Omega has created the Speedmaster Moonwatch Apollo 15 40th Anniversary Limited Edition to commemorate this important and successful mission. Apollo 15 was the fourth of NASA's six missions to land on the Moon. It was the first to feature a long duration stay on the lunar surface and there was a greater focus on science than there had been on previous missions. Most notably, it was the first mission where the Lunar Roving Vehicle was used.
The Apollo 15 mission began on July 26, 1971; the crew landed on the Moon four days later and they wouldn't splash down until the 7th of August. The adventure had lasted more than twelve days.
The new limited edition is a classic Moonwatch - it has a polished and brushed stainless steel case and bracelet, a black aluminum ring with a tachymeter scale on the bezel and a domed shatterproof hesalite crystal with O etched inside. Its three subdials are arranged in Speedmaster Professional fashion on the black dial: the small seconds at 9 o'clock, the 12-hour counter at 6 o'clock and the 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock. There are also some features which distinguish the “Apollo 15” 40th Anniversary model from the classic Speedmaster Professional. This Limited Edition timepiece has a minute track in blue, white and red – the three colors of the Apollo 15 patch. There is a blue ring around the small seconds subdial; there are white and red rings around the 12-hour and 30-minute counters respectively. The screw-in caseback is embossed with an image of the Lunar Rover and the words "APOLLO 15" and "40th ANNIVERSARY". The outer circle of the caseback is black chrome engraved with "THE FIRST WATCH WORN ON THE MOON", "JULY 30, 1971" and the limited edition number.
At the heart of the Speedmaster Moonwatch "Apollo 15" 40th Anniversary Limited Edition wristwatch is the classic Omega caliber 1861, the same manual-winding chronograph that equips the legendary Speedmaster Professional. It is a limited edition to 1,971 pieces.
