Well folks, with all of the Space LE's and other pieces celebrating the Speed Master. Omega missed a fairly big one.
Last year was the 50th anniversary of the Omega 861 (Lemania 1873) movement. Debuting in the 145.022-68 aka the transitional, this movement has been humbly trekking on as a workhorse movement still powering todays Speedmaster Professionals and most of the Limited editions of this watch.
It went through some changes over the years gaining a delrin brake in 1971 or so, gaining an 18th jewel around 1989, and finally getting marked as having an 18th jewel around 1991. It got a new rhodium finish and name change to the 1861 in the early 90's. Had the delrin brake removed for display back models... was the base for at least 1 moon complication, and was just recently updated to a co axial which may or may not finally replace the humble 861. The Lemania 1873 movement has been used by many manufactures through the years, the UG 84 movement, in some Sinn's, Tag Huers, Tissot, Lemania, and many others.
Highlights
Went around the moon on a later Apollo mission as part of a thermal heat flow experiment. Went into space on the Apollo-Soyuz missions on the wrists of the Russians, and then on the shuttle missions after being re-certified for space in the late 1970's by NASA. Worn outside space suits for EVA's for at least the start of the Shuttle missions, and is still worn today by Russian Cosmonauts externally on spacewalks. It is also worn outside the Launch/R-entry Escape Suit for almost all Astronauts on launch and landings in the Soyuz system.
50 years with basically no changes and still used in space, is a heck of a legacy for any watch and movement. So next time you write of an 861 as not being as impressive as the 321... Or look down at your 861 speedy and dream of a 321... Think again.
Happy belated 50th Birthday 861!
*made some small edits regarding the period post moon landings to the STS program. Thanks for correcting me
@TLIGuy !
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