Of all the watches ever made, few are as instantly recognizable or as thoroughly documented as the Omega Speedmaster. Celebrated for its storied past and its enduring influence on modern watchmaking, the Speedmaster is best known as the first watch worn on the Moon. Its legacy is inseparable from NASA and the history of space exploration; a partnership that led to one of the most fascinating chapters in Omega’s history: the Alaska Project.
You see, at the time, although NASA had already chosen the Speedmaster as its official timepiece, Omega’s engineers were determined to take the concept a step further—to design a version built expressly to withstand the rigours of space travel. The original Speedmaster had already proven its mettle, even earning Omega the prestigious Snoopy Award. Yet the Alaska Project took that reliability to new extremes. Developed through intensive experimentation and several prototypes, Omega eventually paid tribute to the Alaska II design in 2008 with a limited-edition run of 1,970 pieces known as the Speedmaster Alaska Project.
Visually, the Alaska Project is unmistakable. Its crisp white dial features baton hands for timekeeping and rocket-shaped hands within the recessed chronograph subdials, which is a subtle nod to its extraterrestrial purpose. The most distinctive element, however, is its bright red anodised aluminium “thermal shield,” a removable shroud-like outer case built to protect the watch from extreme temperature fluctuations in space. Beyond safeguarding the hesalite crystal, the thermal cover improves legibility with engraved chronograph markings and enables the watch to function in temperatures ranging from –148°C to 260°C—conditions few mechanical watches could survive.
At its core beats Omega’s hand-wound Cal. 1861, the same movement that powers many of the brand’s most famous and beloved Speedmasters. Its 42mm stainless steel case remains faithful to the classic Moonwatch profile, ensuring it wears just as familiar.
Ultimately, the Alaska Project captures the spirit and essence of exploration that defines the Speedmaster line: a daring experiment that honours the Moonwatch legacy while technically pushing it further than ever before. Today, it stands as one of the most distinctive and sought-after limited-edition Speedmasters ever produced.
