1968 Omega "Exciting world of the fraction of a second" Speedmaster Chronograph

The Speedmaster wasn’t always The Moonwatch...

This one-of-a-kind, full-color, slightly oversized ad is noteworthy because it doesn’t mention NASA. As early as 1966, Omega advertising campaigns incorporated astronauts and space imagery, so you think they’d milk the connection.

But for this 1968 ad, Omega chose to focus not on where the watch had been, but rather on what the watch was actually intended for - calculating the speed of a race car.

The Speedmaster was never destined for the outreaches of space. In fact, its purpose was to be a do-all sporting chronograph. With this in mind, reading between lines of the ad hints at different bezel options available in order to market the piece to as wide an audience as possible: decimal for engineers, tachymetric for sportsmen and pulsations for physicians.

Pretty neat. 

Nowadays, especially with the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing having occurred recently, this ad provides a curious context, as it reminds us that the Speedmaster had a life and a goal long before it rocketed into orbit.

Taking advantage of the thicker, glossy paper this ad is framed very minimally with the ad adhered to a fresh white background recessed into a thin, black metal frame. 

About our collaboration with Ad Patina

We're thrilled to be collaborating with our longtime friends at Ad Patina to bring you a selection of the most-popular and rare vintage watch advertisements curated specifically for Analog/Shift!

Scouring the world for forgotten marketing treasures, Ad Patina's raison de être very much mimics our own - to hunt down these wonderful bits of history, preserve and restore them as needed, and share them with an enthusiastic community.

These documents of horological history have entered the watch collecting conversation as the ultimate accompanying accessory, and have found themselves framed in homes and offices around the world. Every one of these wonderful pieces is a genuine, vintage advertisement that has been professionally mounted and framed with UV resistant glass to ensure years of enjoyment to come - no reprints or reproductions here!

Much like a traditional piece of art - a painting or photograph - an original watch advertisement can be appreciated for its design as well as for its power to evoke nostalgia.

Something we vintage watch enthusiasts know all about!