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- Written
by Chuck
Maddox
on 24 February 2001,
- Last
Revised: 30 November 2005, 4:07
GMT
- Certain
Rights
Reserved...
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One of
the questions that frequently gets
asked of me both publically and via
email is what should the case back
look like on an Omega Speedmaster.
Any article on a such a topic, even
on the somewhat limited topic of
Speedmaster moonwatch
casebacks, is daunting. If you have
additional information to share
please contact
the author...
This article is an attempt to answer
this question... And I doubt that
this article is in any way a
complete listing of the possiblities
with Omega Speedmaster
Moonwatches.
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- Index/Shortcuts:
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- Pre-Pro
Speedmasters
- Pre-Moon
Speedmaster Pro
- 18k
Gold Speedmaster Pro
- 1st
Generation Post-Moon
Pro
- 2nd
Generation Post-Moon
Pro
- Apollo-Soyuz
Limited Edition
- Display
Back c.863 First
Version
- Display
Back c.863 Second
Version
- Display
Back c.1863
- 25th
Anniversary Special
Edition
- MIR
Special Edition 90
Days
- MIR
Special Edition 365
Days
- 30th
Anniversary Special
Edition
- Galaxy
Express 999 Special
Edition
- Gene
Cernan "Last Man on the
Moon"
- 2003
Sapphire Crystal
Displayback
- Acknowlegments,
- Certain
Rights Reserved
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Description:
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Caseback:
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Pre-Pro
Speedmasters:
Notice the
"two-step" nature of the sloped part of the
back... This is the style that pre-pro
Speedmasters possess. Note that there is a
Hippocampus or "Seamonster" engraved on the
caseback but it is difficult to photograph
and is often faint due to many years of wear
on people's wrists... This is what the
original case back would look like on all
Pre-Pro Speedmasters. Case Reference Numbers:
CK2915, CK2998, ST105.003 and possibly the
ST105.012...
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Pre-Moon
Professional Speedmasters:
For the First
Professional models of Speedmasters Omega
switched to a single angle beveled design for
the case back. This is the case back that is
typically found on Pre-Moon Speedmaster
Professionals (ST145.012 and ST145.022)... I
have not seen a ST105.012 at this point, so
it's possible that they retain the older
twin-angle slope instead of the single angle.
If this is the case, it may be the only
external way to differenciate between the
ST105.012 and the ST145.012 without opening
the case. Note: Again the Hippocampus should
be present but is sometimes difficult to
see.
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18k Gold
Speedmaster Professional (Post-Moon)
NASA/Govt
Edition:
Shortly after
the sucessful moon landing by Apollo 11,
Omega created a limited edition of 1,014
solid Gold Speedmaster Professionals with a
gold dial and gold case back. 39 of these
watches had a special back ( pictured at
right) which were presented to the President,
Vice President and Astronauts engraved with
their name on the back. Click on the picture
to open a window with an enlarged photo of
Deke Slayton's example of this watch.
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18k Gold
Speedmaster Professional (Post-Moon)
Public Edition:
At right is an
example of the more common but still very
rare displayback....
(Thanks
to Brad (Watch Carefully) for his
contribution of pictures of both of these
casebacks for this section...)
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- Pictures
courtesy of Watch
Carefully
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Post-Moon
Professional Speedmasters (1st Generation):
Shortly after
the successful landing by Apollo astronauts
on the moon Omega moved to commemorate the
event by means of a specially engraved
caseback... The exact begining and ending
date of this caseback is not well known, but
usage started shortly after the Apollo 11
landing timeframe and lasted until 1971 when
the modern caseback was adopted. This is the
caseback found on ST145.022's dating from
after the first lunar landing to some point
in 1971
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Post-Moon
Professional Speedmasters (2nd
Generation~Current):
The currently
used caseback has been in use from 1971
through the currently sold non-commemorative
non-display back model. This is probably the
most common caseback one will find on the
back of Speedmaster Professional moonwatches,
as it has been in production the
longest.
(Thanks to Mike de Jong for his contribution
to nailing down the time this back was
adopted)
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Apollo-Soyuz Limited Edition:
In 1975 to commemorate the Apollo-Soyuz
Test Project (a part of the SALT agreements
signed between Breznev and Nixon), Omega
produced a special Limited Edition run of 500
Speedmasters. These Speedmasters differed
from the standard production run with a
different dial (detail) and case back (shown
at right)...
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Speedmaster
Professional Display Back c.863 First
Version:
Starting with a
comemorative edition in 1980 marking the 10th
anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing
Omega used a highly decorated version of the
c.863 movement with Côtes de
Genéve on the bridge in conjunction
with a special crystal display back to show
off the movement. In 1987 the Display back
model became part of the product line. It is
important to note that the casebacks on the
commemorative version and versions early in
the product run (through at least 1992 - Ref.
3592.5000) do not state Speedmaster
Professional as the example on the
right does, but rather states: "Apollo XI -
Speedmaster - <Blank or xxxx> and First
Watch Worn On The Moon" instead...
Special
Thanks to David Greenspan for pointing out
this tidbit to me!
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Speedmaster
Professional Display Back c.863 Second
Version:
At some point in
the early 1990's Omega changed the
inscription of the c.863 Display Back models
to read: "© OMEGA - Speedmaster -
Professional and First Watch Worn On The
Moon", while the previous models stated:
"Apollo XI - Speedmaster - <Blank or
xxxx> and First Watch Worn On The Moon".
The rest of the watch and movement remains
unchanged between these two
models.
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Photo
of later model c.863 Display back, from an
Omega catalog provided by Adam
Gonzales
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Speedmasters
Professional Display Back
c.1863:
In the 1996-1997
timeframe Omega and Lemania changed the
plating of the c.861 and c.863 from gilt (or
a gold-toned plating) to Rhodium (a
silver-toned plating) and changed the name of
each movement adding a "1" before the number
to signify the change. Also in the c.861
movement a single part was changed from a
metal component to a plastic one which wear's
better and is self-lubricating. In the c.1863
the original metal part is retained because
Omega didn't want display-back owners seeing
the plastic part. Otherwise the movements are
identical to their previous configurations.
Click
here for another
picture
(thanks Jerry Tollison)
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- Photo
provided by Keith
Downing
- (click
to enlarge)
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25th Anniversary Special Edition (2,500
pieces):
This special
caseback was produced for the 25th
anniversary edition of the Speedmaster
Moonwatch. This commemorative differs from
previous 20th anniversary Special edition
(which had a standard moonwatch caseback) by
having "Limited Edition x/2500" engraved on
the caseback, and differs from the 30th
Aniversary Special Edition's "Hello Houston
Tranquility Base Here"/Apollo 11
back.
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- Photo
provided by Dru
Sotherden
- (click
to enlarge)
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MIR Special
Edition 90 Days:
This special
caseback to commemorate the Speedmaster
flying for 90 days on MIR was made for a very
limited production run of 10 Speedmasters.
The inscription on the back states "90 Days
Flight Qualified <cr> Spacelab MIR Dec.
90-Mar. 91 -- The First Watch Worn On The
Moon"... The center medalion is the famous
"Hippocampus" or "Seamonster"...
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MIR Special
Edition 365 Days:
This special
caseback to commemorate the Speedmaster
flying for 90 days on MIR was made for a very
limited production run of 35 Speedmasters (7
Gold, 28 Stainless Steel). The inscription on
the back states "365 Days Aboard <cr>
Space Station MIR July 1993 - July 1994 --
The First Watch Worn On The Moon x/28" (for
the Stainless Steel Models (x/7 for the
Gold)... The center medalion is the famous
"Hippocampus" or "Seamonster"...
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1957 Re-Edition Speedmaster:
This "Non-Moon" engraved modern
caseback was affixed to the 1957 "Broad
Arrowed" Re-Edition of the original 1957
Speedmaster. The name "re-edition is a bit of
a misnomer, because while the watch has a
superficial resemblence to the original 1957,
the closer one looks the more it becomes
apparent that the Re-Edition has next to
nothing that is exactly like the original
1957 model, the Bezel, hands, dial, case,
caseback, bracelet, even the crystal, crown
and pushers are different from the original.
But it has a 1957 Retro look to it.
Click
on the picture for an
enlargement
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- Photo
provided by Jeff Bagnall
- (click
to enlarge)
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30th
Anniversary Special Edition:
This special
caseback was produced for the 30th
anniversary edition of the Speedmaster
Moonwatch. This commemorative differs from
previous 20th, and 25th anniversary editions
in that it has a truly different back. The
Inscription reads: "Hello Houston,
Tranquility Base Here <cr> The Eagle
Has Landed -- July 21, 1969 02:56 GMT".
Note: while most history books note
July 20th as the date of the landing (as it
was Houston Time), the date & time is
proper for GMT. The center medalion is also
changed from the Hippocampus to the Apollo 11
Mission patch.
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Galaxy
Express 999 Special Edition:
This special
edition caseback was issued in 1999 to honor
the animator of the TV series "Spaceship
Yamato" known in the United States as
"Star
Blazers"
and Galaxy
Express 999...
It is a limited edition of 1,999 made
specifically for the Japanese
Market.
Click
on the picture for an
enlargement:
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E.A. Cernan
"Last Man on the Moon" Special
Edition...
This special
edition released in 2003 to commemorate the
thirtith anniversary of Apollo Astronaut (and
Omega Spokesperson) Eugene Cernan's last
footsteps made on the moon in late 1972. A
limited edition of 3,000 examples, the only
difference between this edition and the
standard Moonwatch is the
caseback.
Click
on the picture for an
enlargement:
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- Photo
provided by Iain Bush
- (click
to enlarge)
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Sapphire
Crystal Displayback 2003:
In 2003 Omega
finally answered requests for a Sapphire
crystal Moonwatch in the form of a Saphire
crystal Moonwatch with display back. While
they were at it they also changed the wording
of the display back from "Omega | Speedmaster
| Professional" between three of the caseback
slots, and "First Watch | Worn On | The Moon"
on the other, The new text now reads: "Omega
| The First | And Only | Watch | Worn On |
The Moon" which
is factually incorrect.
Picture courtesy of Magnus, sharp eye credit
goes to Sauron and Peter B.
Click
on the picture for an
enlargement
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- Photo
provided by Magnus
- (click
to enlarge)
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Acknowlegments:
I would like to
thank Adam Gonzales, Jerry Tollison, Watch
Carefully, Magnus, Iain Bush, Dru Sotherden
and Keith Downing for their contribution of
photographs to this document. I would like to
thank David Greenspan for sharing his
knowledge of his 1992 c.863 display back
Speedmaster and it's history, Mike de Jong
for his eagle eye in spotting a 1971
Speedmaster with the 2nd generation Moonwatch
Caseback and Henry Lee for spotting a
typo!
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Statement of
rights retained and permissions
granted...
- Permission
is granted for Damon, Derek Ziglar, Ross
and RJ to include within the FAQ's they
are writing as long as credit (and a link
to this article) is given and proper
acknolegement to the contributor's is
included. Permission for personal,
educational or non-commercial use is
granted. The author retains all other
rights not specifically mentioned here...
For all other use please contact
the author.
Disclaimer:
Opinions are my own and knowing me should be
taken with a grain or two of salt...
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