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Snoopy is on the Omega Speedmaster because the watch was associated with a crucial Apollo 13 emergency maneuver, and NASA astronauts later recognized Omega with the Silver Snoopy Award. The 50th-anniversary Speedmaster commemorates both parts of that story: the mission and the award.
How a Speedmaster helped Apollo 13’s crew
During Apollo 13’s emergency return to Earth, the crew needed to time an engine burn after the spacecraft’s clocks stopped. Commander Jim Lovell later recalled that the astronauts used the Speedmaster worn by command module pilot Jack Swigert to time the burn.
In a 2020 Space.com report, Lovell described the maneuver as a 14-second burn. He said the crew used Earth as a visual guide, then used Swigert’s watch to time when to fire and shut off the engine. This is Lovell’s recollection, as reported by Space.com—not a quotation from a NASA mission report.
Why Omega received the Silver Snoopy Award
Omega says NASA astronauts gave the company the Silver Snoopy Award in 1970 in recognition of its contributions to space exploration, including the Speedmaster’s role in Apollo 13. Space.com reports that astronaut Thomas Stafford presented the award to Omega on October 5, 1970.
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- Model 304.33.44.52.03.001
The award’s Snoopy connection comes from NASA’s use of the cartoon beagle as a symbol of flight safety and mission success. Omega’s product page quotes Stafford recalling that he carried two Omega watches in space: one for mission elapsed time and one for Houston time.
How the 50th-anniversary watch commemorates the story
Announced by Swatch Group on October 12, 2020, the Speedmaster “Silver Snoopy Award” 50th Anniversary translates the Apollo 13 history and the later award into specific design details. Its official reference is 310.32.42.50.02.001.
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- 40mm stainless steel case
- 8 inch black strap
- White dial
- Acrylic lens
- Water resistant up to 50 meters
- Snoopy at 9 o’clock: A Snoopy medallion on the dial recalls the Silver Snoopy Award.
- Apollo 13 on the strap: The blue nylon strap’s lining is embossed with the mission’s trajectory.
- An animated caseback: When the chronograph is activated, Snoopy travels around the far side of the Moon in the caseback animation.
- Speedmaster construction: The 42 mm stainless-steel case has a silver Ag925-engraved dial, a blue ceramic bezel and a manually wound Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861.
Swatch Group described the model as non-limited production and said it carried a five-year warranty at launch. Those are launch-era details, not confirmation of current availability, pricing or warranty terms.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The key distinction: award first, tribute later
The Silver Snoopy Award was presented in 1970, after Apollo 13. The Snoopy Speedmaster is a later commemorative watch: the 2020 model marked the award’s 50th anniversary and memorialized the mission history that helped prompt it. Snoopy did not fly on Apollo 13; his image on the watch honors the award and the story behind it.
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- Model 310.32.42.50.01.001
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