Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1967 Reference No: ST105.003-65 Movement No: 24’952’609 Model Name: Speedmaster "Ed White" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 321, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega pin buckle Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by Omega Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch and its subsequent sale on July 7, 1967 in the UK
Catalogue Essay
Produced between 1964 and 1969, the reference 105.003 is the last Speedmaster model to feature a straight-lug case. The concurrent reference 105.012 (1964 - 1968) introduced the “lyre-style” lug which would become the sole standard for many years. Both references are descendants of reference 105.002, with reference 105.003 being a more “direct” continuation of the line, while ref. 105.012’s new case shape was meant to be a sturdier version of the model (hence the designation “Professional” which indeed appears for the first time on ref. 105.012).
The importance of reference 105.003 in the history of Omega is paramount as it was the first model to be officially selected by NASA for its crews. The model was submitted to testing in 1965 and it was finally selected as the official timepiece to be used during the Gemini missions. Its nickname “Ed White” comes in fact from the first astronaut to do a spacewalk; other cosmonauts who wore this reference during missions are: Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, John Young, “Gordo” Cooper, Eugene Cernan and Tom Stafford.
Considering the fact that it is the last representative of the "straight lugs" case design and also the first NASA-approved Speedmaster, the importance of this reference in the history of the company cannot be understated and it is to be considered a staple of any serious Speedmaster collection.
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.