Launched in 2003, the Limited Edition Speedmaster Day-Date Racing model celebrates Michael Schumacher’s historic fifth world championship driver’s title in the Formula 1 race. Michael Schumacher entered the Formula 1 history books in 2002 by equalling Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of 5 Formula 1 World Championship titles, which was established back in the 1950s.

The 2003 limited-edition OMEGA Speedmaster Day-Date Racing is, however, linked with motorsport by more than just its name and OMEGA’s ambassador Michael Schumacher. Its design traits clearly place it in the context of Formula 1 and thus offer the perfect collector’s piece for fans of this sport. The dial is made of high-tech carbon fibre, for example, which gives an immediate indication of the watch’s special character.

Another unique touch is the red outlining used for the RACING inscription, hour markers and dates on the dial. The ultimate limited-edition cachet is conferred by the special case back, which bears the inscription “WORLD CHAMPION 2002” in red and Michael Schumacher’s signature in black.

The same proven OMEGA calibre 1151 found in the standard Day-Date models is used in this limited-edition model, with day, month, date, hour, minute and continuous seconds display. The self-winding movement, which has a power reserve of 44 hours, also has a chronograph function displaying elapsed times to within ¼ of a second using the central chronograph hand.

Even the chronograph sub-dials at 12 o’clock (minutes) and 6 o’clock (hours) have an unmistakable F1 touch – the former incorporates the day and month displays with the Formula 1 race day, Sunday, highlighted in red, whilst the latter has a chequered flag background. The sub-dial at 9 o’clock comprises an additional arrowhead 24 hour hand (GMT) in addition to the usual continuous seconds hand. A separate central arrowhead hand points to the date on the 1 – 31 scale around the circumference of the dial.

The tachometric scale on the bezel allows the calculation of speeds from 60 to 500 km/h based on a 1000m reference distance. Equally important standard features of every Speedmaster are the water resistance guaranteed to a depth of 30 metres and the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with interior anti-reflective treatment that protects the distinctive look of the resolutely sporty dial.

Production of this model, which is available exclusively with the stainless steel Speedmaster bracelet, was limited to 5,555 numbered units.

Launched in 2003, the Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase retains the essential characteristics of the original Speedmaster models, such as the stainless steel case with tapered, facetted lugs and the stainless steel bezel with black aluminium ring and tachometer scale for calculating speeds or other units per hour.

The black dial, with luminous hour markers and hands, is also typical of the Speedmaster Professional, as are the chronograph counters at 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock and the continuous small seconds display are 9 o’clock.

It is the presence of an additional sub-dial in the 12 o’clock position; however, that sets this watch apart from the standard Speedmaster Professional: it contains a moon phase display, with a silver moon in relief against a sky blue background and an additional hand which points to the date around the circumference of the moon phase sub-dial. As an extra touch of refinement, the classic Speedmaster Professional look is complemented by rhodium-plated steel rings surrounding the chronograph and small seconds counters.

The OMEGA calibre 1866 movement provides the functions for this Speedmaster and, like the original Speedmaster Professional movement; it is a hand-wound chronograph calibre. In addition to the chronograph function to record elapsed times with an accuracy of 1/5th of a second, this movement can also display the date and the Moon’s 28-day cycle.

It has a 45-hour power reserve and its elegant, rhodium-plated finish can be admired behind the transparent sapphire crystal on the case back.

Surrounding the movement on the screw-in case back, which ensures water resistance to 50 metres, is an inscription that recalls the Speedmaster Professional’s heritage: “THE FIRST AND ONLY WATCH WORN ON THE MOON”.

The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional Moon Phase is available with a matching stainless steel bracelet with safety fastening clasp or a black alligator leather strap with stainless steel foldover clasp.

Launched in 2003, the Speedmaster Professional Snoopy Edition model celebrates OMEGA’s achievement of winning the Snoopy Award on 5 October 1970 in recognition of the crucial role that its Speedmaster chronograph played on the Apollo 13 mission.

Snoopy was the watchdog for NASA’s prestigious manned flight awareness award and has been awarded to both to individuals and companies for outstanding efforts that contribute to the success of human space flight missions. The coveted award comprises a sterling silver pin, which has flown aboard the Space Shuttle, in the form of Snoopy wearing a space helmet and space suit. Recipients are also presented with a certificate and a letter of commendation, personally signed by an astronaut, citing the astronauts’ appreciation of their outstanding performance.

Apollo 13 was to have been the third mission to land on the Moon, but an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks crippled the spacecraft during flight and the crew were forced to orbit the Moon to place the spacecraft on a free-return trajectory which would take them back to Earth. In order to conserve power for the return to Earth, the module was powered down except for environmental control.

As such, the only functioning timing device on board was the OMEGA Speedmaster, which the crew relied on to perform two operations: firstly to time ignition of the rockets to shorten the estimated length of the return to Earth and secondly to time ignition of the rockets to decrease speed and raise the flight path angle for re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. This second operation was crucial, since any mistake in the timing could have led to an incorrect entry angle and, as a result, potential disaster for the crew.

The classic Moon Watch retains the same look it had at the time of the Apollo programme – a polished stainless steel case with tapered and facetted lugs, steel bezel with black aluminium ring and tachometer scale and hesalite crystal. The matt black dial is also typical of the Speedmaster, together with the luminous hands and hour markers and 1/5th of a second graduations for the chronograph. The Speedmaster also has a screw-in case back that ensures it is water resistant to 30 metres.

The movement in this special edition Speedmaster Professional is OMEGA calibre 1861 a manual-winding chronograph movement with a power reserve of 45 hours. The hand-wound movement is perfect for use in outer space, since, unlike self-winding movements, it does not rely on the force of gravity (absent in the vacuum of space) for winding.  The OMEGA calibre 1861 is an advanced version of the original calibre 861, one of the masterpieces in watchmaking history.

The limited-edition Snoopy Award version has the award patch inset in colour into the continuous seconds counter at 9 o’clock on the dial. The same colourful design, with its “Eyes on the Stars” motto, is reproduced on the watch’s special case back. A striking effect is achieved by both etching and painting the emblem on to a sapphire crystal case back, which adds an extra dimension to the colours against the light.

The Snoopy edition Speedmaster Professional featuring stainless steel case and stainless steel bracelet was produced in a limited edition of 5441 numbered pieces, with the unusual number reflecting the elapsed time of the Apollo 13 mission: 142 hours, 54 minutes and 41 seconds.

The Speedmaster Broad Arrow Michael Schumacher Limited Edition was launched in 2003 to celebrate the motor racing star’s historic five world championship titles. In 2002, Michael Schumacher equalled the record five championship titles. Before him only one other Formula 1 driver had won five world championship drivers’ titles: Argentinean Juan-Manuel Fangio, who won the titles in 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957.

The Speedmaster Broad Arrow Michael Schumacher Limited Edition pays tribute to Schumacher’s historical achievement.

The Speedmaster Broad Arrow is a fine example of a superlative chronograph, thanks to its exclusive OMEGA column-wheel chronograph movement, OMEGA calibre 3303. The column-wheel mechanism ensures precision operation of all the watch’s chronograph functions and its vertical coupling ensures that there is no delay in the start, stop and reset of the chronograph seconds hand and counters.

The calibre 3303 also uses OMEGA’s free sprung-balance without index, which offers better regulating stability. As a result, the self-winding movement, which has a power reserve of 55 hours, has obtained chronometer certification from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institue [Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, COSC].

This prestige movement is housed in an equally prestigious case, finished in 18-carat red gold. The luxury theme continues with red gold accents distinguishing the watch’s look: brushed 18-carat red gold bezel with tachometer scale, applied 18-carat red gold hour markers on the dial, 18-carat red gold “Broad Arrow” hour and minute hands and red gold hands for the chronograph seconds and the sub-dials, which are outlined by rings.

The black dial (the traditional Speedmaster dial colour, as seen on the original Speedmaster Professional “Moon Watch”) displays the typical Broad Arrow configuration of 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock and continuous seconds at 9 o’clock, with a red gold on black date window situated above the 6 o’clock hour marker.

The ultimate touch of personalisation on the dial is Michael Schumacher’s name written in red gold in lower-case letters on either side of the sub-dial at 6 o’clock.

References
Ref. 3159.50.00 Red gold on red gold with black dial
Ref. 3659.50.31 Red gold on black leather with black dial