Omega Speedmaster 105.003-65 Ed White

WRIST ICONS is proud to present you the Omega Speedmaster 105.003-ST65 also nick-named the Ed white!

There are many different Speedmasters, but why is this specific reference so popular by collectors? That is because it is the last straight lug Speedmaster without crown guards. It has the famous 321 caliber and non-professional step dial with the applied logo. An thereby this watch has some real serious space pedigree. It was the watch been worn by the famous astronaut Ed White during the first space walk by a human being ever done into space. This reference was made for a short period of time before the twisted or lyre lugged 145.012 reference that was chosen by NASA to accompany White's colleagues to the moon.

This particular watch has the original DON (dot over ninety) bezel as well as a beautiful and sought after 1039 flat link bracelet. This watch has been bought by a serious Speedmaster collector from the son of the first owner and comes with an Extract of the Archive dating this watch to May 6, 1966 delivered to the Netherlands.

History of the Moonwatch

Now a bit on the history of the Moonwatch. Since its launch more than half a century ago, the OMEGA Speedmaster has been the classic chronograph, known for its robust reliability and timeless design. And since the 21st of July 1969, when it was first worn on the lunar surface, it has been popularly known as the Moonwatch. This watch was first chosen by astronauts themselves to measure time in space. Three years before the Speedmaster's official qualification for space flight, astronaut Walter “Wally ”Schirra and Lery Gordon “Gordo” Cooper privately purchased their very first chronographs, the second generation Speedmaster with the reference CK2298. Wally Shirra took his personal CK 2998 aboard Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) on October 3, 1962 during the Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) mission.

At the beginning of the Gemini program in 1964 and on astronauts once again asked the Flight Crew Operations Director, Deke Slayton to provide a watch during training and flight. In October 1964 James Ragan, a NASA engineer, sent out a Request of Quotations Letter to different watch manufacturers. Of the brands contacted, only four reacted. James Ragan purchased three of the four chronographs that met the requirements. After a lot of severe test (high/low temperatures, G-force tests up to 40G, highly corrosive 100% oxygen environment, 130 decibels etc.) from different kind of manual wound chronographs, the Omega Speedmaster had finally been chosen in 1965 to become the official NASA astronaut watch.

Gus Grissom and John Young wore the first officially qualified Speedmasters on Gemini 3 on March 23, 1965. Several months later, Ed White made the first American space walk during Gemini 4 with a Speedmaster 105.003 strapped to the outside of the left-side sleeve of his G4C space suit. In 1966, Speedmaster reference 105.012 was updated to reference 145.012. These two models would be the two Speedmaster references known to have been worn on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, the original "Moon watches."[¹] Speedmasters were used throughout the early manned Apollo program, and reached the Moon with Apollo 11. Ironically, these and prior models are informally known as "pre-Moon" Speedmasters, since their manufacture predate the Moon landings and lack the inscription subsequent models carry: "The First Watch Worn on the Moon".

Although Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong was first to set foot on the Moon, he left his 105.012 Speedmaster inside the lunar module as a backup, because the LM's electronic timer had malfunctioned.[²] Buzz Aldrin elected to wear his and so his Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the Moon. Later, he wrote of his decision:

It was optional to wear while we were walking on the surface of the Moon ... few things are less necessary when walking around on the Moon than knowing what time it is in Houston, Texas. Nonetheless, being a watch guy, I decided to strap the Speedmaster onto my right wrist around the outside of my bulky spacesuit.[²]

• "Apollo Lunar Surface Journal: Omega Speedmaster Professional Chronographs". NASA. Retrieved2011-02-09
• Aldrin, Buzz (1973). Return To Earth. Random House. ISBN 978-0-394-48832-5.

This particular Omega Speedmaster 2998-1 has just undergone a full service. This work was carried out by our watchmaker using original parts. They also place a new original Omega plexi-glass with the Omega symbol in the center.

As with all of our pre-owned watches this watch comes with a full 12 month WRIST ICONS warranty that will be invoked from the day of purchase. Further: everything is cleaned before sending the items.

The below information is based on the reference book Moonwatch Only from Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié.

• Reference: 105.003-65
• Serial no: 22.829.5**
• Caliber: 321, A3– 2ndt generation, fully serviced by Omega service center watchmaker
• Caseband : Type A1 Symmetrical case, Straighgt lugs, made by HF Huguenin Freres. Case band looks polished, but in excellent condition has some tiny marks on it
• Dial: A7– tall markers-close T, Professional inscription absent, stepped dial, Applied Metal Logo, , Tritium indices with a very consistent lume. Dial is original, lume is original, faded on some hour markers
• Bezel: B1 Dot over Ninety (DON) or Dot Diageional 70. Bezel is in excellent used condition. It has a scratches on it, but overall in great condition as shown on the pictures.
• Hands: C1 – baton, drop, Original baton hands and spear chrono hand. Drop end There is tritium missing on the hands. There is also some corrosion on the hands.
• Caseback: A3 Speedmaster in center-double bevel. 105.003-65 inscription on the inside. Excellent condition
• Crown: Original, B2 32teeth, wide Omega angular
• Pushers: Type 2 medium Original pushers.
• Hesalite: Original with Omega logo etched.
• Bracelet: later original 1039 with after market ’6’ endlinks (date stamped).With all bits and in excellent condition.