Omega - Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR Geneva Friday, November 11, 2016 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1965
    Reference No: 105.003-63
    Movement No: 20'526'265
    Model Name: Speedmaster
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, reference 7912, end links stamped 6, max length 200mm.
    Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp stamped 1.65
    Dimensions: 40mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by the original fitted presentation box with outer packaging, 2 hang tags, the Omega guarantee confirming date of the sale on December 30th 1965 in Thule Base Exchange, product literature and an Extract from the Omega Archives confirming the production of this watch on January 4th 1965 and its subsequent delivery to the US Army
    Provenance: Moonwatch Only collection
    Literature: This watch is illustrated on Moonwatch only by Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié pages 270-271

  • Provenance

    Moonwatch Only collection

  • Catalogue Essay

    The Speedmaster reference 105.003 represents a major milestone in Omega’s distinguished history. In autumn 1964, two examples of reference 105.003-63 were sent to NASA (National Aeronautic Space Administration) to undergo a series of tests to determine whether or not they were suitable for use in space missions. These Speedmasters successfully met all requirements, and NASA chose them as the official watch for the astronauts of the Gemini programs to wear in space.
    The present watch had a different, yet highly interesting fate. It was delivered in January 1965 to the Thule Air Base in Greenland, the northernmost base of the U.S. Air Force. Discovered in the USA a few years ago, the watch was part of the renowned "Moonwatch Only" collection until today. Preserved in excellent, all original condition, it’s fitted with a rare transitional dial, known as the "asymmetric T". Beginning in April 1964, Swiss law mandated manufacturers to indicate the presence of radioactive luminous material on dials. Soon afterwards, OMEGA painted capital ‘T’ letters – the designation for radioactive tritium - on either side of the SWISS MADE on existing dials in order to comply with the law. Applied by hand after the dial was originally printed, each ‘T’ is positioned asymmetrically. This watch is offered today with an absolutely complete set of accessories present when it was originally sold; the red Sea Horse box, the Omega hang tag, the Thule Base Exchange hangtag with the original price indicated, the Omega guarantee and the original product literature. Adding to its desirability, the present watch is prominently illustrated in the "Moonwatch Only-The Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Guide" as well as "The Ultimate Speedmaster Exhibition" book. A limited, signed edition of the Moonwatch Only book is offered with this watch.

  • Artist Biography

    Omega

    Swiss • 1848

    Omega'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.

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Ref. 105.003-63
A very attractive and historically important stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter scale, bracelet, box, papers and hang tag

1965
40mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed

Estimate
CHF20,000 - 30,000 
€18,400-27,500
$20,600-30,900

Sold for CHF25,000

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
+41 22 317 81 89

Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR

Geneva Auctions 12 – 13 November 2016