Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1971 Reference No: ST 145.022-69 Movement No: 32’198’233 Model Name: Speedmaster Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet endlinks stamped 516, max length 190mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped 1039 & 4,71 Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Dial, case, movement bracelet and clasp Accessories: Further accompanied by Omega fitted presentation box, extra link and original hands. Further delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its subsequent date of production on 5th October 1971 and its delivery to France
Catalogue Essay
The first “post-moon” Speedmaster reference was the 145.022-69 ST. With commemoration to its successful landing on the moon, the Speedmaster -69 featured an engraved caseback mentioning “The First Watch Worn on the Moon”, however two examples were featured. The first example witnessed a caseback mentioning “Flight-Qualified” and the second version mentions “Apollo XI 1969”.
Featuring “straight writing” for the first time, the reference 145.022-69 ST bears movement numbers ranging from 31 – 32.8 million. The present example bears the correct serial from the correct period of time with “straight writing” and a “Flight-Qualified” caseback inscription.
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.