Beschreibung:

FROM AN IMPORTANT JAPANESE COLLECTOR Omega Follow Ref. 145.022 A very fine and rare yellow gold chronograph wristwatch with burgundy bezel, Apollo XI engraved case back and bracelet. Number 163 of a 1014 pieces limited edition 歐米茄，「Speedmaster」型號145.022，精細罕有，限量版18K黃金鏈帶腕錶，配計時功能和酒紅色錶圈，限量發行1014枚，編號第163號，約1969年製。 Circa 1969 42mm diameter Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Manufacturer : Omega Year : Circa 1969 Reference No : 145.022 Movement No : 28'422'261 Case No : Limited edition no. 163 Model Name : Speedmaster Material : 18K yellow gold Calibre : Manual, cal. 861, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap : 18K yellow gold Omega bracelet, maximum length 190mm Clasp/Buckle : 18K yellow gold Omega deployant clasp stamped "1116/575" Dimensions : 42mm diameter Signed : Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Accessories : Accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch on February 6, 1970 and delivered to Japan. Catalogue Essay One of the most important moments in the history of Omega - and of mankind at large - was when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon in 1969, with an Omega Speedmaster on their wrist. The return in publicity for Omega, who had been selected in 1965 as NASA supplier, was simply enormous. To commemorate the occasion, a series of 1014 gold speedmaster with engraved case back was issued. Number one and number two were offered to the President and Vice President of the United States (who however could not accept due to compliance reasons. These watches are now at the Omega museum). Numbers 3 to 32 (and also, later, number 1001 to 1014) were given to astronauts and various personalities and feature a special nominal case back engraving. The remaining pieces (nos 33 - 1000) were publicly sold. This present watch is an example of this historical line of celebrative timepieces. As a matter of fact, the series features an evolution of case and dial. Three variation of the case back are recognized: early examples (circa the first 100 pieces) feature a thin unpainted engraving, then comes a thick unpainted engraving (exemplified by the present watch) and finally we have the burgundy-painted engraving. Dial-wise, instead, one can identify early dials most easily distinguishable by the O in "Omega" having an oval design, and later dials with round O. The present piece is one of the earliest representative - being number 163 - of the second series of both case and dial. Its superlative condition make it an extremely rare find, and a trophy piece for the collector of rare and unusual Omega wristwatches. Read More Maker Bio Omega Swiss • 1848 Follow 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. View More Works