The timeless allure of OMEGA Speedmaster "Snoopy" editions
By Walty, Pre-owned Watch Specialist at Waltana, Lausanne
Among the most personal distinctions in watchmaking, the Silver Snoopy Award stands apart. It is not a prize given by a certification body or an industry panel. It is awarded directly by NASA astronauts to individuals and organisations whose contributions they believe made the difference between mission success and failure. A sterling silver lapel pin and certificate representing the highest distinction that NASA astronauts can personally bestow, it was first created with Snoopy as its mascot because of his ability to keep things light in serious situations.
Omega received the award in 1970, seven months after the Apollo 13 mission. The prize recognised Omega's unique contributions to space exploration, as well as the Speedmaster's role in saving Apollo 13. The astronauts aboard that mission had used their Speedmaster watches to time the critical engine burns needed to bring the crippled spacecraft home after an oxygen tank explosion disabled the primary systems. The award was presented to Omega by astronaut Thomas Stafford.
That moment became the foundation for one of watchmaking's most distinctive collector stories.
The three Snoopy Speedmaster editions
Omega has commemorated the award with three dedicated Speedmaster editions, each approaching the subject differently.
The first, released in 2003, was reference 3578.51.00, a limited edition featuring a black dial with a Snoopy medallion at 9 o'clock bearing the phrase "Eyes on the Stars." It was the first time Omega officially translated the Silver Snoopy Award into a commercial watch, and it established the collector appetite for what would follow.
The second edition arrived in 2015, reference 311.32.42.30.04.003, for the Apollo 13 mission's 45th anniversary. Limited to 1,970 pieces, it featured a white dial with a Super-LumiNova Snoopy on the 9 o'clock subdial, the phrase "Failure is not an option" transferred to the dial, and 14 squares referencing Snoopy comics alongside the phrase "What could you do in 14 seconds?" That last detail refers to the precise engine burn timed by the crew's Speedmaster during the return journey.
The third and most technically ambitious edition came in 2020, reference 310.32.42.50.02.001, marking the 50th anniversary of the award. The silver dial features an embossed silver Snoopy medallion on the blue subdial at 9 o'clock, shown wearing his spacesuit in the exact style of the silver pin that NASA astronauts give to award recipients. On the caseback, an animated Snoopy in his Command and Service Module rotates when the chronograph is in use, travelling around the far side of the moon, with the lunar surface decorated on the sapphire crystal using micro-structured metallisation. An Earth disc rotates once per minute in sync with the small seconds hand. Unlike its predecessors, this edition is not limited in production, and is driven by the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861.
Why collectors value these watches
The Snoopy editions occupy a particular position in the Speedmaster collector hierarchy. They are not simply limited editions created for commercial purposes. Each one commemorates a specific, documented moment in space history that the watch itself was instrumental in creating. The connection between the object and the event it references is direct rather than decorative.
The 2003 and 2015 editions, as discontinued limited runs, have appreciated significantly on the secondary market. The 2020 edition, despite being non-limited, commands a premium over the standard Moonwatch due to the complexity of the animated caseback and its status as the most technically elaborate Snoopy edition produced.
For a collector building a Speedmaster collection, one of the Snoopy editions typically sits alongside the standard Moonwatch and a tropical dial vintage reference as the three pieces that best represent the breadth of what the Speedmaster has been across its history: a tool, a cultural icon, and a quiet tribute to the people who relied on it when it mattered most.
Browse our current selection of pre-owned Omega watches available in Switzerland, or read our complete guide to the Omega Speedmaster and Seamaster for the full history of both collections. If you own a Snoopy edition and are considering selling, our consignment service offers a no-obligation valuation.
