1979 Omega Speedmaster Automatic 'Mark 4.5' 40mm 176.0015

Here we have a 1979 Omega Speedmaster Automatic 'Mark 4.5' 176.0015, the Mark series started in 1969 with the Mark II and ended with the Mark V in 1984 this ‘Mark 4.5’ was released in 1975, with its production running until 1986, so named by collectors as this is technically not part of the series and has no official ‘Mark’ number on the dial but it does represent a mix of the Speedmaster ‘Mark IV’ case and ‘Mark V’ movement. Featuring a curvaceous 40mm tonneau-shaped satin-brushed stainless steel case that sits comfortably on your wrist with flat-ended lugs and an integrated bracelet. Its polished, chamfered edge flows across the brushed flanks, leading to a lug-to-lug length of 43mm and a case thickness of 16mm, giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side, we have the short chronograph pushers recessed into the case and a signed, deeply knurled crown at the centre. A thin, polished bezel holds a flat mineral glass crystal above a dynamic matte black dial. An inner Tachymeter bezel is printed on the crystal and sits above a minute track, precisely executed with Tritium batons marking the hours and the 60 minutes printed underneath. At noon, we have a Day/Night 24-hour GMT register; at 3 o’clock, a framed German day/date window; at 6 o’clock, a 12-hour register and finally, a running seconds. At 3 o’clock,  printed ‘Omega Speedmaster Automatic’, featuring white hands; a 60-minute hand underneath the chronograph hand, both the hour and minute hands are filled with Tritium. On the reverse, a screw-down solid case back with the Omega Hippocampus embossed in the centre, a seahorse that represents Neptune, the God of the sea; it was conceived by Pierre Borie after seeing a picture of Neptune riding a chariot pulled by seahorses; it is the reason why the seahorses are wearing a bridle. Inside the legendary Lemania Calibre 5100, automatic Omega Cal. 1045, 17 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour. A robust movement made with Delrin plates, a type of plastic, to protect and absorb shocks. It comes paired with its original chunky 25mm integrated satin-brushed stainless steel bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp, which will fit up to a 7.1-inch wrist.

This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and, therefore, comes with no original Omega box or original Omega paperwork. It comes paired with its original 25mm integrated satin-brushed stainless steel bracelet secured by a signed folding clasp, which will fit up to a 7.1-inch wrist. The watch is from Circa. 1979 and is in worn condition with some marks; as you would expect, the dial and handset are in fantastic vintage condition with an even patina, as you can see from the photographs. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.

For the money, it is going to be hard to beat the cool factor of this Speedmaster. This is the Omega Speedmaster Automatic 'Mark 4.5', as it is nicknamed. This 40mm reference 176.0015 is from 1979, and it is unapologetically 1970s in its design, especially with its original brick bracelet, which is amazing on the wrist. It isn't a small watch, but with a very reasonable case and lug-to-lug dimensions, it wears surprisingly well. Don't hesitate to book an appointment and see for yourself!

Reference : 176.0015
Movement : Automatic Omega Cal. 1045
Age : Circa. 1979
Year : 1979
Case Size : 40mm
Case Thickness : 16mm
Lug to Lug : 43mm
Lugs : 25mm (Integrated)
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box and Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch

Formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848, it was founded by Louis Brandt in La Chaux-de-Fonds. When he died in 1879, his sons carried on his dream. In 1880, they moved to 96 Rue Jakob-Stampfli, where they remain today. The brothers produced their first mass-produced calibre, the Labrador, in 1885. Just a few years later, in 1892, they produced the first minute-repeater. In 1903, they renamed the company Omega until 1982, when they officially changed their name to Omega SA. During WW1, Omega watches were used as official timekeepers for the Royal Flying Corps and the US Army. In 1930, Omega and Tissot merged together to form Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH). In 1931, another group was formed - Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG). Where SSIH was primarily French-speaking, ASUAG was founded by the more German-speaking members of the Swiss watch industry. In 1948, they introduced the first edition of one of its most symbolic watches: the Seamaster. Omega first introduced the Constellation in 1952. At the time, it was Omega's flagship timepiece. The first models had a Cal. 354 bumper movement in them. Later, in 1955, Omega introduced the Automatic Cal. 50x, followed in 1959 by the Cal.55x (no date) and 56x (date) versions. Many of the Constellations came with pie-pan dials, diamond indexes, and fancy lug configurations. All the gold Constellations of that time have the Observatory of Geneva's hand engraved on the back. The stainless steel and stainless steel/gold versions had a gold medallion on the back with the Observatory of Geneva. The eight stars above the Observatory stand for the many exploits of Omega in the world Chronometer competition. Celebrating the fact that all Constellations are Chronometer Certified. In 1962, when astronaut Wally Schirra wore a Speedmaster on his Mercury Sigma 7 Mission, making it the first Omega watch to enter space. After rigorous tests, NASA used Omega for all their Apollo missions, including the 1969 Moon landing of Apollo 11. Today, Omega is still the first choice of astronauts. In 1969, President Nixon famously said it was “too valuable” and turned down the first-ever all-gold Speedmaster Professional Deluxe. As a response to the ever-growing threat of electronic watches to the manufacturers of mechanical watches, Omega and many Swiss brands such as Rolex and Patek Philippe formed Centre Electronique Horologer (CEH). Prototypes began to appear in 1967, and their production started in 1968. Then, In 1972, Omega introduced the reference 198.030, which included the Omega calibre 1250, a ‘tuning-fork electronic movement which was made under licence from Bulova. Later we saw a merger of SSIH and ASUAG into SMH, or Société de Microélectronique et d’Horlogerie. This merger took place in 1983. In 1992, the company acquired Blancpain, and in 1998, it officially branded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.