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. Additionally, these same Speedmasters also boast stainless steel casebacks with commemorative engravings that pay homage to the Speedmaster’s role in the 1969 Apollo missions. Launched in the 1990s, the ref. 3570.50 merges the Moonwatch’s signature hesalite crystal and stainless steel caseback with the Speedmaster’s iconic manual-wind cal. 1861 movement to create a timepiece that offers the Speedmaster’s iconic vintage look and feel but with the craftsmanship that modern Omega can provide. Launched in 2003 as an exclusive to the Mitsukoshi department store in Japan, thee ref. 3570.51 is a white panda-dialled version of the iconic ref. 3570.50, that was limited to just 300 units. A rare and hallowed piece of the Speedmaster’s history, this is as good as it gets for Omega fans.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Case exhibits light signs of wear, with a small ding visible on the lower right lug. The bezel shows some wear on the metal edge, with scratches visible along the edge, there are minor marks on the surface of the bezel insert. The original dial and hands are excellent, with little signs of aging or degration. The bracelet has 15 links total, with 5 of them being removable. There is minimal stretch.

A legendary watch that certainly needs no introduction, the Speedmaster is arguably one of the most important timepieces in horology, and every collector should have one in their collection, but only a few will be able to add a Mitsukoshi edition Speedy to theirs.