THE OMEGA MARSWATCH
The Omega Speedmaster "From the Moon to Mars" Professional Chronograph has a unique place in the history of space exploration as the only piece of equipment used in all of NASA’s manned space missions to Mars. When Charles Brubaker stepped on Martian surface in 1978, he was wearing a Speedmaster "From The Moon to Mars", the chronograph that has been known as the "Marswatch" ever since.
However, there is only one small catch. It never happened.
Those who follow NASA activities know that NASA's manned mission to Mars wouldn't work in a foreseeable future, so Omega chose to go to Mars alone by introducing the Marswatch back in 2004. And because demand for a watch that never got off the ground was never expected to be strong, Omega wisely chose to produce this unique timepiece as a numbered edition. That means rare but not limited edition rare.
The Marswatch features the usual black dial of Omega Speedmaster Professional but graced with three small sub-dials depicting Earth, Mars and the Moon. The dial design was conceived by Leiji Matsumoto, a well-known anime and manga creator best known for space operas such as Star Blazers and Galaxy Express 999. In 2005, a year after the launch of the Marswatch, he explained the thinking behind the design as follows: "Earth is facing environmental concerns, so it is not entirely inconceivable that human habitat may one day expand to include Mars, Venus or others. When that happens, I'm sure someone who has this watch and goes to space would gaze at it and reminisce about Earth."
It is obvious Omega and Matsumoto wanted to create a beautiful and believable product that people can recall in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically. It can be space dwellers reminiscing about Earth, like Matsumoto described, or astronauts feeling nostalgic about their stint in space. Of course, for Brubaker it could be Mars that he never went.
Nevertheless, we at NOSTIME is fortunate to have this Marswatch in immaculate condition. Finding such gem is part of our on-going mission to track down new old stock timepieces.