48
Omega
Ref. ST 145.022
Speedmaster Professional “Racing Dial”
An attractive and rare stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with black “racing” dial, luminous indexes, tachometer bezel, and bracelet.
Full-Cataloguing
This particular reference 145.022, features “lyra” style twisted lugs with an asymmetric case incorporating crown guards and a tachometer scale on the bezel. Housed inside the case is Omega’s caliber 861, a robust, highly regarded manually wound chronograph movement.
What makes this lot exceptional is its highly coveted, matte black “racing” dial with beautiful red and bright orange accents. Scholarship suggests that the “racing” dials were made as prototypes and only in exceptional cases were mounted on watches and sold via their retailers, in this instance, Japan. Three orange chronograph hands perfectly complement the orange-colored markers and Omega symbol at 12 o’clock. The present lot’s rarity, well-preserved condition, and vibrant aesthetic make this one of the most exciting examples of all Speedmasters – worthy of a prominent place in any collection of rare sports watches.
Omega
Swiss | 1848Omega'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.