Introduced in 1994 to commemorate the Apollo XI 25th anniversary of the moon landing phenomenon, the coveted Omega Speedmaster moon watch took an unusual orbit with an artisanal approach on the Speedy with the debut of the uber rare skeletonized ref. AT 345.0063 in prestigious platinum attire. The mastery of art was by reputed independent watchmaker, Armin Strom. Strom started out as an independent watchmaker. He set up his first workshop and retail store in 1967 in Burgdorf, Switzerland and soon garnered a reputation for his mastery of the art of hand-skeletonization. Strom even set an unlikely Guinness Book World Record in 1990 for creating the world’s smallest hand-skeletonized watch. Entrusted by Omega, the first skeletonized Speedmaster BA145.0053 was launched in 1992 with a limited edition of 50 pieces in yellow gold paired with leather strap or bracelet.

The present example Omega Speedmaster ref. AT345.0063 numbered 8 is the second ever example to be offered by PHILLIPS. The first example ever auctioned numbered 9 achieved an important result at the Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIII in November 2021 (lot 832) making this rare and desirable reference one of the most important Speedmasters. To complete the picturesque example, the present lot is also complete with its original warranty and its numbered certificate of authenticity. A truly once in a blue moon delight for connoisseurs of the great Speedmaster.