A Perfect Silver Snoopy Speedmaster

If you even remotely know your Speedmasters, there’s nothing I can say about this original Silver Snoopy that hasn’t already been said. The watch has been on a supersonic ascent to grail status over the last decade, increasing in collectability relentlessly. There are numerous ways of explaining its attraction; First, it’s a story watch. That is to say you can’t answer a question about it without launching into a professorial NASA tirade. Secondly, the dial is white. Third, the whole thing is so lighthearted that for Swiss manufacture it’s almost childish (in the best way possible). These are all things Omega collectors seem to resonate with, as the supply of good examples has all but entirely dried up.

Snoopy and his ‘Eyes on the Stars’ moniker are NASA hallmarks. The cartoon character was hugely popular in the era when man first touched lunar rock. In an effort to recognize and motivate employees who dedicated themselves to meticulously exacting standards, NASA awarded a small silver Snoopy every year. The idea was coined after the tragic Apollo 1 incident. If you don’t know, there was an avoidable fire which took the lives of crew memebers, three extremely qualified space-flight heros, during the testing stages of 1967’s Apollo 1. NASA realized their approach needed work. The silver snoopy award was part of a larger overall renovation of standards within NASA.

Fast forward to Apollo 13, which flew around the dark side of the moon. Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon were forced to time a 14-second thruster burn manually with their Speedmasters after critical automated guidance systems failed. The timing was accurate and the craft returned home without a glitch. The Speedmasters were made icons in NASA lore during that mission. This is where the chapter ring’s ‘what could you do in 14 seconds?’ comes from: a nod to a time when the Speedmaster came through in a big way.

This example is nearly perfect. If I had to guess, this a straightforward safe queen. The case is completely sharp, with no visible wear anywhere. The dial is perfect, as is its lumed snoopy. All is in order and original. It comes with a certificate and box from a well-regarded retailer.

Find this Silver Snoopy here from Phillips Perpetual for 33500 GBP.