At the beginning of 2024, Replica Omega announced the long-awaited return of the Caliber 321 – a movement with cult status. Shortly thereafter, in July of that year, the Swiss watchmaker unveiled the first new timepiece to house this caliber: a platinum Speedmaster Moonwatch. A stainless steel version will follow at the beginning of 2020, which will also be powered by this legendary caliber 321.
When astronaut Edward White became the first American to complete a spacewalk in 1965, he wore a Speedmaster ST 105.003 on his wrist. And the latest OMEGA timepiece is inspired by exactly this model.
The 39.7 millimeter stainless steel case was influenced by the style of the 3rd generation Speedmaster, which was also worn by Ed White. The bezel ring made of polished black ceramic [ZrO2] is decorated with a tachymeter scale made of white enamel. The dial in the “step dial” look features the typical Moonwatch hands including the central chronograph hand as well as the subdials for the small seconds, 30-minute and 12-hour counters.
Collectors will be pleased to see the historic “Dot over Nintey” and other tributes to the past included, including the historic OMEGA logo. Since a movement as beautiful as the Caliber 321 should of course be visible, it can be admired at any time through the sapphire crystal caseback. January 2024
The original Caliber 321, known for its intricate design, was first used in the first Speedmaster in 1957. So it not only powered the Speedmaster during Ed White’s spacewalk, but also the Speedmaster ST 105.012 model – better known as the first watch worn on the moon.
After extensive research, the particularly unique and iconic parts of the 321 caliber were reconstructed in our own workshop and launched to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.