On this day, in 1969, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took the first human steps on The Moon. This was the result of a space race which, at times, appeared difficult and deadly, but in contrast was what set the US apart from the rest of the other nations, namely Soviet Russia. NASA sent three men to the moon and back on less computing technology than was in last years low grade iPhone, there were some documentaries online which quote some of the astronauts and NASA scientists as saying they had a 50/50 chance of survival. This is essentially how the American way of life is lived, and will continue to always be lived, on the edge of development and exceptionalism.
Having owned several Omega's over the years, I can say that the iconic Omega Speedmaster Professional
"moonwatch" has always been a favorite. It is, however, a little too small for me, and their newer bi-chrono 44mm version is pretty good but 2x the cost and automatic. The original has a really cool manually wound movement the Cal. 321:
Which eventually progressed into the Cal. 1861 (and 1863 which is very similar):
These really awesome bombproof movements that many other watches have tried to mimic but never able to fully achieve their standards. Eventually the moonwatch evolved into the Omega Skywalker
:
While I am not a fan of the X33, it is, like its predecessor, a hell of a watch. As far as watches go, however, the Omega's were not the only watches to leave the earth's atmosphere.
Halda Space Discovery, Sinn 140 A Space Chronograph, Fortis B-42 Official Cosmonauts Chronograph
, Zenith Stratos Flyback Striking 10th
(red bull jump guy), and the Bulova 96B251 Moon Chronograph Watch
which I have, as well as several other minor RU and EU brands have made it into space.
I have had the Bulova Moonwatch
since it came out, you can get the bracelet version for under $300 on amazon
. I am a huge fan of it and if you like bigger (44mm) watches this is definitely a piece you should check out. Yes it's quartz, but you aren't going to space anytime soon, so that's that.Just remember, the US made it to The Moon. The US put a man on The Moon, and there is an American Flag on The Moon. That is how America leads the way, and that is how America will continue to lead the way. Naysayers may try to knock down the greatness that is American ingenuity, but they will never succeed.