Omega Does Their Best Work on Their 45th Anniversaries

It seems like every other week there's a new Omega anniversary release that usually sells out within a month of releasing, even if it is not a limited edition. The most recent one is the 75th Seamaster Summer Blue collection that, while very aesthetically nice, isn't all that much different from the current offerings.

This post is being written on the 54th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing, mankind's (and Omega's) biggest achievement. Omega follows a release cadence of every five years for releasing a new Anniversary piece, so next year will be another big one for the Speedmaster.

The previous Apollo 11 50th Anniversary piece was absolutely stunning, and a very fitting tribute to the mission. But in my opinion, Omega seems to do its best work on the 45th Anniversary of its releases. Not that anything past the 45th has been bad, but their design release times are certainly interesting.

Take this Apollo 17 45th Anniversary piece for example, it's honestly one of the top Speedmaster designs Omega has ever done. The gorgeous gold accent complements the deep royal blue and is combined with a grey racing minute track that helps to elevate the piece with a very rich and textured dial.

Now interestingly enough, Omega did not release a 50th Anniversary Apollo 17 in 2022, only commemorating it with posts on their website. But 2022 was already a packed year for Omega with the James Bond 60th Anniversary Seamaster and the second generation of the Speedmaster 57 series, so having more releases would have been overkill at that point.

Another great 45th release was the Snoopy Edition in 2015. In my opinion, this version of the Silver Snoopy helps to convey what the actual Silver Snoopy award was based on in the Apollo 13 mission compared to the recent 50th Anniversary edition.

I think the "What can you do in 14 seconds?" line should have been continued on the 50th Anniversary dial design considering they are both white and high contrast. The extra cartoon-style boxes help to accentuate the actual 14 seconds of burn time for the Apollo 13 trajectory.

But compared to the previous watches I used as examples, this Apollo 11 45th is something different. Made of grade 2 titanium and 18k Sedna rose gold, no other Speedmaster can come close to the out-of-this-world design that takes inspiration from the lunar surface, rather than the spaceships. A special laser is then used to remove the material surrounding the design elements on the watch's face.

While most would say the 50th Anniversary Apollo 11 is a much more fitting tribute, it's the stealth design of this 45th that has really made a lasting impression that Omega can change it up when it comes to milking their own releases and show what they are creatively capable of.

I honestly can't wait to see what they have in store for next year with the 55th Anniversary of Apollo 11, my guess is that it will be something on the safer side relative to these fantastic releases.

Whats your favorite anniversary release? And what is your favorite Apollo or NASA mission if you have one?