The Journal
Collector’s guides to the Moonwatch — its history, its references, its market, its care, and the curiosities that keep the story alive. New entries appear here first, newest first.
All articles
6 articles
Article VI · ArtemisBack to the Moon, on timeOn April 1, 2026, four astronauts rode a free-return trajectory around the Moon — the first crewed lunar voyage in more than half a century — each wearing a Speedmaster. The story of Artemis II and the watches on the crew's wrists.
On April 1, 2026, four astronauts rode a free-return trajectory around the Moon — and the Speedmaster rode along. What the mission means for the Moonwatch story.
Article IV · OwnershipBuy well. Preserve better.Finding value, inspecting a candidate and maintaining a Speedmaster without erasing its history.
Practical notes on photographs, serials, service records, replacement parts, movement care and the line between thoughtful preservation and unnecessary restoration.
Article I · HistoryA line drawn to the MoonFrom the CK 2915 of 1957 to NASA qualification and the watches worn on the lunar surface.
The Speedmaster’s history is best understood through the references that carried it forward: first as a racing chronograph, then as privately chosen astronaut equipment, and finally as qualified flight hardware.
Article III · MarketReading the vintage marketHow condition, originality, provenance and venue shape value for buyers and sellers.
Asking prices are only one signal. This guide looks at realized sales, correct period components, service history and the reference-specific details that most often move value.
Article V · CuriosityThe Watch That Never Came HomeBuzz Aldrin's Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the Moon. Then, on its way to the Smithsonian, it vanished. The verified story of the missing Moonwatch.
The verified story of the missing Moonwatch: what Aldrin’s memoir says, the investigation that found nothing, the lawsuit that failed, and where the surviving flown Speedmasters can be seen today.
Article II · Reference guideThe Moonwatch, reference by referenceThe cases, calibres, dials and details that distinguish each important generation.
A collector’s field guide to the visual and mechanical changes that separate the earliest broad-arrow pieces from the calibre 861 era, the long-running 3570.50 and today’s calibre 3861.