When Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the lunar surface during Apollo 11, the Omega Speedmaster Professional strapped over his spacesuit became the first watch worn on the Moon.
Official equipment for Apollo 11
NASA identifies Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin as Apollo 11’s lunar module pilot and the second person to walk on the Moon on 20 July 1969. The Swatch Group’s official history records that Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Aldrin were each issued an Omega Speedmaster for the mission. The Apollo 11 watches came from the ST 105.012 and ST 145.012 families.
The first watch on the lunar surface
Armstrong left his mission chronograph inside the lunar module as a backup for its electronic timer. Aldrin followed him outside wearing his Speedmaster, making it the first wristwatch carried onto the Moon’s surface. The black-dialled, manually wound chronograph was secured over the bulky suit with a long strap.
A missing historical object
The Smithsonian documents an additional twist: Aldrin’s flown Speedmaster was lost in 1971 while being transported to the museum. Its disappearance has only strengthened the watch’s place in spaceflight and collecting history.
Why it matters
The Moonwatch story is not simply a marketing nickname. It joins a named astronaut, a documented mission and a physical instrument selected for human spaceflight. Aldrin’s Speedmaster marks the instant a wristwatch moved from Earth to the lunar surface.
Sources: NASA, Apollo 11; Swatch Group, The Hours That Defined Apollo 11; Smithsonian, The Watches That Went to the Moon.
Editorial note: This article discusses a documented historical watch. SEKUND.STORE is not affiliated with Buzz Aldrin, his representatives, NASA, Omega or the Swatch Group. No endorsement is implied. SEKUND.STORE does not state or imply that it stocks the featured watch. The accompanying artwork is an AI-generated editorial illustration.