– ref ST 345.0809 with a modified moon phase Calibre 861 renumbered calibre 866Īnd the subject of this study, “the Holy Grail”,- the production year 1987-1988, unnumbered series approx 1800 watches in steel – the first Moonwatch case Speedmaster with self-winding, chronograph movement with days and dates The so-called “Speedy-Moon” – production year 1985-1988, unnumbered series 1300 watches – the first Moonwatch cased Speedmaster with a moon phase Calibre 863 unique copper-coloured movement. The 20-year flight-qualified for space first generation 1985 – 1988 numbered series of a thousand watches – The first Moonwatch case watch with a transparent crystal display back In the mid-80s Omega took the radical step of introducing a number of limited edition Speedmaster watches:
Up to 1987 all Moonwatch cased Speedmaster watches were manual wind, and mechanical analogue timepieces and Swiss watches in general were being pressured by the more technologically advanced and significantly cheaper Japanese competition. The fact that is was certified as “flight qualified by Nasa for all manned space missions and that this was ”the first watch worn on the Moon, Apollo XI 1969” secured its position in history. Omega is arguably the most storied watch brand in the world, and within the brand the Speedmaster is the most ‘legendary’ model of all. It is gratifying to see that collectors are now appreciating the qualities of this very rare watch. The latest price being £24,750 for a watch on a nato strap at a Christies auction in Hong Kong. Since the publication of this site the price of the watch has increased by over 50%.
What the author has tried to do in establishing the true heritage of this watch, is to sift through many many hundreds of documents, archives, explanations, descriptions, commentaries, images, movement numbers and actual watches to come to what is effectively a consensus and thus this study should never be used dogmatically. It needs to be appreciated that the study of vintage watches is always the study of probability as today’s accurate production methods were not those used 30 years ago.Īdditionally, prior to the advent of the computers, record keeping was subject to its own idiosyncrasies and variabilities. The watch has been commonly seen with the following components – This guide is an attempt to navigate through the myriad of service parts, fakes, redials and inappropriate replacement parts, with which this iconic watch is beset. 376.0822 nicknamed The Holy Grail by the venerable Chuck Maddox.ĭespite the limited production run of allegedly 2000 watches (200 on straps) over a two year period, a significant proportion of the watches in circulation today vary considerably from the original. The purpose of the website is to assist the avid collector in finding, what the author will argue, is the “correct” original first Speedmaster to be produced with an automatic movement in a Moonwatch case.