As a child in the 60s I was obsessed with space exploration, I was 11 when the first moonwalk happened in ‘69 and I remember it well. There was a sense of anticlimax afterwards and I don’t think subsequent missions caught the publics imagination in the same way. Obviously Omega enjoyed the kudos of being associated with the space programme via the Speedmaster and rightly so, first watch on the moon is an accolade they deserve, but I don’t think they made such a big deal about it at the time as they have in later years. Indeed, I have a 2 page magazine ad from 1970 that features a few Omega watches (Flightmaster, Seamaster chronometer, Flightmaster, Speedy mk11) the moon landing connection is mentioned but it isn’t the main thrust of the ad which seeks to promote all the range equally.
I’m definitely in the ‘don’t get it’ camp with vintage Speedmasters, unless you own one of the examples that actually went into space the link is meaningless. I like the earlier Ed White versions because I prefer the lug design and the watch is slightly smaller, but that’s as far as it goes, the space connection means nothing. If I stumbled across a cheap scruffy 60s Speedy with 321 movement I’d happily buy it and sell it for a big profit to some dreamer who gets excited by them, they’re just tatty old watches and I see no appeal in owning a tatty watch.
NASA put a man on the moon, not Omega, it was 50+ years ago, it was a big deal at the time but the world has moved on and it’s now confined to history. I like the Speedy moonwatch, it’s a horological anachronism but it has a certain charm, a newish example of essentially the same watch as the 60s version can be bought for a couple of grand and on that basis I can’t see the point in buying an old scruffy one. OK, the bezel might have a dot over 90(wow!) and the edge of the dial’s slightly different, but other than that it’s the same beast!
The Speedy collectors market baffles me, I think its been fuelled by a few nerds who couldn't afford vintage Rolex subs when they became too expensive and somehow it’s snowballed from there.........makes no sense to me.