Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1967 Reference No: ST105.003-65 Movement No: 25’446’355 Model Name: Speedmaster, “Ed White” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Further delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its date of production on 21st November 1967 and its subsequent sale to Venezuela.
Catalogue Essay
With an exemplified vintage appeal and historical importance, the present example with an attractive “tropical” dial marks a valuable specimen of the history of Omega and NASA. Presented in attractive condition, the present watch is a fantastic opportunity for the lovers of space and horology to acquire a beautiful piece of history.
Fitted with a telemetre bezel insert graduated with kilometers, it allows one to measure the speed of sound between the observer and an event from a distance that can be heard and witnessed. Moreover, it was initially used by the military to calculate the distance of enemy artillery by activating the chronographic hand when the “Bang” is heard and witnessed. With most examples of Speedmaster wristwatches fitted with the standard tachymeter scale, one with a telemeter scale is most certainly rare.
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.