Famed as perhaps one of watchmaking's most universally well-known watches, the Omega Speedmaster became the first timepiece ever to be worn on the moon following Omega's successful bid for the Speedmaster to become NASA's choice timepiece for their standard astronaut kit. After its successful inclusion in the 1965 Gemini program, the Speedmaster also adorned the wrists of the astronauts during the Apollo moon landing missions, and so, in 1969, following Buzz Aldrin's historic steps on the moon (Neil Armstrong left his watch on the lunar module) it became the Moonwatch that we all know and love. After the successful 1969 touchdown on the lunar surface, Omega launched the ref. 145.022-69, that we have here, as a means to commemorate one of the most legendary moments in human history. Limited to just 1014 pieces, the ref. 145.022-69 swaps the Speedmaster's usual stainless steel construction for one of luxurious 18k yellow gold, with a suitably golden dial and brownish-red tachymetre bezel insert. As the legend goes, the first watch was presented to Richard Nixon, but he felt obliged to return it due to the timepiece's value. Individually numbered '998' on its commemorative caseback, this example was one of the last examples to be sold to the public, and so offers a beautiful opportunity to own a piece of authentic watchmaking history that also ties in with perhaps one of humanity's most historic moments.

Watch is in near-mint condition. Dial and bezel are flawless. Even gold tarnish throughout case and bracelet. Original finish can still be seen on the case, especially the brushed edges. A total of 20 links present in the bracelet. There is virtually no stretch. Band is original to the watch, albeit manufactured by a third party under license with Omega. This was done in some markets where local duties made it less than optimal to import the original bracelets (in this case, Mexico).

A piece of genuine historical importance, the Speedmaster helped to conquer one of humanity's last frontiers and hence, the ref. 145.022-69 stands as a wonderful reminder of just how important horology has been in the advancement of humanity, and technology as a whole. We've not seen one as nice as this one ever - it looks just like the 50th anniversary reissue!