Omega - STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them New York Wednesday, December 5, 2018 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Omega
    Year: 1967
    Reference No: ST 105.003-65
    Movement No: 24’951’900
    Model Name: Speedmaster, "Ed White"
    Material: Stainless steel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega link bracelet, end links stamped 6
    Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp, reference number 1035, stamped 2.67
    Dimensions: 39.5mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production on July 4th, 1967 and delivered to Mexico.
    Literature: For another example of a reference 105.003-65, please see Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié Moonwatch Only: The Ultimate Omega Speedmaster Guide, pp. 272-273.

  • Catalogue Essay

    The reference 105.003-65 marks a pivotal movement in Omega history, as it was the Speedmaster reference rigorously tested by NASA that would become the timepiece chosen to accompany astronauts to the moon. From that moment forward, the destiny of Omega was fundamentally and profoundly changed, and has since been very closely aligned with space exploration.

    It is nicknamed the "Ed White", as the astronaut Ed White wore a reference 105.003-65 during his historic spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission, becoming the first American to do so. He stayed in space longer than his allotted time, and famously upon his return remarked “I’m coming back in…and it’s the saddest moment of my life.” Tragically, during a testing run for the Apollo 1 space mission, a fire broke out in the cabin and White and his crew were killed. The deaths of White and his fellow astronauts Virgil Grissom and Roger Chaffee led to improvements in the shuttle design and safety features of future Apollo Command Modules, and those changes allowed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to finally walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20th, 1969.

    The historical importance of this reference is matched by this example’s immaculate condition – a completely unpolished case free of much of the wear and tear visible on other models, a bezel with little signs of aging, and a perfect matte black dial with visible steps and all the indicators of the correct reference. Even the bracelet is in perfect condition and likely original to the watch. This "Ed White" Speedmaster will captivate the imaginations of those who grew up watching great men and women risk everything to enter that next frontier: space.

  • 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.

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Ref. ST 105.003-65
A very fine and well-preserved stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with tachymeter bezel and bracelet

1967
39.5mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, and bracelet signed.

Estimate
$10,000 - 15,000 
CHF10,000-15,000
€8,700-13,000
HK$78,400-118,000

Sold for $32,500

Contact Specialist
Paul Boutros
Head of Watches, Americas
+1 212 940 1293
pboutros@phillips.com

STYLED. Timeless Watches & How to Wear Them

New York Auction 5 December 2018