View the Omega Speedmaster Photo Gallery.

I have a thing for durable watches. Finding a watch that can stand up to an active lifestyle, and still look good and keep great time over the period of many years, is surprisingly difficult. If you want a really robust watch, the conventional wisdom is to go with a Casio G-Shock if you're looking for a quartz or digital solution, and a Rolex if you want something Swiss and high-end. But Omega fans know there's another option which has one of the most interesting backstories in the history of horology.

The Omega Speedmaster Professional lands squarely between a high-end G-Shock and sport model Rolex in terms of price, looks fantastic, and has stood up to some of the most rigorous testing that any watch has ever been subjected to. Not only have Speedmaster Pros gone into space on many occasions, but they have actually been worn outside a space suit on the surface of the moon.

Before I get into the history of the Omega Speedmaster Professional, let's cover the specs:

• Stainless steel case and bracelet.
• Legendary Speedmaster bracelet with push-button release.
• Caliber 1861 manual wind movement; rhodium plated for corrosion resistance; 48-hour power reserve.
• Hesalite crystal (a type of plastic similar to Plexiglass -- very shock resistant).
• Water resistant to 50 meters, or 167 feet.
• Chronograph function (with "small seconds" at the 9 o'clock position), and tachymeter.
• 42mm case diameter.

Say Hi to the Omega Speedmaster X-33. Introduced in 1998, this is one amazing watch. Omega literally flight (and crash) tested it with NASA and military pilots, experimenting with several design iterations before settling on and shipping two commercial versions. It was designed for pilots and space flight, and is rated by NASA for the mission to Mars. Without a doubt, this is one of the coolest and most interesting analog-digital watches ever made.

But of course, something this good just couldn't last. Unfortunately, the X-33 was made unavailable to the general public last year, and now you can only buy them if you work for NASA, or you're in the military. And if that weren't enough, rumor has it that you need to assemble an order of ten or more at once.

Features of the Omega Speedmaster X-33 include:

• Titanium case and bracelet (for light weight).
• Domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal, coated on both sides.
• Omega quartz movement developed specifically for this watch (caliber 1666), temperature compensated, rated to ± 0.1 seconds per day.
• 26-month battery with low-power indicator.
• Water-resistant to 30 meters (about 100 feet).
• 80dB alarm — incredibly loud for use in a cockpit environment. (Finally, a watch that you could actually use for an alarm clock.)
• 8 lux backlight — practically flashlight-bright.
• 42.25mm diameter case.
• Day, date, stopwatch, GMT, and a countdown timer.
• Standard daily alarm, and a second programmable alarm.
• Mission elapsed time (up to 999 days).
• Mission time alarm.
• Shipped in a box covered with spacesuit material (nice touch).
• Bidirectional 120-click ratcheting bezel for timing with the analog hands.
• Luminescent "bezel pearl" for night visibility.
• LCD "stealth" mode. (Clean up the dial by turning off the curved LCD display.)

List price for the X-33 was about $2,600, and they show up on eBay and on watch forums every now and then for about $1,500 - $2,000, depending on their condition.

Additional Resources:

• The Omega X-33 Product Page.
• A Pilot's Impression of the Omega X-33.
• Review of the Omega Speedmaster Professional X-33.

By Paul Hubbard

Omega and James Bond have had a long and mutually profitable relationship. It used to be a Rolex Submariner that Q modified with non-standard complications and handed over to Sean Connery to get him out of tight situations, however starting with Pierce Brosnan in Golden Eye the Omega Seamaster became the choice of British spies. Omega seized the opportunity to not only make James Bond a brand ambassador, but they also created the special James Bond Omega Seamaster.

Now that there's a new Bond, Omega has taken the opportunity to outfit him with a new tool: the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean. I've written about the Planet Ocean and handled several under the watchful eyes of jewelry store clerks, and they are truly majestic watches -- very fitting of Bond, and an excellent choice for a fresh beginning of the Bond franchise.

What I find interesting, however, is that to my knowledge, Rolex never made a limited edition commemorative James Bond Submariner while Omega has released a couple Bond Seamasters. I'm guessing the idea of soldering a "007" to the end of a Submariner second hand, or adulterating the dial with some Hollywood inspired action graphic made the folks at Rolex swoon. Frankly, I'd have to be a pretty big James Bond fan to drop that kind of money on a movie souvenir, but I suppose if you're a collector, there's nothing like the phrase "limited edition" to get you on the phone with your favorite authorized dealer.

There's not a lot of information available yet on Omega's new Seamaster Planet Ocean divers, but here's what I know so far:

• Stainless steel case (available in 42mm and 45.5mm).
• Stainless steel bracelet with folding safety clasp, rubber strap, or alligator leather.
• Unidirectional rotating bezel (inner third brushed aluminum, outer two-thirds black or orange).
• Sapphire crystal.
• Date.
• Luminescent (SuperLuminova) hands and markers.
• 48-hour power reserve.
• Water resistant to 600 meters (2000 feet).
• Co-Axial Escapement (reduces friction, improves long-term accuracy, and increases service intervals).
• Available in May of this year for an undisclosed price.

Sign me up for an orange one with a stainless steel bracelet, just like in the picture. I'll post more information when it's available from Omega's site.