, series-produced and designed so that movements could be replaced by watchmakers around the world, the brothers named it the “Omega”.

By 1903, La Generale Watch Company had become OMEGA Watch Co and Switzerland’s largest producer of finished watches.

Omega continued to innovate. In 1931 it set precision records at the Geneva Observatory in all six trials. One year later, the company became the first watchmaker to time an entire Olympic Games at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

The OMEGA Marine followed in 1932, and in 1936 a movement adjusted by Alfred Jaccard set a precision record at the Kew Observatory.

These achievements continued through the following decades, from the “Nurses Watch” used by wartime medics to the “Magic Eye” photoelectric timing system used for Olympic photo finishes.

Omega’s centenary and the launch of the Seamaster further demonstrated the company’s determination to create reliable timing instruments capable of working in demanding conditions.

The Seamaster 300, Railmaster and Speedmaster became known together as the “Professional Collection”.

The CK2913 Seamaster 300 was aimed at professional divers, while the CK2914 Railmaster was designed for engineers and scientists working around strong magnetic fields.

The Speedmaster, by contrast, was originally aimed at the ground rather than the stars. Its chronograph, tachymeter scale, 12-hour totaliser and distinctive “Broad Arrow” hand made it a highly legible tool watch suited to sports and racing timing.

Those same qualities eventually brought it to the attention of astronauts.

Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster 2998 aboard Sigma 7 on 3 October 1962 during his nine-hour orbit of Earth. It was not officially approved by NASA; Schirra simply took his personal Speedmaster with him.

Four manufacturers answered the call: Omega, Longines-Wittnauer, Rolex and Hamilton.

Hamilton was eliminated after submitting a pocket watch when NASA had specifically requested a wristwatch. That left the Rolex 6238, Longines-Wittnauer 242T and Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012.

Jim Ragan subjected the watches to what he described as some of the most extreme tests possible for a piece of hardware.

The Rolex and Longines-Wittnauer entries failed the initial trial, a thermal vacuum test. By March 1965, the Speedmaster had passed the full series and became the watch officially certified by NASA.

Omega reportedly discovered the result of NASA’s testing in dramatic fashion: by watching footage from the Gemini IV mission with everyone else.

During that mission, Ed White performed the historic 20-minute first American spacewalk with a Speedmaster Professional strapped to his wrist.

The Speedmaster subsequently became a prerequisite for spaceflight. During the lunar mission, Neil Armstrong left his Speedmaster in the Lunar Module after the electronic timing equipment malfunctioned, while Buzz Aldrin wore his own watch to the lunar surface.

Aldrin later arranged for his Speedmaster to be sent to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The watch was lost in transit and its location remains unknown.

Then came Apollo 13 — the mission that proved why a mechanical backup could matter.

After an oxygen tank exploded in the command module, the mission was aborted and the crew worked to conserve power and oxygen. Their trajectory had also drifted significantly off course.

Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert needed to time a 14-second manual engine burst to help correct the spacecraft’s course for safe re-entry. Unable to rely on the digital timers, he used the chronograph function of his Omega Speedmaster Professional.

The manoeuvre helped the crew return safely, splashing down in the South Pacific on 7 April with all three astronauts surviving.

NASA later awarded Omega the Silver Snoopy Award for its contribution to human spaceflight missions, with Omega subsequently producing commemorative Speedmaster Snoopy editions.