In the mid-1960s, the Omega Speedmaster was secretly tested by NASA along with chronographs from Rolex, Bulova, Zenith, and others for qualification for manned space flight and extra-vehicular activity (EVA). EVAs encompassed space walks and the eventual goal of a Moon walk. After a battery of grueling tests involving heat, humidity, freezing, and centrifugal and centripetal forces, only the Speedmaster was still functioning as intended. Only after passing these tests was it certified as "Flight Qualified" for all manned space missions and EVAs. When Omega got wind of this around 1966, they added the text "Professional" to the Speedmaster's dial.
The Speedmaster Professional remains one of my favorite watches.
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