Omega’s New Snoopy Watch Commemorates 45 Years since Apollo 13

This week, Omega announced the release of a brand new watch to commemorate the 45^th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission; a timepiece which features the image of the cartoon dog Snoopy on the back of the dial.

Omega has many great credits to its name, including its current status as the watch manufacturer for 007 and the Olympic Games; however, you may not know that an Omega watch was also the first watch in space, and the only timepiece to be worn on the surface of the moon. Here, we will take you through the design of this new commemorative wristwatch, as well as the story behind it.

Design

The commemorative watch is the latest edition of Omega’s popular Speedmaster, a replica of the chronograph favoured by NASA’s astronauts and commonly known as the ‘first Omega in space’.

The new Speedmaster watch differs from that worn by astronaut Jack Swigert in many ways. It features a manual-winding internal motion, and the chronograph’s colour has now been reversed from black to white.

Why Snoopy?

One of the most prominent features of this watch is its inclusion of a sketch of Snoopy, the popular pet dog from the Peanuts comic book strip. Snoopy was regarded as NASA’s official mascot for safety at the time of the Apollo 13 mission, and continues to be today, and its prominence on the brand new commemorative watch has a very intriguing tale.

Omega’s Speedmaster watch played a vital role in the 1970 Apollo 13 mission, which was riddled with errors and complications. After an in-flight explosion crippled their aircraft, astronauts Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise had to act fast.

Swigert used his Speedmaster watch to keep time as Lovell and Haise executed a very specific critical engine burn in an effort to put them back on course. It was successful, and the crew returned safely back to Earth.

It was because of this contribution that NASA awarded Omega the Silver Snoopy Award, one of its highest honours, in 1970.

What Can You Do in 14 Seconds?

In this acknowledgment of NASA’s long standing mascot for safety, Snoopy is presented on the back of the dial and features two very meaningful quotes.

The first inscription is located at precisely 14 seconds, reading “what can you do in 14 seconds?” This is a clear acknowledgement of the astronauts’ remarkable achievement.

The second inscription is located at the centre of the dial and reads “failure is not an option”; a line delivered by actor Ed Harris in the 1995 film rendition Apollo 13.

We hope you enjoyed reading about Omega’s new release; an acknowledgement of the amazing work of the Apollo 13 astronauts on the 45^th anniversary of the mission. If you want to experience the brand that helped to make space exploration history, Martin’s of Glasgow offer quality Omega watch repairs. For more information, contact us today by calling 0141 946 6333.