| Brand: | Omega |
| Model: | Speedmaster Professional |
| Reference: | 145.022-69 |
| Gender: | male/uni-sex |
| Year: | 1970 |
| Material: | stainless steel |
| Dial Color: | black/brown |
| Dimensions: | 41 mm |
| Watch Movement: | manual |
| Bracelet/Strap: | steel |
| Box/Paper: | Handmade Leather Travel Pouch |
| Condition: | Excellent |
Omega Speedmaster 145.022-69 pre-moon tropical Extract of the Archive 1970
This is a rare opportunity to purchase an Omega Speedmaster Professional pre-moon with a tropical chocolate brown colored step dial.
The Omega Speedmaster pre-moon differs from the post moon-landing references in having a seahorse (in Latin Hippocampus) case-back. After the moon-landing this reference got another caseback which celebrated the success of being the first watch worn on the moon. That watch is named straight writing by the collectors of Omega watches since the script is writing in straight capital fonts in contrast to the following post-moon Speedmasters, where the script is written in an arc around the central seahorse or Hippocampus medallion.
The 145.022-69 pre-moon was produced from 1969 until 1971. The movement numbers are from 28.420xxxx-31.629xxxx. Of which, serials 2911 xxxx and 2960 xxxx bear dials that are known to develop a very consistent patina. The first watches were actually delivered in December 1969, months after then Moon landing!
And further the reference 145.022-69 typically has a stepped dial and the twisted lug cases with black BASE 500, DON bezel.
This iconic watch has been delivered to Spain and was produced in May 21, 1970. The serial number of the movement is 29.604.5*** This movement number is also stated on the Extract of the Archive
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. n 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."[13] 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.[19] Buzz Aldrin elected to wear his and so his Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the Moon.
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.