Omega
Speedmaster Chronograph Stainless Steel 145.022 ST 74

Our Opinion

We are delighted in offering this stunning Omega Speedmaster Stainless Steel Reference 145.022 full set from the 1970’s.

The Omega Speedmaster is without question one of the most iconic watches of all time and is a staple piece in many a great watch collection.

Launched in 1957, the ‘Speedy’ was designed as a motorsport chronograph, however, its credibility and popularity was catapulted into the stratosphere (and beyond) when it beat other brands including Rolex and Longines to be chosen by NASA as the astronauts watch for the space exploration programs in the late 1960s.

The 145.022 series was released in 1968, and this stunning stainless-steel example hails from the 1970s. On the screw-down caseback, Omega proudly displays the ‘Flight-qualified by NASA’ inscription which accompanies the famous Hippocampus logo. There is evidence of some slight polishing to this caseback whilst the rest of the watch show’s virtually no signs of wear despite its four decades of ownership.

The distinctive black aluminium tachymeter bezel is pristine, sporting an accent on the ‘È’ and is a ‘Dot next to 90’ edition. Through the Hesalite crystal, the jet-black dial with stepped sub-dials and white print inscriptions is also in excellent order. The tritium hour markers and pencil-shaped hands are immaculate and offer excellent legibility.

Powering this Omega is the hand wound 861 calibre designed by Albert Piquet and produced by movement maker Lemania. The 861 replaced the original 321 movement and brought with it a greater level of accuracy due in part to the increase from a 2.5Hz to a 3Hz movement. Another noticeable change was to introduce a shuttle cam for the chronograph operation replacing the more expensive vertical column wheel system.

At 42mm the case has wonderful proportions and will be comfortable for most wrist sizes. The shape was cleverly modified from the original case to enable a degree of protection around the crown and chronograph pushers making every day wear uncompromised.

This watch comes on its correct stainless-steel bracelet reference 1171/633 and shows minimal wear and has no scratches or marks, it also comes as a full set with its original Omega inner and outer boxes, booklet wallet, owner’s manual, and open guarantee/warranty booklet. (We have also requested from Omega an Extract From The Archives).