Omega - The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIV Hong Kong Friday, May 27, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1968
    Reference No: ST105.003-65
    Movement No: 26'551'314
    Model Name: Speedmaster
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet stamped "6" to the endlinks, max length 175mm
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped "1035" and "3 67"
    Dimensions: 38.2mm diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present timepiece with silvered light grey dial with luminous indexes and its subsequent sale on 10th October 1968, and its delivery to Switzerland.
    Literature: A similar example is illustrated in the book Moonwatch Only, 60 years of Omega Speedmaster, by Grégoire Rossier & Anthony Marquie, pp. 492-493.

  • Catalogue Essay

    As even the most novel of collectors knows, the usual dial color of vintage steel Speedmaster references is black. While this is a widely correct statement, there are in fact extremely few and highly sought-after exceptions to this rule: the famed colored dials, represented here by this exceptional grey dial Speedmaster ref. 105.003.

    While these dials are without a doubt Omega creations, and were mounted in watches that were subsequently put on the market, their genesis is still shrouded in mystery. Scholars have put forward two options: either they were made following a special request, or they were prototypes which did not make it into mass production but were eventually used rather than being discarded. Whatever their origin, they are now considered by Speedmaster collectors “endgame” pieces.

    The present example, confirmed as being born with silvered light grey (dial) with luminous indexes by the manufacturer, arrives to us in extremely appealing condition and, incredibly, with the original bezel graduated to 15 pulsations.

    It is worth noting that the market has seen grey and blue Speedmaster dials in different configurations: with or without the Ts next to the “Swiss Made” designation, with short indexes or long indexes cutting through the fifth of a second divisions, and finally, with or without the “Professional” designation. The present configuration is exactly as the one described and illustrated in Moonwatch Only, 60 years of Omega Speedmaster, page 493: with larger minutes scale, main indexes and the two luminous dots at 12 o’ clock hardly touch the edge of the central dial, the “ Swiss Made” inscription is pushed down to the very end of the dial making it hard to see and without the “Professional” designation. An outstandingly rare and attractive gem, the likes of which may need many years to reappear on the market, this highly unusual Speedmaster perfectly exemplifies what keeps collectors coming back to this wonderful and iconic chronograph.

  • 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.

    View More Works

1040

Ref. ST105.003-65
A fine, very rare and extremely attractive stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with grey dial, pulsometer scale and bracelet

1968
38.2mm diameter
Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed

Estimate
HK$235,000 - 390,000 
€29,900-49,700
$30,100-50,000

Sold for HK$296,100

Contact Specialist

Thomas Perazzi
Head of Watches, Asia 
+852 2318 2001
WatchesHK@phillips.com

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: XIV

Hong Kong Auction 27 - 28 May 2022