On 1st March 1965, OMEGA’s Speedmaster chronograph was “flight-qualified by NASA for all manned space missions“. Aside from this bit of starry eyed trivia, I’ve always thought that the Speedmaster neatly straddled the line between minimalism and showiness. It’s a watch that doesn’t knock anyone’s socks off for being huge or flashy, but is appreciated for those who know of its historical significance and pedigree.

Back in 2009 I acquired a Speedmaster Reduced (3539.50) which, on account of being extremely comfortable to wear, has become something I wear daily. It’s also nice to own an automatic variant of the watch so I don’t have to wind it quite so often.