Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1970 Reference No: 145.022-69 Movement No: 30'582'035 Model Name: Speedmaster Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega expandable bracelet stamped "516" to the endlinks, max length 200mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped "1039" Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Guarantee booklet dated November 8, 1970 and stamped by Virgin Islands retailer "Little Switzerland", instruction booklet, original numbered sale tag, two additional bracelet links, box and outer packaging. Furthermore delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present piece and its subsequent sale in the Virgin Islands on August 26, 1970.
Catalogue Essay
The Omega Speedmaster reference 145.022-69ST is the last “Pre-Moon” iteration conceived before the lunar landing in July 1969 and was made available to the market the following December. The model was the first Speedmaster to get a new dial which bears the painted Omega logo and the update of shortened luminous markers.
The present example is an early specimen of the reference identified by a caseback that does not feature “The First Watch Worn on the Moon” engraving.
Blessed with outstanding condition and further delivered with an Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its delivery on August 26, 1970 to the Virgin Islands, the present Pre-Moon Speedmaster furthermore features a Pulsometer dial.
Omega is known to have fitted a number of different scales on Speedmaster models: from the most often seen tachymeter scale to pulsometer and centesimal scales. Of course, the latter “exotic” indications are extremely difficult to find - most likely they were mounted on the watch under specific request of the client. Merging the historical and collectible side of watchmaking with modern looks and incredible wearability this watch represents an equally irresistible opportunity for the navigated connoisseur as well as the novice enthusiast.
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.
