Overview
The Speedmaster is a watch that needs no introduction, first produced in 1957 and worn by numerous astronauts including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during their lunar surface in 1969. After the Moon landing, Omega updated the case back of the Speedmaster with a new engraving to commemorate being “The first watch worn on the Moon”. The text was initially written in straight lines from 1971 to 1974, and then eventually changed to curved writing centered around a medallion. The straight writing case backs, like the one available here, are highly sought after due to their relative rarity.
Specifications
Brand:
Omega
Model:
Speedmaster
Reference:
145.022-69
Year:
1974
Case Number:
n/a
Case Material:
Stainless steel
Diameter:
42 mm
Lug Width:
20 mm
Thickness:
14.4 mm
Lug-to-Lug:
48.0 mm
Dial:
Black
Lume:
Tritium
Crystal:
Acrylic
Movement:
Hand-wound
Caliber:
Omega 861
Bracelet/Strap:
Omega 1171 stainless steel bracelet with 633 end links
Max Wrist Size:
7.125in (20 links)
Hand model has a wrist size of 6.2 in
Condition
Case: The case shows minimal signs of polishing, if any at all. The lug edges are sharp and the transition between brushed and polished surfaces is crisp. There are normal hairlines throughout and a few scratches here and there, the most notable of which are on the case back. The straight writing engraving on the case back remains deep and legible.
Dial, Hands, & Crystal: The dial itself is in excellent condition with a lovely and uniform shade of tritium with minimal degradation present on the hands. When exposed to UV light, both dial and hands briefly glow the same color and then quickly fade. The crystal is in excellent condition as well with no notable scratches and lots of life left. The etched Omega logo is present at the center.
Bracelet/Strap: The Omega 1171 bracelet, correct for this reference, is in very good condition with practically no stretching and a rather minty clasp.
Performance
Functions: All functions including the time-setting and chronograph start/stop/reset are working as expected. It’s worth noting that the chronograph second hand resets just a hair to the left of 12 and the hour hand at 6 o’ clock resets just to the right of 12.
Service History: Unknown.
