When Artemis II lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, carrying four astronauts on humanity's first crewed lunar mission since 1972, the cameras caught something familiar on their wrists. All four crew members, Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, were wearing the same watch: an Omega Speedmaster X-33 second generation.
That detail alone wouldn't be news. Omega has been NASA's official watch partner since 1965. What makes this interesting is that the X-33 Gen 2 was discontinued for public sale in 2006. For twenty years, Omega has quietly continued producing this specific reference, the 3291.50.00, exclusively for NASA astronauts.
A watch built for function, not fashion
The X-33 isn't the kind of Omega that gets posted on Instagram. It's a quartz-powered, titanium-cased tool watch with a digital-analog hybrid display. It was designed in the late 1990s specifically for space missions, with functions including mission elapsed time, multiple alarms, and countdown timers. The second generation refined the design with a cleaner dial layout and improved readability.
NASA chose it over the mechanical Speedmaster Professional for a practical reason: astronauts need quick access to multiple time zones, mission timers, and alarm functions. A hand-wound chronograph, however iconic, can't do that with a glance.
The Breitling surprise
At the pre-flight press conference on March 29, reporters noticed another watch on the wrists of Wiseman, Glover, and Hansen. All three men wore what appeared to be a 24-hour dial Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute chronograph. It doesn't match any current production reference, suggesting Breitling may have produced a special edition for the crew.
The Cosmonaute has its own space heritage. Scott Carpenter wore the original on Mercury-Atlas 7 in 1962, making it the first Swiss chronograph in orbit. Breitling hasn't commented on whether the Artemis II version will see a public release.
Koch, the mission's only female crew member, was not spotted wearing the Breitling. Her personal watch choices during the mission remain unknown.
What it tells us about space watches
The Artemis II watch story cuts through a lot of the marketing noise around "space watches." The actual watch NASA trusts for lunar missions isn't a limited edition or a collector's piece. It's a discontinued quartz tool watch, kept in quiet production because it works.
That's worth remembering the next time a brand puts "space-rated" on a dial.
Sources
- The Watches Worn on the NASA Artemis II Mission - Fratello Watches
- The Omega Speedmasters Currently on Their Way to the Moon Aren't What You Expect - Gear Patrol
- NASA Artemis II Watches - Teddy Baldassarre
- The "NASA Watch" Worn By the Whole Artemis II Crew - Luxury Bazaar
- Artemis II Launch Day Updates - NASA
