On June 3rd, 1965, Ed White was the first NASA astronaut to perform a spacewalk. White, who died during the horrible accident with Apollo 1 on January 27th, 1967, performed his EVA (extravehicular activity) wearing the famous Speedmaster 105.003. Therefore, we decided to come up with a new Fratello × REM Speedmaster strap available in a 19mm width. But don’t stop reading now if you have a 42mm Moonwatch because a 20mm version will also be available.
Ed White, wearing two Speedmaster 105.003 watches during his spacewalk on June 3rd, 1965
The Ed White Speedmaster
The Omega Speedmaster 105.003 is often called “Ed White” by collectors and enthusiasts since this watch was worn during his spacewalk. The first three Speedmaster generations (CK2915, CK2998, and 105.003) had a 19mm lug spacing, and this only increased by one millimeter when the 42mm case was introduced with reference 105.012.
NASA spacesuit
On the latest Fratello × REM Speedmaster strap, you will find the famous picture of Ed White astronaut in his NASA spacesuit. If you’re interested, you can find a ton of information online on the development of spacesuits. They changed over the years, but White’s spacesuit was a type G4C developed by the David Clark Company. This type of spacesuit was suitable for both IVA (intravehicular activity) and EVA. After the accident with Apollo 1, the spacesuits were changed drastically, making them fireproof.
The gold line on the strap is similar to the cord connecting Ed White to the spacecraft during his EVA. Inside this gold-wrapped cord was a 25′ umbilical line and a 23′ tether line. This cord, engraved on the black Fratello × REM Spacewalk strap, has been handpainted in gold. On the short side of the strap is the “Spacewalk June 3 1965” engraving painted in white. The black strap has matching black stitching and looks good on any Moonwatch.
Available in 20mm and 19mm sizes
This is our first Fratello × REM Speedmaster strap collaboration available in a 19mm width, and we wanted to make it suitable for your vintage Speedmaster Ed White, the new Calibre 321 in steel, or one of the First Omega in Space/CK2998 editions. The 20mm version will look excellent on the 42mm Moonwatch with a black and white dial!
This 2.5mm-thick strap measures 127mm on the long end and 74mm on the short one. The 20mm version tapers to 18mm wide at the steel pin buckle, while the 19mm strap tapers to 16mm wide. The Fratello × REM Spacewalk strap also comes with a buckle that, as always, bears an engraved Fratello signature.
Generally, we can only source limited quantities of our Fratello × REM straps. That includes this new Spacewalk model for May 2024. However, rest assured that we will keep restocking during the year. Click here for an overview of all of them and their availability.
The Spacewalk strap is available now
REM Straps only uses organic Swedish leather. The entire production process also takes place in Sweden, including the stitching and laser engraving. This strap is available in our shop today for €107 (excluding VAT), so make sure to select the correct size for your Speedmaster.
In addition, Fratello is offering free shipping for purchases over €150, so don’t miss out on our #SpeedyTuesday caps.
You can order the May 2024 Fratello x REM strap here.
