The choice of titanium was dictated by the need of light weight and because of limited temperature conductivity.Īs you can see the dial is also completely different, with an integrated scale, a white colour and new hands. The case was as smooth and unadorned as possible in an effort to prevent anything from snagging on the watch. Omega developed a brand-new bulky design for a case made of titanium, a worldwide first in watchmaking. The second part of the project involved the Omega Speedmaster itself. The red tone is, as you can imagine, absolutely not dictated by aesthetic concerns but only because no other colour offers the same level of protection and absorption of radiation or surface temperatures. Then the colour is also protective, not directly against temperature fluctuations but against some forms of radiation. Made in anodized aluminium, it protects the watch from very high and very low temperatures because of the particularly low thermal conductivity of this material. One of the first and most noticeable characteristic is this watch’s oversized red cover. The watch itself was also highly improved with new hands and dial (for better legibility) and a new case. The solution of an external housing was selected added to several improvements on the 861 movement as well as the lubricants – there was therefore more than one Alaska Project watch that was designed to be “space proof” even some without the red outer case.
Improving the case by adding an external housing, in order to better protect the movement itself.Improving the movement’s resistance to extreme temperature amplitudes.The project, led by Pierre Chopard, was based on two possibilities: Thus, within Omega, the Alaska Project was born. The goal was to create a watch able to function in both extremely hot and extremely cold environments, and also to have a great resistance to all the possible aggressions of a space mission. NASA wanted to create the perfect Space Watch.
1970S OMEGA SEAMASTER CALIBRE 1020 CODE
‘Alaska Project’ was a code name for a project undertaken in strict secrecy, so that competitors – especially in the USA – would not know that Omega was engaged in any further NASA-related research.Īlthough the Omega Speedmaster had proven itself by withstanding all the tests imposed by NASA and by surviving the Moon landing, Omega decided at the end of 1967 to redefine the Speedmaster and to improve its resistance to extreme temperatures. And just to clarify, it had nothing to do with polar exploration. However, these two teamed up a few years afterward to improve the Speedy in a program called the ‘Alaska Project’. As we explained in the first part of this retrospective, the Speedmaster became the ‘Moonwatch’ because of a selection process and not from a joint development between the space agency and the Bienne-based brand. The Omega Speedmaster and NASA have a longstanding and deeply-rooted link. You may find these 1970s Omega Speedmasters ‘funky’ and ‘bulky’ (and, indeed, they are bulky) but this is the reason why! The Alaska Project In addition to bringing us these very famous editions of the classical Speedy, the 1970s were also highly productive in terms of research and development, with several technical improvements and distinctive designs added to the collection throughout that decade.
In a previously featured article, we presented you with the premises of the Omega Speedmaster and how it became the ‘Moonwatch’.