8094
Omega
Ref. ST 145.022
Speedmaster Professional "Straight Writing"
A rare and well-preserved stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale and bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Post-Moon Speedmaster
- Rare “Straight Writing” model without hippocampus medallion
- Updated cal. 861 movement replacing the cal. 321 movement
- The Omega Speedmaster could be regarded as one of the most recognizable chronograph watches. Ever since the Speedmaster has been worn on the Moon, the series has been called the Moonwatch and earned an unparalleled status in the horological history. Speedmasters since the early 1970s are often referred to Post-Moon watches, with many having their caseback engraved with phrases commemorating the achievement.
- The present watch belongs to the Post-Moon period, with the commemorative script “The first watch worn on the Moon” on the caseback. Unlike succeeding models, this period of Speedmaster is referred to as “Straight Writing” by the collecting community as the script, as implied, is laid out straight instead of arranging in an arc around the hippocampus medallion. Straight Writing Speedmasters are rare as they were only produced approximately from 1971 to 1974. The present watch with serial number 32'217'630 belongs to an identified batch of 30,000 chronographs in this serial range, in which the movements were used also in Omega Seamasters and Speedmaster ST 145.014 models.
- Straight Writing Speedmasters started production in 1971, but it is not uncommon to see them cased in cases with the “69” suffix. The caseband is like previous models from 1964 like the ref. 105.012-63, asymmetrical with twisted lugs, paired with a period matching bezel with the dot close to 70 on the tachymeter scale.
- The dial has aged beautifully, with the luminous material on the hour markers showing a nice patina. The stepped dial is paired with baton style hands and a chronograph seconds hand with flat counter weight, a typical feature of Post-Moon Speedmasters.
- The watch operates on the cal. 861, which is an updated movement to replace the cal. 321. It features a flat balance spring and replaced the column wheel with a shutter cam, which improved the consistency for the watch. The present example has a steel brake for the chronograph part instead of a Delrin Brake found in later batches of the movement.
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.