Omega relaunches the first Speedmaster to ever go to space

Omega is known for making the first watches worn on the moon and now, the Swiss watchmaker is relaunching the timepiece that kickstarted their association with space exploration.
Known as ‘The First Omega in Space’ (FOiS), the famous watch, originally identified by its reference number CK 2998 was first released in 1959, representing the second generation of the Speedmaster family. It was distinguished by slender Alpha hands, symmetrical case and a dark bezel.
The watch caught the attention of NASA astronaut Walter ‘Wally’ Schirra, who purchased the model for himself. Schirra then wore it on the Sigma 7 mission of the Mercury programme, which launched on Oct 3, 1962, earning the model the nickname ‘The First Omega in Space’.
The new version of the FOiS recreates the look of an aged CK 2998 by maintaining the 39.7mm symmetrical steel case and black aluminium ‘Dot-Over-Ninety’ tachymeter bezel. The watch is thinner than before at 13.4mm (14mm in the past) and has a lug-to-lug of 48mm. Water-resistance is rated at 50m.
Beneath the “hesalite-like form sapphire crystal”, the watch has a new CVD-coated dial in grey-blue, replicating the look of certain vintage CK 2998 watches produced in the 1960s. Hour markers and hour/minute Alpha hands are filled with vintage-inspired, yellow-toned Super-LumiNova, while the central seconds ‘Baton’ hand is white varnished to match the transferred markings.
There are two vintage Omega logos, one on the dial and the other on the crown. The caseback features a Seahorse medallion, with the engravings ‘Speedmaster, The First Omega in Space’ and ‘October 3, 1962’.
For a modern engineering upgrade, the watch is driven by the Co-Axial Master Chronometre Calibre 3861, which powers almost all manual Speedmaster models.
There are three iterations, with a choice of a full metal bracelet (S$11,450), or a black or brown leather strap (S$10,950). Each watch is delivered inside a special presentation box that includes an exclusive Legendary Moonwatch leaflet.