Was the Omega Speedmaster the only watch used on the Moon?

All crewed US lunar missions used the Omega Speedmaster Professional as the official NASA-qualified chronograph. The Russian Mir cosmonauts used the Fortis Cosmonaut Chronograph on ISS missions; some Mir-era missions also used Russian-manufactured Strela chronographs. The Speedmaster is the only watch to have been worn on the lunar surface by multiple astronauts across six missions.

What does 'Professional' mean in Omega Speedmaster Professional?

'Professional' refers to the NASA-qualified professional reference line, as distinct from the Speedmaster Automatic (self-winding) and other Speedmaster derivative models (Reduced, Racing, etc.). The Professional designation specifically indicates the manual-wind model qualified for NASA use — reference 105.012 and successors. Omega introduced the Speedmaster Automatic (reference 376.0822) in 1969, but the Professional remained the NASA-qualified and astronaut-issued model.

What is the sapphire sandwich crystal on the Speedmaster?

From 2021, the standard Moonwatch reference uses a 'sapphire sandwich' construction — an inner flat sapphire crystal below a domed outer sapphire crystal, with a small air gap between them. This configuration reproduces the optical appearance of the older hesalite (acrylic) crystals (which dome outward naturally), maintains the domed visual aesthetic traditional to the Moonwatch, and provides the scratch resistance of sapphire. The original Moonwatch used a hesalite acrylic crystal that was more impact-resistant but prone to scratching. Some purists prefer the hesalite for its period-correct appearance and greater shock resistance.

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