1996/97 Omega Speedmaster Professional 345.0022 Cal. 1861
Ref: 345.0022
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Non-waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Omega box or Omega paperwork. The watch comes paired with a brushed and polished 20mm Omega stainless steel bracelet with a signed folding clasp, the bracelet will fit up to a 7inch wrist. The watch is from Circa. 1996/97 and is in worn condition but overall very fair as you can see from the photos, a full case and bracelet refurb can be provided at an additional cost. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sRJzjDxmPoW0MTgaVSy_DlWHjBfnvD31?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 8:52 - https://youtu.be/KKgfz8w73jo
The Watch
Here we have a 1996/97 Omega Speedmaster Professional 345.0022 with a 42mm stainless steel asymmetric case, polished and brushed surfaces lead to the characteristic twisted lugs. The crisp lines transition effortlessly around the case, and a lug-to-lug length of 47.5mm and a case thickness of 14mm ensure a comfortable fit on the wrist. Down the right side, we have the chronograph pushers which sit close to the case and a signed crown in the centre. A fixed tachymeter sits on its black bezel, the dial is protected by a domed Hesalite crystal, an outer minute track with slim baton indexes that mark the hours. 3 recessed sub-dials are 60 seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours. Sword hands and an elegant long central chronograph seconds hand that accurately hits the minute track, the dial has perfect symmetry. Hands and indexes are lumed with their original Tritium. The screw-down case back is engraved with “Flight - Qualified By NASA for all Manned Space Missions” and “The First watch worn on the Moon” a fitting testament to man's achievements in space, inside we have the manually wound Omega Cal. 1861, 18 jewels hand-wound Chronograph beating at 21,600 bph. The watch comes with a brushed and polished 20mm Omega stainless steel bracelet with a signed folding clasp.
Personal Note
I love modern Omega Speedmasters, but they sure do make a lot of them! That becomes apparent with a reference like this 345.0022 and how rarely it appears on the market, it also quickly becomes apparent how great the value is on these models for that very same reason. This model features the Omega Cal. 1861, the direct descendent of the famous Cal. 861 & Cal. 321, still a Lemania-based movement and a true workhorse! I wouldn't hesitate on this example if you are considering a Speedmaster, especially as this one has tritium and will age beautifully as time goes on.
The Brand
They were formerly known as the La Generale Watch Co. in 1848 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 an astronaut's first choice. 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 with their production starting 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 rebranded itself from SMH to the Swatch Group. Then, in 1999, they purchased and integrated Breguet into the Swatch Group.