Vintage Omega Speedmaster Professional

Vintage Watch Condition Examination

This Speedmaster is in excellent vintage condition. The case is strong with some wear and scratches; it appears to have been polished, but the edges remain sharp. The caseback has some scratches and the double stepped edge is still clearly visible as well as the hippocampus logo and text. The bezel is in great condition with some wear and light scratches. The edge has some light nicks. The watch has retained its correct 24-tooth crown.  The dial is in great condition with some light patina; it has some marks in the center under the hands that can be hard to notice. The dial has a couple small dark black spots that can be hard to notice; one is in the center and one is near two o’clock. The lume on the dial has all aged to an even and attractive custard yellow color. Some of the lume plots on the dial show a bit of degradation. The hands have developed patina and some of the white paint is worn. The lume in the hands has developed patina and has a small spot of lume repair in the center of the hour hand. The hours hand also has a small spot of lume missing towards the base. The lume in the minutes hand has darkened a bit and the lume in the seconds hand has aged to a pale yellow. The crystal is a later Omega signed replacement and shows a bit of wear.

Omega Speedmaster Professional Black Dial

Neil Armstrong famously wore an Omega Speedmaster 105.012-65 during the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, making it one of the most important chronographs in watch-making history. This is one reason why collectors gravitate towards this specific reference. In addition to holding the coveted title of the first watch on the Moon, ref. 105.012 was also the first Speedmaster to display the "Professional" moniker on the dial and the first model to sport an asymmetrical case with twisted lugs and crown and pusher guards. Aesthetically, this vintage Omega is the archetype for the Speedmaster Pro as we know it today.

It is has all the essential design elements purists seek in a typical "Moon Watch" with a dot over 90 - aka DON - bezel, a step dial decorated with an applied Omega logo, and the legendary caliber 321 manual movement inside the case. If you're in the market for a classic vintage Omega Speedmaster Professional, the ref. 105.012 is the watch to buy.

This example is in excellent condition for a vintage Speedy. The tritium lume decorating the dial has aged to a lovely custard hue and the DON bezel is well preserved. It's also worth noting that the case back has a double-beveled edge, similar to its predecessors. Omega would upgrade the case back to a single-beveled edge on later models.