Omega Speedmaster 145.022-68 Transitional 1969

OMEGA Speedmaster 145.022-68 Transitional Reference, Applied Logo Dial
Serial: 26556523
Circa: 1969
Reference: 145.022-68

CASE: 42mm Stainless Steel, lyre lug moonwatch case, acrylic crystal, black tachymeter bezel (DO90) & screw case back

DIAL: Black matte dial with tritium hour markers, applied logo

MOVEMENT: Caliber 861, hand wound mechanical chronograph, 17 jewels

BRACELET: Omega stainless steel flat link 1039/516 dated 1.69

CONDITION REPORT: The dial is excellent and the tritium luminous material is intact with nice cream color patina. The hands are original and the tritium is intact with darkened lume from aging. The case is unpolished, very crisp and bezel has faded over time to a handsome navy blue color. The bracelet is original and matches the delivery of the watch. The flat foot crown is the original one. Overall a stunning example.

NOTES: According to the Omega Museum (no archives extract), the present watch was produced January 15, 1969 and delivered to Switzerland.

The Speedmaster 145.022-68 was launched in 1968 and was the very first to contain the caliber 861 as a replacement for the caliber 321. Deliveries began in early 1969 and the reference was then quickly replaced by the 145.022-69. What makes this reference distinctive aside from its very short production run (less than one year), is that there is an applied logo on the dial like its predecessor, meanwhile the following references had printed logos.