Two-Tone Moon Swoon: Apollo 15 35th Speedmaster

I often find that the designs which are most controversial upon initial release age the most gracefully, slowly gaining greater and greater commendation. The Ducati 916, Sagrada Famillia, and Tom Ford suits all spring quickly to mind. Of course, not all controversial designs age so well. The recent BMW M3/M4 nostril, I think, will surely fall into the latter category. That’s neither here nor there. To my eye, this recent LE Speedy definitively falls into the former.

Two-tone is back. I’m not one to care in the least about fashion trends. The permanence of good watchmaking is one of the attritubes which mosts attracts me to this hobby. The Lange 1815 is the antithesis of Gucci. Nonetheless, I have to admit that some watches suit the modern era more than others. Two-tone peaked in the 80s, but by the 2000s had become so faux pas as to embody tastelessness. It took forty years, but combinations of precious and standard metals are on a comeback. I truly believe that Tudor restarted this move all on their own with the S&G BB Chrono. That single piece stirred more controversy than I can remember in recent years (code 11.59 excluded). If you want to go two-tone—but with a bit more heritage—allow me to introduce the Apollo 15 35th.

This is about as alternative as Omega gets with the modern moonwatch. The design is classic, but with a divisive twist; there have been many bi-color Speedmasters (particularly in the 80s), but few with rose gold and few only bi-color in the case design. A mission patch commemorating the Apollo 15 missions adorns its case back. For those with shorter memories, that was the crew who first used the Lunar Rover to have an extended vacation on the lunar surface. It’s a unique piece with real history, perhaps only let down by the relentless sequence of celebratory limited editions Omega seens hell-bent on releasing. Nonetheless, this is the rebellious alternative choice in LE Speedmasters. I see ST1s, ST2s, and Apollo XI LEs at every single damn RedBar meetup. I’ve only ever seen one of these. Moreover, the commander of the actual mission wears it to this day.

This example is strong. The case is unpolished, only lightly marked with one small nick on its bezel. It comes with a full set. The seller has no feedback yet so buy with that in mind. All told, it’s a lovely piece that you’re unlikely to see in the wild—even reasonably priced.

Find this Apollo 15 35th here on r/watchexchange for 8700 USD.