Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1970 Reference No: 145.022-69ST Movement No: 29’117’240 Case No: 29’117’240 Model Name: Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle Dimensions: 42mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Delivered with an Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its date of manufacture of the present timepiece on 3rd April 1970 and its subsequent delivery to Mexico.
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 tropical richness, the dial have aged into an incredibly attractive chocolate brown hue with cream coloured luminous patina. Offered in excellent condition and further delivered with an Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its production in 1970, the present Pre-Moon Speedmaster with charming good looks paired with a matching brown strap certainly captures the eye of an avid collector of rare vintage timepieces.
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.