The Watches Worn on the NASA Artemis II Mission

This month started with the exciting launch of Artemis II on April 1, 2026, at 22:35:12 (UTC time). I stayed up to watch the launch (00:35 here) and witness this next chapter in NASA’s Moon exploration.

The four crew members of Artemis II. Image by NASA.

The space-qualified watches

It’s the first human-crewed lunar voyage since 1972. During that mission, all astronauts wore the Omega Speedmaster (caliber 321), as you know (yes, NASA astronaut Ron Evans had a Speedmaster caliber 861 with him for onboard experiments). Other watches have also been worn in space, but they were personally owned by astronauts and cosmonauts.

Glover and Hansen. Wearing the X-33 over the orange NASA suit. Image by NASA.

To this day, the official equipment remains the Omega Speedmaster. The Speedmaster Professional X-33 (since 1998) is intended for use aboard the spacecraft, and the hand-wound Speedmaster Professional is for EVA (extra-vehicular activities).

Speedmaster X-33 3291.50.00

Omega Speedmaster X-33 Generation 2

All four NASA astronauts are equipped with the proven Speedmaster X-33. Commander Reis Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen each wear the X-33 Generation 2 (reference 3291.50). At Fratello, we’ve published many articles about the grade 2 titanium Omega Speedmaster X-33, which you can find here. This watch was developed with the help of NASA’s General Thomas P. Stafford, and after testing in space (1996), it was launched in 1998. The second edition of the X-33 was introduced in 2001 and discontinued in 2006.

NASA astronaut Jeremy Hansen is wearing his X-33 Gen.2 during preparations.

For the public, that is, Omega still produces these for NASA secretly—well, not anymore, I suppose. Interestingly, the NASA-only version goes by Omega’s reference number 318.90.45.79.01.001. However, if you want one, you can either buy the current X-33 or get a Gen 2 on Chrono24 (here are a few listed for sale). It’s the first time an Omega Speedmaster X-33 is on its way to the Moon!

The NASA Artemis II astronauts getting ready. X-33 worn over the suits. Image by NASA.

The Omega Speedmaster X-33 has its share of fans, and we’ve covered it extensively over the years. One of our late readers and friends of Fratello, Hans CP, was very dear to us. He shared his X-33 story here.

I will be watching the Artemis II mission closely in the next few days. There is a very personal element in this mission for me, which I will report on later this year. It’s also a great opportunity to wear my X-33 again (I have to admit it’s a bit of a safe queen).

Did you watch the Artemis II launch? Let us know in the comments.