1997
“THE GOLDEN PANDA” 1997
40th ANNIVERSARY 1998
X-33
Forty of these Speedmasters were created for the
Japanese market. Thanks to the silvery-white dial and
black minute scale and subdials, the watch closely
resembled the face of a panda, which gave it its memo-
rable nickname. Combined with a yellow gold case,
it has become a popular collector’s item. To celebrate 40 years of the Speedmaster, Omega
released this model in 1997 featuring a cream dial
and front glass made from sapphire crystal – which
was unusual for the time. Limited to 500 pieces and
exclusive to Italy, it was also one of the first models
with hands and a dial coated in LumiNova. Known as the Mars Watch, the X-33 was designed for
the possibility of man landing on the red planet. It
took five years of collaborative development between
Omega and the world’s major space agencies, as well
as