Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1970 Reference No: ST 145.022-69 Movement No: 28’428’506 Model Name: Speedmaster Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet endlinks stamped 516, max length 185mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped 1039 Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Dial, case, movement, bracelet and clasp Accessories: Further accompanied by Omega International Guarantee dated 6th April 1970 and further delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its date of production in 4th February 1970 and its subsequent sale to Australia
Catalogue Essay
Considered as the last pre-moon model, the ref. 145.022-69 was the last Speedmaster to be designed before the first moon landing in July 1969. However, the model was only introduced after the landing in December 1969.
Early examples of the reference bear the seahorse logo engraved on the caseback with later versions engraved with reference of the moon landing. The reference was also the first to implement the new printed Omega logo on the dial in white transitioning from the previous applied logo on the dial.
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.