For What It’s Worth: Omega’s 50th Anniversary Speedmaster Apollo 11

Of all the phrases relating to the parting of a man and his money, few are more gratifying to use than “worth every penny.” Those three words communicate the idea that, “Yes, I spent — perhaps more than I had originally intended or am traditionally comfortable with. But in the end, I was smart enough to realize that the item I was purchasing would be worth it. And I was right.”

It’s a good feeling, and one we’d all like to have more often. And thus we bring you “For What It’s Worth,” a content series in partnership with our friends at Crown Royal in which our editors examine items that, due to their rarefied nature, superlative construction, and storied pedigree, are worth opening up your pocketbook for.

In this edition, we take a look at the Omega 50th Anniversary Speedmaster Apollo 11, a watch produced in very limited quantities to commemorate the golden anniversary of the moon landing. It features rare materials, innovative alloys, and a lot of very, very fine details.

It’s been 50 years since man first landed on the moon and to commemorate the “golden anniversary” Omega re-created the iconic Speedmaster BA145.0220 — the official watch of the Moon. In homage to the original, the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 is nearly identical to its predecessor, with the exception of a few aesthetic adjustments and embellishments. The 18k yellow gold has been traded in favor of what Omega is calling “Moonshine Gold,” an 18k gold alloy that better endures wear over time, and the burgundy bezel remains but has been upgraded to ceramic.

If you’re not a watch enthusiast, you might be wondering why you should care about this specific iteration, especially with a price tag as steep as $34,600. The simple answer is: it’s cool. Even if your knowledge of watches is slim to none (or you don’t even own one), it’s pretty hard not to appreciate the rich history and design of this Speedmaster.

Still skeptical? Here are four reasons why the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 is cooler than your standard watch.

1. It’s like owning a piece of history

If you’re unfamiliar with the relationship between Omega and the first moon landing, here’s a brief recap. On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 put the first man on the Moon (maybe the phrase “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” sounds familiar?). Upon the mission’s return, the astronauts were presented with the special edition BA145.0220 Speedmaster, and the Moonwatch was born.

While the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 is just a replica, it’s still pretty close to the original. It’s like owning the same watch as Buzz Aldrin.

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2. There’s an actual meteorite inside the watch

Not everyone can be an astronaut and experience the Moon for themselves, but the Speedmaster Apollo 11 features the next best thing: a lunar meteorite. Inlaid within the watch’s caseback is what appears to be a rendering of the Moon made out of a piece of a lunar meteorite, or a rock that ejected itself from the Moon and made its way to Earth..

3. The rest of the caseback is just as cool

Besides the lunar meteorite, the caseback has some other cool features. Across from the “Moon” is a gold engraving of Earth rendered proportionately correct in its relation to the (actual) Moon. The limited edition number of the watch and the years “1969-2019” are also engraved.

4. Not everyone else is going to have one. Far from it.

The limitedness of a product always lends it an air of coolness and exclusivity. To honor the original amount of watches created to celebrate the landing on the Moon, only 1,014 of the Omega Speedmaster Apollo 11 are available.

Timepiece imagery courtesy of Omega
Bottle image courtesy of Crown Royal