The Omega Speedmaster is such a watchmaking icon that an entire subspecies of Speedies has evolved in the nearly 70 years since its inception in 1957. As a watch, of course, it’s instantly synonymous with the space race of the 1960s and the astronauts who wore it on countless NASA missions, long before Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. Unsurprisingly, relatively few editions have strayed far from the design canon of the original, which, to our minds, is a trick missed. Because the Speedy was a bona fide hit long before it was selected by NASA for space. It may have saved the crew of Apollo 13, but it is far more than just a Moonwatch. As an archetype of the whole world of the chronograph, why not celebrate it?
Well, the Speedmaster Pilot that was launched earlier this month is a definite departure from that classic Speedy vibe, with the visual cues on the dial—and functional details, too—that put it firmly in the cockpit of a jet rather than in space. At 40.85mm in diameter, the case harks back to the very first Speedmaster. But the dial features a groovy granular surface and sub-dials with a two-handed hours-and-minutes counter at three o’clock and running seconds at nine. There’s no escaping that this is a very different visual approach. Which will, slightly perversely, make it all the more desirable to die-hard Speedy collectors.
Omega HQ in Bienne, Switzerland.
And it just so happens you could see the very place where the Speedmaster Pilot was manufactured, should you join us as Esquire makes its first-ever exclusive tour of Switzerland’s luxury watchmaking industry. Omega, you see, is one stop on an eight-day tour of the best of Swiss watchmaking, orchestrated and planned for Esquire readers. I’m very excited to be the host of this, the very first Esquire Experience, a carefully curated exploration of horology at its highest level.
From May 11 to May 18, 2025, a very select group of Esquire readers will tour with me the places where storied brands focus on technical innovation and elevated finishing in their own manufacturing and celebrate long and illustrious histories in their own dedicated museums. And what histories they are. Add together the age of the brands currently confirmed and you’re just 16 years shy of a millennium. Even the youngest brand is 140 years old. Unsurprisingly, public access to these top-security operations is rare and closely guarded; it’s often restricted to a brand’s top private customers. To be able to see so many leading brands in a single trip—and all courtesy of Esquire—is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
METAS testing watches for accuracy at Omega’s headquarters.
Starting from Geneva, the beating heart of Swiss watchmaking, the tour takes in the key watchmaking areas around Lake Neuchâtel, the Vallée de Joux, and Bienne. At the time of writing, highlights of the Esquire Escapes tour include visits to the headquarters of Audemars Piguet, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Panerai, and Breitling (with more yet to be confirmed) to witness firsthand the pinnacle of the craft. All this while absorbing the splendid Alpine scenery, sampling fine dining, and exploring high points of Swiss luxury and culinary culture around the lakes of Geneva, Neuchâtel, and Bienne.
Sound intriguing? For more information about Esquire Escapes, or to sign up for the inaugural trip to explore Swiss watchmaking, click here.
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