Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1988 Reference No: ST 345.0809 Movement No: 48’223’673 Model Name: Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Moon Phase Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 866, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, endlinks stamped “808”, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp, stamped “1450” Dimensions: 42mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Delivered with an Omega Extract from the Archives confirming the present timepiece’s date of production on 11th March 1988 and its subsequent delivery to Hong Kong.
Catalogue Essay
The Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Moon Phase ref. ST 345.0809 was launched in 1985 as the first Speedmaster to be equipped with a date and moon complication. A rare breed, only an estimated 1300 examples were produced before it subsequently ceased in January 1989. Nicknamed the “Speedy Moon”, this model is highly sought-after among Omega collectors, not just because of its clean, classic design with a well-balanced display that legibly shows off all the featured functions, but also for its Lemania based cal. 866. With its soaring popularity and ever growing demand, the present well-preserved example from 1998 offers a rare chance for collectors to acquire this holy grail timepiece.
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.