Released in 1957 and based on their earlier chronographs from the 1920s and '30s, the Omega Speedmaster is one of the most iconic chronographs ever. Named after the purpose of the tachymeter along its bezel, the Speedmaster was designed for race car drivers and pilots to time events and make rapid calculations. While these adrenaline-fueled activities might not be for the faint-hearted, they weren't what made the Speedmaster so iconic - that was its use in space and on the Moon. Following a gruelling series of tests with several competing brands, the Speedmaster debuted in space as a piece of NASA standard-issue equipment during the Gemini program of 1965. Today the Speedmaster has many forms, but the Moonwatch is by far the most iconic, with its design standing as the prototypical look of the Speedmaster. Of course, like many other areas of collecting, there are many idiosyncrasies within watch collecting, namely the desirability of visually similar traits, a perfect example of one being the Speedmaster’s hesalite crystal. More authentic to the original Moonwatches that the Apollo astronauts wore, the hesalite crystal versions of the Speedmaster carry that heritage rich look and feel, but with their solid casebacks they refrain the owner from viewing their movement, until the ref. 3594.50 Broad Arrow that we have here. Launched in the 1997, the ref. 3594.50 was launched to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Broad Arrow. Debuting as one of the early ‘re-editions,’ the ref. 3594.50 is a wonderfully faithful celebration of the watch that came before it with its 42mm stainless steel case and bezel, its eponymous ‘Broad Arrow’ hands and applied-Omega-logo-featuring dial lacking the Speedmaster’s usual “Professional” designation. Powered by the manual-wind cal. 1861 and sitting on a stainless steel bracelet, this timepiece blends the best of what made the original model so iconic and modern watchmaking.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Case has some signs of wear including minor scratches and marks. There is some debris trapped on inner edge of bezel and along the lugs of the case. Crystal has some surface scratches as shown in the pictures. Bracelet currently has 14 links, 3 of which are removable. There is minor stretch on the band. 4 additional links are included on the side.

An early re-issue that marked the beginning of Omega's fascination with re-issuing old models for their anniversaries, the ref. 3594.50 celebrates the Broad Arrow's history in a faithful manner that would keep any purist happy.