8069
Omega
Ref. 105.012-66CB
Speedmaster Professional
An attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- The ref. 105.012 is the successor of the ref. 105.003. There are different versions of the ref 105.012, and the present watch with the marking CB suggests it is a rare version with an asymmetrical caseband manufactured by La Centrale Boîtes, while most cases were made by Huguenin Frères. It is recognizable from its lyre shaped lugs with a wide oblique surface and curved sides, and the CB case has a flat upper surface bordered by a small ledge. CB only manufactured the ref. 105.012-66CB in particular so this watch is a well sought after watch.
- The present watch has a dial with a step between the flat central zone and beveled flange, with slightly yellowish patina on the long tritium markers through the minute scale. It ages beautifully together with the chronograph hand, showing a light orange patina.
- The stainless steel case houses the legendary calibre 321. Only an estimated number of 80,000 to 85,000 watches made were fitted with the movement.
- The watch has a nice single bevel caseback, with the hippocampus still clearly visible. The moonwatch is paired with the original 1506/16 stainless steel bracelet, marked with the date indication 3/66. This batch of bracelet has a projecting Omega logo for easy opening of the clasp, which the design was replace with a flat logo in later bracelet models. This well-preserved moonwatch with matching components and original bracelet is surely a rare find and lovable item by the Omega community.
Omega
Swiss | 1848Omega's rich history begins with its founder, Louis Brandt, who established the firm in 1848 in La Chaux de Fonds. In 1903, the company changed its name to Omega, becoming the only watch brand in history to have been named after one its own movements. A full-fledged manufacturer of highly accurate, affordable and reliable watches, its sterling reputation enabled them to be chosen as the first watch company to time the Olympic Games beginning in 1932. Its continued focus on precision and reliability ultimately led their Speedmaster chronograph wristwatch to be chosen by NASA in 1965 — the first watch worn on the moon.
Key models sought-after by collectors include their first, oversized water-resistant chronograph — the reference 2077, early Speedmaster models such as the CK 2915 and 2998, military-issued versions of the Seamaster and oversized chronometer models such as those fitted with their prestigious caliber 30T2Rg.