Manufacturer: Omega Year: 1988 Reference No: ST345.0809 Movement No: 48’223’638 Model Name: Speedmaster “Speedymoon” Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 866, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Omega bracelet, endlinks stamped 809, max length 180mm Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Omega deployant clasp stamped "1450" Dimensions: 42mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, bracelet and clasp signed Accessories: Further delivered with Omega Extract from the Archives confirming its subsequent date of production on 14th January 1988 and its delivery to Taiwan.
Catalogue Essay
With the successful ascent to the moon in 1969, the Omega Speedmaster became an instant icon. In 1985, Omega launched an iteration of the famed Speedmaster reference featuring a moonphase for the first time earning its nickname, “Speedymoon”. It is believed that only approximately 1,300 examples were ever produced by Omega since its initial launch in 1985 and it is further fitted with the newly upgraded cal. 866.
The present example of an Omega “Speedymoon” featuring an excellently preserved dial with an unpolished case, is a wonderful specimen of a rare variant of the famed Speedmaster. In production for a short period of time, the reference is rare and highly sought after by collectors of Omega wristwatches.
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.