For many enthusiasts and scholars, the reference 105.012 is a milestone variant of the legendary Speedmaster, and one that is both historically important and especially rare. It was the first model to bear the word “Professional” on the dial. Found at 12 o’clock, the designation marked the introduction of crown guards to protect both the crown and the chronograph pushers - still found on the cases of Speedmasters made today. Reference 105.012 is the reference that has most been used by NASA’s astronauts during their space missions from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Most notably, two Speedmaster reference 105.012s were worn on the wrists of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969.
Produced in 1968 and delivered in Switzerland, the present watch is fitted with a rarely seen bezel with telemeter scale calibrated in kilometers. Using the chronograph to measure elapsed time, the telemeter scale permits instant calculation of the distance between an observer and a distant event that can be both seen and heard, such as lightning, based on the speed of sound. The dial has beautifully aged, with the luminous indexes having turned to a rich and warm beige color. The present watch is illustrated in the “Moonwatch Only-The Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Guide”, and is accompanied with a limited and signed edition of the tome.