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Ron_W
·No thread yet i could find for this rare series of watches from 1998 showing all the NASA Missions so i post my New Arrival and hope you join in.
I think these deserve more love and attention as only 150 pieces or so per Mission were available for sale, except for the Apollo 13 one from 1995.
My new watch is the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 15 ref 3597.18
In 1997, as a tribute to 40 years of NASA missions, Omega released a collection of 22 Mission Patch Speedmasters in a suitcase. 40 pieces for sale and 2 x 5 cases for dealers or VIPs. The Speedmaster Mission Suitcase/Valise from 1997 ;
Currently selling for 150 -180K + 24 movement services !
The set contains the 22 mission models and a replica of the first Speedmaster ck2915, the ref 3594.50 Broad Arrow. The watches are the standard model ref 3570.50 and bear the mission badges on the dial and the watch number xx/40 on the case back. The case also contains an example of the then-new movement cal 1861 that had just been introduced. Double celebration!
The mission models represent the NASA programs Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab from 1965 to 1974, each with its own logo in the running seconds sub-dial. However, the popular Apollo XIII model— due to the film with the 14-second burn necessary for safe re-entry—had already been released in a series of 999 pieces in 1995, and the same version was also included in this case. In 1998, the models also went on sale individually with a run of approximately 150 pieces per model, making them quite rare and difficult to find in complete and good condition. But persistence pays off!
The individual units were delivered in special boxes made of white fabric resembling the material of the spacesuits. Unfortunately, the foam rubber interior is subject to aging, but fortunately, it is not paint that is peeling off. I already found the box and booklet for over 2 years as many watches come on the market without them, and almost gave up on finding the right watch even putting the box up for sale, when this one showed up with the warranty card.
Why are these not more popular among collectors ?? Only 150 made per Mission !
There is a lot to choose from in this series of 22, such as by year or mission, or if you are an X-Men fan (IX and X missions), an Atletico Madrid supporter
(XVI ), or put everything on XI in the casino, or enjoy watching disaster movies (XIII); there is plenty of choice for a rare example with history. And for a release of only 150 units, they can still be found at reasonable prices when compared to more popular Speedmasters with production runs of 1,000 to as many as 2,000 units, such as Speedy Tuesday.
Lets bring them together here in this thread.
So why did i chose the Apollo 15?
First of all, because of the super cool red-white-blue logo of course, the same as the flag of my beloved Kingdom of the Netherlands, ( Why the Dutch usually travel in Orange is for another time ) with those 3 birds or planes flying over the Hadley-Apennine region on the moon. And this mission was the first to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle, LRV, or the moon buggy.
Here as a scale model in a 2002 Smithsonian edition, and Omega also made a display model for dealers; both are very hard to find and very pricey. But i needed a watch stand so one is incoming.
And perhaps the most important reason is that astronaut Dave Scott has done so much for spaceflight and science with 3 space missions, including Gemini 8 with Armstrong, Apollo 9 with the photo of him with the red helmet that first triggered my attention - they should have kept that helmet ! - and of course Apollo 15 as well. And a guy opening a door into a -60 / + 150 °C oxygen-less space is a Hero in my book.
Gemini 8 , how young were these kids ?
Apollo 9
He also was the backup for Apollo 1 which had that terrible fire and was a pilot for the USAF early in his carreer. Mastered from MIT several times and in 2024, at the age of 92, he was promoted to Brigadier General in Florida as a tribute for all his contributions. So, a great and eventful career and for anyone who wants to read up on it; David Scott - Wikipedia
To top this off It turns out Scott flew as a pilot here in the Netherlands for the USAF between 1956 and 1960, stationed in Soesterberg. He practically flew over my parents' house, and well, that is like being family, right 🙂? If that isn't a good reason for an NWA….
I am very pleased with it and it is a nice addition to my other Speedmasters. It’s also nice to have an original Omega example in the collection for once, so I can finally go to an Omega event sometime 😅, where I usually build or upgrade them myself. Ehhh well 🤷♂️, not entirely original anymore as the logo on the dial isn't very big, and that's a shame for a glasses wearer like me. The one that does have a very beautiful and large Apollo 15 logo is the Speedmaster ref 3366.51 35th anniversary, which won the competition for ugliest color match;
Front ;
Back :
Had a nice little mushroom tasting at that Friday afternoon design session?
It is a lovely version with the gold and black but that case back belongs on my watch i think. Impossible to get hold off of course with Exchange Only etc, but a daily search becomes second nature so a while back i spotted the sole crystal for sale separately. One of one, and once in a lifetime I suspect. It is sapphire glass with a printed sticker on the bottom and it is pressed into the case back with a special gasket.
And because I enjoy doing a bit of DIY I then looked for a standard transparent case back from the 3572.50 for example, the one with "First watch worn" etc., and i watched some YouTube tutorials about the art of crystal pressing and i think: i can do that !
Much better
Houston; we have a Logo! Thanks for reading and please add your Mission Speedmaster if you can, as well as any corrections or add on information.
Sources: Watchfid THE SPEEDMASTER MISSIONS VALISE - Watchfid
Fratello, Omega Speedmaster Pro Apollo XI Missions 1998
Wikipedia, Google translate and my wallet
I think these deserve more love and attention as only 150 pieces or so per Mission were available for sale, except for the Apollo 13 one from 1995.
My new watch is the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 15 ref 3597.18
In 1997, as a tribute to 40 years of NASA missions, Omega released a collection of 22 Mission Patch Speedmasters in a suitcase. 40 pieces for sale and 2 x 5 cases for dealers or VIPs. The Speedmaster Mission Suitcase/Valise from 1997 ;
The set contains the 22 mission models and a replica of the first Speedmaster ck2915, the ref 3594.50 Broad Arrow. The watches are the standard model ref 3570.50 and bear the mission badges on the dial and the watch number xx/40 on the case back. The case also contains an example of the then-new movement cal 1861 that had just been introduced. Double celebration!
The mission models represent the NASA programs Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab from 1965 to 1974, each with its own logo in the running seconds sub-dial. However, the popular Apollo XIII model— due to the film with the 14-second burn necessary for safe re-entry—had already been released in a series of 999 pieces in 1995, and the same version was also included in this case. In 1998, the models also went on sale individually with a run of approximately 150 pieces per model, making them quite rare and difficult to find in complete and good condition. But persistence pays off!
The individual units were delivered in special boxes made of white fabric resembling the material of the spacesuits. Unfortunately, the foam rubber interior is subject to aging, but fortunately, it is not paint that is peeling off. I already found the box and booklet for over 2 years as many watches come on the market without them, and almost gave up on finding the right watch even putting the box up for sale, when this one showed up with the warranty card.
Why are these not more popular among collectors ?? Only 150 made per Mission !
There is a lot to choose from in this series of 22, such as by year or mission, or if you are an X-Men fan (IX and X missions), an Atletico Madrid supporter
(XVI ), or put everything on XI in the casino, or enjoy watching disaster movies (XIII); there is plenty of choice for a rare example with history. And for a release of only 150 units, they can still be found at reasonable prices when compared to more popular Speedmasters with production runs of 1,000 to as many as 2,000 units, such as Speedy Tuesday.
Lets bring them together here in this thread.
So why did i chose the Apollo 15?
First of all, because of the super cool red-white-blue logo of course, the same as the flag of my beloved Kingdom of the Netherlands, ( Why the Dutch usually travel in Orange is for another time ) with those 3 birds or planes flying over the Hadley-Apennine region on the moon. And this mission was the first to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle, LRV, or the moon buggy.
Here as a scale model in a 2002 Smithsonian edition, and Omega also made a display model for dealers; both are very hard to find and very pricey. But i needed a watch stand so one is incoming.
And perhaps the most important reason is that astronaut Dave Scott has done so much for spaceflight and science with 3 space missions, including Gemini 8 with Armstrong, Apollo 9 with the photo of him with the red helmet that first triggered my attention - they should have kept that helmet ! - and of course Apollo 15 as well. And a guy opening a door into a -60 / + 150 °C oxygen-less space is a Hero in my book.
Gemini 8 , how young were these kids ?
Apollo 9
He also was the backup for Apollo 1 which had that terrible fire and was a pilot for the USAF early in his carreer. Mastered from MIT several times and in 2024, at the age of 92, he was promoted to Brigadier General in Florida as a tribute for all his contributions. So, a great and eventful career and for anyone who wants to read up on it; David Scott - Wikipedia
To top this off It turns out Scott flew as a pilot here in the Netherlands for the USAF between 1956 and 1960, stationed in Soesterberg. He practically flew over my parents' house, and well, that is like being family, right 🙂? If that isn't a good reason for an NWA….
I am very pleased with it and it is a nice addition to my other Speedmasters. It’s also nice to have an original Omega example in the collection for once, so I can finally go to an Omega event sometime 😅, where I usually build or upgrade them myself. Ehhh well 🤷♂️, not entirely original anymore as the logo on the dial isn't very big, and that's a shame for a glasses wearer like me. The one that does have a very beautiful and large Apollo 15 logo is the Speedmaster ref 3366.51 35th anniversary, which won the competition for ugliest color match;
Front ;
Back :
Had a nice little mushroom tasting at that Friday afternoon design session?
It is a lovely version with the gold and black but that case back belongs on my watch i think. Impossible to get hold off of course with Exchange Only etc, but a daily search becomes second nature so a while back i spotted the sole crystal for sale separately. One of one, and once in a lifetime I suspect. It is sapphire glass with a printed sticker on the bottom and it is pressed into the case back with a special gasket.
And because I enjoy doing a bit of DIY I then looked for a standard transparent case back from the 3572.50 for example, the one with "First watch worn" etc., and i watched some YouTube tutorials about the art of crystal pressing and i think: i can do that !
Houston; we have a Logo! Thanks for reading and please add your Mission Speedmaster if you can, as well as any corrections or add on information.
Sources: Watchfid THE SPEEDMASTER MISSIONS VALISE - Watchfid
Fratello, Omega Speedmaster Pro Apollo XI Missions 1998
Wikipedia, Google translate and my wallet
