No watch brand is more closely associated with space exploration and space "firsts' than Omega. This guide by eBay Powerseller Swiss Watch Boutique LLC will explore Omega's extra-terrestrial legacy.

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• 1964
  NASA purchases several commercially available watches for evaluation as potential candidates for space travel. Among the brands tested are Hamilton, Longines, Rolex, Breitling, Bulova, and Omega. The watches are subjected to a series of tests, including exposure to extreme temperatures, vacuums, intense humidity, corrosion, shock, acceleration, pressure, vibrartions, and noise.

• 1965
  Omega's Speedmaster chronograph becomes the only watch to have withstood the torturous tests and is officially NASA-certified for space travel.
  
  
  
• 1969
  On July 21, 1969, the Omega Speedmaster becomes the first and only watch worn on the moon.
  
  
• 1970
  In April 1970, the Omega Speedmaster plays a key role in the near ill-fated Apollo 13 mission. With the spaceship's on-board clocks malfunctioning, the astronauts rely on their Speedmaster watches to successfully time the firing sequence of the retro rockets for re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. This earns the company the "Snoopy Award",  the highest distinction awarded by NASA astronauts.
  
  
• 1981
  The astronauts aboard the first shuttle mission wear Omega Speedmaster watches.
  
  
• 1989
  The Soviet Union selects Omega as the watch supplier to all cosmonauts.
  
  

Other interesting facts:

• Today, in addition to the Omega Speedmaster Professional and Omega Speedmaster X-33, NASA's official permissable watches are the Casio G-Shock and Timex Ironman watches.
  
  
• The Omega Speedmaster is still the only NASA-certified watch for space walks outside of lunar crafts.
  
  

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This guide has been brought to you by Swiss Watch Boutique LLC , specializing in fine Swiss watches at wholesale prices.

© 2006 Swiss Watch Boutique LLC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.