This timepiece was the first Omega worn into space. On October 3, 1962, Astronaut Walter “Wally” Schirra Jr. orbited the Earth six times in a nine-hour flight wearing his personal CK 2998. The Mercury-Atlas 8 mission was the longest US manned orbital flight up to that point in the Space Race. The Speedmaster was introduced as a racing chronograph but star status was achieved in space; worn on the first American spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission and the first watch worn by an astronaut on the Moon (Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11). NASA flight-qualified it for all manned space missions and it took on the name Moon watch.
Time set at 7 for Mercury Seven, the seven original American astronauts (including Wally) chosen for Project Mercury, the first human US spaceflight program (1958-1963). Chronograph set at 9:13:15, time of the Mercury-Atlas 8 Mission.
Omega may not have been aiming for the moon originally but they definitely hit upon a star!
Graphite on paper, 30 x 44"