It is December 14th, 1972, and Apollo 17 astronaut Gene Cernan is about to set foot on the ladder of the Lunar Module. Before he does so, he kneels and writes the initials of his daughter Tracy in the Moon dust. On his wrist is an perfect replica Omega Speedmaster 105.003 with caliber 321.
His watch is on display at the UK luxury fake Omega Museum in Biel and was used to recreate the Speedmaster Calibre 321 model in 2020. Cernan’s Speedmaster 105.003 with NASA serial number 28 and product code CF55033 was the last worn on the Moon. As you can see in the following pictures, it has seen intensive use. The bezel fell off, and the Hesalite crystal is damaged. Cernan wore his cheap replica Omega Speedmaster 105.003 on a JB Champion bracelet, of which Deke Slayton (NASA’s director of Flight Crew Operations) ordered several for his crew. These bracelets tended to snap off the wrist when encountering too much resistance. This was useful for any astronaut who didn’t want to risk losing a hand if it got stuck behind something. It’s amazing to think that something normally considered a weakness became a unique selling point for a product.
Anyway, 2022 marks exactly 50 years since Cernan was the last man on the Moon and scribbled his daughter’s initials in the dust (they are still there). Together with Don Davis, Cernan wrote his story in the 1999 book The Last Man on the Moon. In it, he also mentions the use of his watch on the lunar surface (fun fact: some customers who bought a 1:1 replica Omega Speedmaster Professional received this book as a complimentary gift). The other Apollo 17 astronauts were Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt.
Omega Speedmaster Apollo 17 editions
Although Cernan wore the aaa quality fake Omega Speedmaster 105.003 during the Apollo 17 mission, the limited editions dedicated to him are all Speedmaster Professional models. The difference is that the Speedmaster 105.003 had a straight-lug case with a diameter of 39.7mm. All the Swiss made replica Omega Speedmasters dedicated to the Apollo 17 mission are 42mm “Professional” models with lyre lugs and crown guards. But the 105.003 was not the only watch that Cernan wore. It has been reported that he also wore a Speedmaster Professional 105.012-66 (caliber 321). His fellow astronauts Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt both wore a high quality fake Omega Speedmaster Professional 105.012-66. While aboard the module, Ron Evans used a 145.022 (caliber 861) for specific experiments. This was the only caliber 861 that was close to the Moon.
The first watch dedicated to the Apollo 17 mission was introduced as part of the famous white Mission Cases with 23 watches inside. They included 22 top copy Omega Speedmasters with mission patches for the Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab missions, as well as one Speedmaster ’57 Broad Arrow model with caliber 1861. After producing 50 of these Mission Cases with 23 watches each, Swiss movement replcia Omega produced between 100 and 150 watches per mission patch model separately. The only exception was the Apollo 13 edition, which was released as a limited edition of 999 pieces in 1995.